Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1879-09-11

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take az early opportunity Of looking
in upon Miss Lizzie and expressing
my interest in her success
Mamma, said Clara Ferris when
her brother had left the room, would
you be willing to have Henry marry
a shop woman !?
Quite wilIing,my dear, if she were
the right kind OF shop woman-but
there is as much difference in the
article as there is in poetry. ShoaId
Harry become infatuated (Which he
certainly is not likely to do) with one
of those over dressed creatures at
Marsh's, who look like vulgar fashion
plates, aud seem animated with the
one idea OF making good match, /
should consider il serious misfor-
tune; but when lady like Miss
Gartrell chooses, in a quiet, lady. like
way, to make herself independent,
think she is deserving of all honor.
We will not talk, however, of marry
ing yet; ! know that matters have
not progressed so far as that beween
Harry and MISS Gartrell, although it
is very evident that he admires her.
But she may not return it--every
one does not view our only son and
brother just in the light that we do
The sisters looked incredulous to
them, this brother was Sir Galahad,
Socrates, and Adonis, rolled into one.
| The days went on, and our heroine
prospered old acquaintance drop
ped in at FIRST from curiosity, and af-
forwards because they took genuine
pleasure in their visits to the little
circulating library and it became
quite the fashion to patronize Miss
Gartrell.
Among the first to come was Mrs.
Ferris; and Lizzie's heart did fiutter
little wnen she caught sight of that
lady approaching the door. She was
a fine looking woman with a certain
sweet statellness of manner; and she
wore her elegant clothes with an air
of having been accustomed to just
such beautiful things. sf=r
Il am 80 glad to see this she said,
as she took the young shop, woman
warmly by the hand, ALLOW me 10
congratulate you, Miss Gartren, on:
having shown so much characterize
say nothing Of your good taste and
judgment
She was much struck by Lizzie's
modest dignity, and absence of any.
thing like elat,on at this recognition
from the first lady in the town; but
inwardly the young lady was in
state OF very pleasant excitement.
Il have just ascertained,' continued
the visitor, that your mother was an
old friend of mine; and l hope to
see more Of you than we have hither-
to done. And now we will be bust
ness-like, If you please--for / really
want some OF that pretty paper, which
they do not seem TO keep in the other
stores here'}s1 s
The hext afternoon, Nellie aud
Clara Ferris, who were pretty, lady
like girls, appeared, and invited Liz
zie TO little entertainment. After
some indecision, she accepted the
invitation, and enjoyed the evening
very much-although the Doctor was
not visible, having been called away
to distant part of the state.
Some of the town people, the par
Genus especially were, at first, dis
posed to ignore Miss GartrelI, but
the Ferris's and others kept them
from it and every one came gradu
ally to look upon the little Library as
a very pleasant rendezvous.
4 declare, said Mrs. Sam Gartrell.
one day, as she looked admiringly
about her, 4 think it's real fun keep
ing shop like this. I'm so glad
you've got it, Lizzie! you showed real
spunk. IN B.-Mrs. Sam would not
have kept it herself for anything. y
But I'll tell you what would be a de.
cided improvement have some irst
rate coffee and cake for ladies who
are out shopping-not a restaurant,
you know, but just coffee and cake.
Make the coffee a specialty-which
you can easily do il you take pains,
and be economical, too-and really
think you'll get rich'
Lizzie was quite taken with this
idea. She talked the matter over
with Mrs. Webb and the result was
that another pretty placard, announc.
ing coffee and cake from twelve to
three, appeared in the zephyr win.
dow. This, as Mrs. Sam had proph-
esied, proved good success The
little lunches were served in such a
refined, attractive way, with flowers,
and the whitest Of nspery, and the
prettiest Of china-while coffee and
cake were both delicious-that the
ladies fiocked there daily; and it as
rumored that this most unique of es-
Adjustments was fairly coining mon.
ey in all its branches.
| 1t was not exactly doing this but
Miss Gartrell displayed a decided
executive ability and gift for i'm.
proving opportunities; the result of a
years experience showed a very
i handsome balance in her favor. Little
Mrs. Webb's thin cheeks had grown
plump and rosy, and the children
were we'll cared form every way
the partnership with SO enterprising
a young lady bad been stroke OF
unusual good fortune. People said
(for they say eyerything) that DIR.
Ferris had solicited the prepossessing
head of the firm TO retire into private
life; but that Lizzie, with her taste
for independence wonderfully sharp
ened, refused TO GO until she could
buy her own house.
She had resolved to try the ex-
pertinent for three years; and in
that space Of time the business had
so outgrown its original limits, that
it could scarcely be recognized. The
circulating library for periodicals. had
became library worthy of the name
the volumes having been selected
by degrees, with the assistance OF
Mrs. ferris's cultivated taste and
/ iudgment-and it was really credit
to the town; the zephyr and fancy
article business was wonderfully ex-
| tended and as for the lunches, they
haI s,nraaoaI az in yofn,ro IT,. -.