Connecticut western news., 1878-11-13
The Grape Shawl.

vas In my room, tying my bonnet strings rather nervously before the mirror, and thinking how much more becoming lavender would be than the pink and gray I had worn for two seasons. Mother was quite ready and in the parlor waiting for me, for it was almost three, and at three o'clock we were all to meet at Wills to choose our shawl boxes.
 1t was in the days when sea captains used to bring home wonderful things rom foreign ports, with the scent and the flavor of the tropics still clinging to them; ivory fans, carved to miracle of dehcacy by the cunning fingered Chinese; clumsy tea-poys, covered with queer arabesques of the most fanciful flowers and vines, that artists of Japan could devise; fragrant trihes of sandal wood, and dress goods of curious fabric and more curious pattern. Uncle John had always brought us something to re- member him by when he came home nom his long sea voyages and now thls time, when he had exchanged ships at the Sandwich Islands, thus lengthen- ing his three years absence to six years. he sent his gifts Sa us by his first mate. 50 when the Mary Ann was spoken out the bar, and when with the next tide she came sailing into the harbor, we were all on the lookout for dear old sunburnt Uncle John, and instead came Steve Belden, with letter and some crape shawls.
 We had heard so much about Steve Belden that he did not seem like a stranger ; and, besides, sailors people are not very ceremonious in their friend ships; so he had already spent an even- ing at our house and at Wills, and Cousin Nell had met him, too. More over, he was invited to be present at the lottery of shawls. I say lottery, because Uncle John had written that we were to divide them among us, adding in his funny way, that he had hidden charm in one for the luckiest." It was easy enough to say divide them, but when we came to open the boxes, Nell, Rose and l, each wanted the prettiest-the laven- der shawl-and each was frank enough to say so. There were four shawls in all, of the very finest quality of crape, soft and creamy to the touch, and each in it's own black perfumed case. The cases were as like as peas, but not the shawls. One was black, rich and lustreless one was pure white, like the white of calla lilies. and embroidered heavily with the same; the third was white, too, but a wreath of pink buds ran round the border-pink buds and leaves dain- tily worked; the fourth was lavender. That was the beauty. It was before our manufacturers knew what exquisite shades could be produced, and we had only the commonest purples. But this : it was inefiable, the shimmer of the palest violets in the sun. Rose threw ii over my shoulders, and as I looked in the glass l felt that if ever anything in the way of clothes could make me per. fectly happy 1t would be this shawl. My eye loved to dwell upon it, my hand loved to touch it it made me look pret ty, too, and I had so few becoming things. But there It was just as be coming to Nell or to Rose, and they wanted it as much as I. So we decided on sort of lottery. Rose was my brother Wills wife-a gay, dressy, good-naturec little thing, and Nell was my only cous In. Nell was tall, stately and beautiful with proud, clear look in her eyes, anC snowy grace in all her ways by whicl l mean she was stately and fair like tn, snow, and cold like it too. But the colo of the snow is not like the cold of frost you know, for flowers live under it drifts sometimes.
 Each shawl was to be locked up in it own black case, and then Will was to Ia, the cases promiscuously on his parlo table, and then we were to choose eacl for ourselves. Mother and I were to b there at three o'clock. I gave a las pull at the old gray and pink ribbons then ran down to join her and W started.
 They were waiting for us.
 "Oh, take off your bonnet, quick 1! cried Rose. I'm wild to have it sci tied. Will has 'shuf1ed the boxes and I'm teasing him to make me sig which is the lavender, but he won't"
 "Aunt Mary will choose first, C course" suggested Nell.
 "Not unless her name is drawn first ! said Will, with mock solemnity, writin all our names on slips of paper and hold ing them behind him.
 "Wc vait your pleasure" said Nell retreatlng to .Lc C rrcr of tle sofa. Sh spoke indifferently, but I knew in he heart she was secretly anxious to gai the lavender.
 Belden hasn't come yet" said Will
 Oh, never mind Belden,'' exclaime Rose. What does he care? He woul only laugh, and it is really very impol tsnt. It's after three. Come, Will.
 Very well, 2 he replied; " then let