St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1879-02-15
VIOLETS VS.. kMETHYSTS.

shake OF her yellow curls. Dear
me, l am really getting to be almost
an old maid!"
ooh. luy love, what nonsense"
sail her mother, a comfortable old
lady, with double chin. and bright
blue eyes that blinked behind gold
glasses. AS if you couldn't be
married any day that you pleased!"
"6us its So hard to make up
ones mind" said Miss Maurande.
If Mary Maurande had been
pretty without being rich, she would
probably have clipped with some
handsome yonas ne'er-do-well, with
. pockets no better lined than her
own; if she had been rich, without
being pretty, she would doubtless
have been married long ago to some
bald-pated stock broker. But, as
! fortune had endowed her with both
beauty and wealth. she was still
hesitating what matrimonial choice
to make.
She sat there ut breakfast, in the
pretty little blue chintz boudoir,
with the hyacintLs biossorning in
the window, and the old china ar
ranged ON velvct-draped brackets
above the Mantle, with her fluffy
yellow hair tilletted by blue rib
bon, and her soft, turquoise eyes
looking pensiTely into the red glow
Of the CRATE fire.
Really" said Miss Maurande,
to herself. ~ don't know what l
shall do"
At that moment Dorothy, the
parlor-maid, tripped in.
If You please. Miss Mary, there's
bunch of violets just come for
you. And cardl"
'.yiolets!" cried Mary, her eyes
Frightening. My faror!te flower.
How kind of Captain Cleveland to
remember my birthday
But in less than il Ainute. back
came Dorothy again.
Il parcel for Miss Maurande,"
cried she. breathlessly. And the
express charges paid. With Mr..
Mildmay's card, please, Miss"
Isn't it nice to have birthdays"
said Mary. laughing and .co.oring rs
she opened the little violet-velvet
case aud saw al amethyst bracelet-
a plain bar of dead-yuld. studded
with slis.ening purple stones, and
with one word, Mary" engraved
ON the inside. But, oh, hlamula,
1 can't take anything SO cxpensiv.
as this."
You can't return il, my dea-,
without seeming rude" said Mrs.
Marande. And it certainly is =:
gem, and quite puts the captains
violets i'll the sht,ic."
Miss Maurande said nothing, but
dipped her pretty nose once more
into the hearts OF the rioiets.
Nothing is SO sweet as flowers.
mamma" said she.
But the vioiets could have been
bought anywhere for fifty cents, my
dear" sail ...irs. Maurande, sand
the bracelet must have cost sixty or
seventy dollars"
Mary was silent. In her mind
there was something distusteiul in
thus reckoning these spontaneous
little offerings according to their
money value.
"Ir. Miidmay is very handsome
and agreeable" said Mrs. Maurande,
With her eye still fixed on the
bracelet, with its spots Of violet fire.
"But there something about him
I don't like, mamma" said stary.
Ny dear child"
"There really is, mamma"
"He is much more elegant than
Captain Cleveland"
But Capt. Cleveland is SO frank. ?"
And long after her mother had
left the room Mary Maurande sal
with the two birthday gifts before
her. looking first at the bunch OF
Vi ,lets, whose sweet fragrance per-
vaded the whole atmosphere, and
then at the broad band OF yellow
gold in its satin-lired case.
Rnt the very next afternoon she