Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1879-03-20
A PRACTICAL JOKE.
by MARGARET HARVEY

OuLS S6itACHIdH auuA ACSoOO AOOHeSN s'o A-@A
but she did not seem to no
tice him.
Harry, she said again just as sudden
ly, and then once more relapsed into
brown study.
In few minutes the bright wool she
was winding fell into hopeless tang1e,
and Harry was obliged to take it off his
outstretched hands and help her pull it
into something like a smooth shape. And
all this while the silence continued, until
at last becoming impatient at the delay,
feeling that Lille wished to say some
thing very earnestly, he broke the silence
by asking:
We'll, Lille what troubles you?'
You'll laugh she answered, in hesi-
tating manner, & know you will; but, in
deed, if you were in my place, you would
not see much laughing matter
He did laugh-more at the depreeating,
woebegone countenance than because he
supposed whatever she had to say worthy
of regret. And the instant he did so he
was sorry, for the look of distress deep
ened, and she said:
'Oh, Harry, if could only make You
understand!'
Seriously as ever he uttered anything in
his life, he said:
well, whatever the trouble is, I'll help
you out, promise you, Lille, DEAR
He called his cousin 'Lillie, DEAR all
his life, just as you would say, Pretty
POLL or Pussy cat
Lille was an only child and Harry was
the youngest of large family, all of
whom, excepting himself, had married
and left the old home. So, for young COM
pany, these two cousins had mainly de-
pended on each other. They usually
spent their Saturday afternoons, together.
and had done so from the time when
they were school children, and this was
their only holiday. Now Harry was q
and Lille 20. Lille had had suitors, OF
course, but no encouragement did she
ever give to any.
'I'm never going to marry she would
say, Harry does as well as beau; ant
what would he do if married? I gues
I'll never fall in love, for L have neve
vet seen anybody liked as well as Har
ry. And Pm sure he'll be an old bachel
or for my sake, for he don't think there
any girl as good as t.
Harry she finally began, F'I think it
too bad to be girl. You can have you
money to spend, and can buy and do jus
as you please. But pa and ma woul
never let me earn anything-in fact, nev
er taught me anything by which | coul
if had to. had begged them many
time to let me do something, but the
say, sOh, [ guess we can afford to tax
care of our only girl and it all comes
nothing. And then, that is not tn
worst. They wont let me earn any none
and they won't give me any either. Fl
twenty years old, and I'm no better 0
than a child of ten. If / want neN
dress. ma says: elizabeth, can't Sc
that thee's destitute If want any pre-
ty things that the other girls have, ST
saws: elizabeth, couldn't thee conqut
such foolish vanities if thee tried?' If
want any books, she says: Thee will fiji
Barclay IS Apology" and William Penn
sssNo Cross, no Crown in the boOkcas
. Las we'll as the Bible, and the more worl'
ilv books of 'FPamela'' and Robinsc
Crusoe." Thee can not weary of the
: books if thy mind is content Now, mu'
f as L respect the Friends, Harry, / dor
i see any sense in being as straight-lac
as ma is. Pm sure I'm not hear
Friend myself. They say that gay Gu
ker ladies dress in the best of taste, and
believe they dol know 1 could. But,
such half-cut rig as this is, Pm Meth
one thing nor the other. Look at n
Harry!''
And she stood up. She wore a plai
black cashmere, made with an ungor
] skirt and plain basque. Plain, straig
. linen bands were at her neck and wris
q unrelieved by ribbon or bit of jewel
y while her hair fell in its own natur
short, black curls around her face g
neck. Her only ornaments were +
at her throat and another in her hair.
sYes,' said Harry, You are dres
very plainly. but I never noticed it
fore.'
~ sIknow you didn't, and that's VIII
have always felt so at ease in your &C
pany. But if you were girl, would !
like to go out often in such costume?'
- 'Well, candidly, Lille, dear, if ! W
] as pretty as you, and had such knac
making people think so, and wore fiov
with the grace you do, 1 don't think
care much"
'sOh, Harry! But if looked we
20 such plain dress, wouldn't look be
if I had better? / have refused maj
fine invitation because felt that I wi
leok like freight among properly DIRE
1! people. Last week went to see ]
May. She is having her wedding 0
made. Such perfect one! Everyt
she could desire, and not an extrava
Il article in the whole. Her dresses 10
ent as though they were meant to wear,
aoouId wear-se-viceable, rich and
gant-nothing overloaded, nothing s.
Y. She said she never could have anyt
her own way until she had to atte
this. Her mother rushed to the othe
treme, so that poor Belle was comp
to dress pronounced at all times, and
decidedly loud. thinkit is just as
vanity to dress too plainly as too
Either attracts undue attention and
Behold me! I am of different
from my fellow beings Harry"
ering her voice little-"if were te
ihs occasion for a trousseaW, do you til
# for once might have my own way I?
sAssuredly, think so.'
rGS SWELL, then, I believe L can get "
want within six weeks
sWhy, Lillie?' and Harry looked
in amazement. who is it? Why
'ToERt- z sERt YOU tell me YOU were engagedP
you mean to set your cap for som'
so as to be able to dress as you like
- Harry, you're goose! OF cour
not engaged? Nor would be SO Y
= as to marry for dress. You kno