The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-12-16
CALICO.
[Harnar'a Bazar,

"What shall / wear mammyf Ana little
Nelly Day looked up into her mothers face
with wistful glance, as IL she was half
amused and half sad.
ssWear your new dress, OF course, placidly
answered the Widow Day.
"But, mother, it's only calicoW
"Thats very true, and ten-cent calico at
that; still, It Is all you have got, Nelly
"And the girls are all going, nanny; even
the Holdridges and their New York COM
pany." 49,
ward her daughter, looked at her steadily for
minute with faint smile lurking about her
lps. and then answered with the New Eng
land word-of-all-work, "Wellr'
aBut it isn't WELL said Nelly. with little
vexed laugh. 81 don't like to go, nanny
dear, where my company Will DO ashamed OIL
ssThen should certainly stay at home, -
was the serene answer.
'sOh, motherf'
Mrs. Day got UP and came across the room
any dear, dear little girl, look the thing in
the face You own two calico dresses and q
black silk and gray merino,;. the merino Is too
scrambling after arbutus. Look things In the
face, and take your choice :,
"0ur arbutus parties are SO pleasant, y
sighed Nelly.
in clean calico and enjoy yourself or have
you an intention Of going to show, the New
York people your best gown, and how little
you care about running 1t Nelly, don't be q
goosel Put. your silly little, pride in your
pocket my dear, or else use it on your sand
witches, for know nobody in the valley has
any better than / can make
1Who's proud now, ma'am, I'd like to
know" laughed Nelly, her sweet temper and
sense coming to the front; and kissing her
mother she danced off TO put fresh frill in
the throat OF her silk dress for Sunday. for
tomorrow the arbutus party would take all
her time.
Nelly and her mother were poor; but when
matter of small stings. It was the mother
who felt anxiety for the future who spared
herself all superous comforts, who pinched
and pared and labored to lay. up a little for
some day Of rain or perhaps Tor Nely's we'd
ding. Who knows2
Her husband had been dead this fifteen
years. Had he lived, she would probably
have been poorer. He was O country clergy
man. studious, dreamy, helpless L. Is true,
body knew 1t was better for her that ne died
and left her his life insurance. Ii she did not
think 50, 1t was owing to q foolish way
women have of preferring living. loving
husband 10 $4,000. VI course; put then they
Now She has only Nelly, and she loved her
after that same fashion; but q certain crisp
common-sense and provident maternal in
stinot helped her not to spoil the child, how
ever much she would have liked to.
Only caiicol But when Nelly left her little
room the next morning dressed for the expe-
dition, Mrs Day was altogether satisfied with
her aspect.
was simple enough; u black and white stripe,
more white than black o single deep rllle on
the skirt, bound and headed with black cam
brio bands; jacket fitting closely but not
ished with black cambria ruflle, O like trim
ming around the throat but within 1t a
pleated linen frill, both kept In order by a
band of black velvet, from which hung Q
white spur cross, her solitary trlnket, ana
that her mothers before her; q little black
cloth sacque of q singularly graceful shape,
braided on the edge in Greek pattern; a
wide-leafed black hat with bit OF snow
white feather trimming round the crown;
and pair of black gloves, much mended,
and little purple and shabby about the
finger-tips, completed the costume; but
when you put this simple attire on to q
slight graceful figure, with blooming face,
starry dark eyes, and abundant rlch brown
knotted up high on the small head, while
dozen little fluffy tendrilS fiuttered over the
tiny pink ears and low white forehead, you
did not remember that the dress was calico
gotten IL you peeped into the clean, new lunch
basket-only common splint basket, with
an old damask towel folded over the contents
but filled with such dainty sandwiches: some
oil the tongue GnhC MIS-. LAY Hdu cufeu heI
self, rosy, tender and fiavorless; some Of
ounce marmalade in firm-grained slices
translucent as clouded amber; some Of acid
Jelly, and some of maple sugar. Here We're
slices of whitest wheat and some of freshest
rye bread, well spread with golden butter,
and then thickly spread again with maple
sugar stirred while hot inso a thick paste,
sweet as honey, but spicy even In sweetness
with the taste of the trees heart, the forest
odors. the clean fine aroma of Northern
woods and wilds. No wonder that Mrs. Day
sandwiches were proverbial in Beckett.
The widow looked with satisfaction at her
pretty daughter; she had fashioned as well
sac0ue was ingeniously pieced from Parson
DAYS Sunday coat, the dress ten-cent cal.
leo and the white band of feathers plueked
from the breasts Of two Thanksgiving chick
ems and sewed by her own fingers, she knew
her own quick eve had copied from Partisan
+ .nurtit sent q ssket for one 0f the HOldridge