The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1878-04-06

tomboy when | was young. L went
to school with the boys, and out of
school played with them just as rough.
[ had my work to do afore | went, but
when / came home from school would
tear off, instead of sitting down to SAM
pler-work as your grandmother babe
me. She and rs had many bout over
that sampler. | used to hide it in all
sorts of places, and she found it regu-
lar--weren' many corners in her house
hold she didn't look into every day. At
last | popped it into the big diction-
airy, and it lay there safe for years. She
had such raft of boys, you know, the
house was never quiet; and L couldn't
for the life of me sit down to sew when
there was snow-balling or wasp-fights
going on outside. But l did my work
aforen
And Debby Ann drew herself up erect
and glowered at Laura, whose daily
dutyit is to trail gracefully with CO.
quettish feather brush over the books
and pictures in the drawing-room, and
who now, at nine a. m, had Just made
her pretty morning toilet, with the la
bors of the day still before her.
"But you did learn to sew, through
it all,' said my wife, with swift con-
science for the piles of neat mending
forwarded to each room of the house by
Thursday noon.
go yes; your grandmother gave me
a trade-they always did-and / chose
tailoring. When it was work, you
know, to make your living by, that S
another thing. But never could abide
sewing for playn'
Another slap. This time at the white
lilies on the royal purple ground over
which Miss Laura spends many brisk
hours, softly humming to herself the
Bridesmaids Chorus" from "Lohen-
grin" 1t is for the young rector study
fire when all is done; and that clerical
Adonis certainly has fair and blushing
cheek, like a girrs-like Laura's just
now.
My wife stirs her coffee somewhat
uneasily, too, for is not there Persian
rug, the very carpet of Prince Periban-
on for aught know, growing into won
drous device and glow of color under
her gentle hands? | wouldn't care, l
know, if it should spirit the rector away
from my preserves. Laura is nineteen,
to be sure, and her mother at her age
was Never mind, miss, what she
was! Far fairer than ever you will be,
and almost as beautiful as she is to-day.
"Of course you chose tailoring" said
my wife, with the faintest pout in her
tone, "trousers being the costume of
the ruling race"
"Of course" and Debby Ann shuts
her eyes, and dips her head in laugh
that is visible rather than audible.
Buttons and straight seams are plain
sailing. | should lose my head among
the rutlies of a gown. Have another
cup? No? Then excuse me-"
And out of the room, with a quicker
step than Laura's, with no hurry or
hustle, but direct as an arrow to its aim,
goes Debby Ann.
My wife and laugh into each others
eyes.
THAT was Il mastery stroke, Tad
dea; confess it. Neither you nor |
could have settled it for ourselves, SO
by an ingenious leading question you
have extracted whole philosophy from
Debby Ann"
"Well, my dear, now that Laura
has flown, electric to the postman's
ring, l don't mind confessing that
am as a babe before the
modern girl, with her quick, bright
mind, her capabilities for martyr use
fulness in decorating a church, or work
ing herself thin for centennial tea
party, and her unlimited capacity for
dawdle, except under the high pressure
of strong excitement. But | have, as
you say, struck out some flashes of light
on it from the gritty sense of bygone
times. All this spasmodic energy, this
tireless self-devotion under excitement,
is simply the woman in Laura, all that
is left of the muliebrity of old. We
have smothered out its vitality, except
for these few wild sparks now and then.
That we have not killed it utterly let us
thank God and the wonderful endur-
ance He has given our daughter. Look
at her now. Could she take walk
with me this minute if should call her
to go? You know she could not. She
must step out of her dainty slippers,
and spend how many minutes l don't
know in buttoning those boots, on
which she must balance herself like a
fgurante before she can step at all.
She must take off that fresh morning.
Vatican, do you call it?-with
its rose-colored ribbons and its graceful
tail; she must Undue herself with skirt
that weighs pounds, in spite of its scant-
mess, tluted like a column-kilted,
thank you!-and over that another
swathing of drapery, of no mortal use
that one can see save to hide the decora-
ton of the under one. Then, when she
has knotted silk kerchief round her
throat, and put on a jaunty jacket, and
given her hat the proper inclination,
and pinned on two wells, she will be
ready to start.
land she will be very dazzling, and
| shall be proud of her as she goes
sparkling down the street, leaning on
my arm: There is not much agility re-
quired simply to .fa'aer upon Walnut
street, as she can walk with sufficient
grace with me perhaps as far as my
office. But should ask her to go with
me to the rose gardens over the river,
or to take constitutional in the park,
she will be exhausted at the mention of
it. How could she climb down and
gather Quaker-ladies, or climb up for
columbine among the rocks? She