Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1879-12-24

think khe earned II "
"What do you mean 7" asked Mar
tin Langstrath, her brother.
NJ mean We didn't find tho bill-al
least didn't" returned his sister Sig
nldcaally,
'"Well T.
II an not 80 easy as you Martin
| didn't like the look Of IL"
swell, as far rs can understand
you're not obliged to look at It,"
"You won't take my meaning, In
fact ] don't like to say 1t myself, but
the best of my belief the bill Is In
Rebceca Gcrrish's pocket
Mr. Langstrath started aud lrowned
angry,
~ think you will find yourself mis-
taken
II hope so, Tor / have been really
fond of Rcbccca | raised her wages
myself | brought her customers"
"And the servants ~
"No one has entered tho dressing
room, and | locked the door after
Rebecca lelt.'
mo doubt il will turn up. 1t has
fallen down n crack or you have mix
cd it up with your tallals, can be-
licve anything sooner than that which
you suggested
"Well, time will show"
Mrs. Random was q widow, living
with her brother; Mr.. Langstrath, a
single gentleman, who kept bis own
establishment, and supported his sis
ter and children in no niggardly fash
ion. Rebecca GerSh was the only
surviving member Of family that
had seen "bettcr days" MS her custo-
mers put it, partly because it seemed
more genteel TO have their dresses
made by a gentlewoman to whom the
romance of misfortune clung. Re
becca's grandtathers had ridden in
their CARRIAGES, had supplied their
tables with the fat Of the land, had
stock ed their cellars with the rarest old
wines. Her graudmothers had shone
in stiff brocades and farthingales, had
had their waiting-maids and their
Jewels aud laces, had slept beneath
eiderdown and silk canopies; but they
had left to poor little Rebecca only
"a sweet attractive sort OF grace" n
native refinement and intelligence,
that seemd the birthright of those peo-
pie whose ancestors have been ladies
aud gentlemen for generations, no
matter what their circumstances may
be. Rebecca was possessed of all edu-
cation that would have served her well
if it had been her fortune to sit in q
drawing-room and handy airy moth
ings, but which counted for little in
the great struggle for existence.
In those famous old days the Lang
straths and Gerrishes had been init
mate friends, on an equal footing of
wealth and cultivation; but the grand
eur of one had fallen into decadence,
while the other still maintained fair
show Of prosperity. So when Rebec-
ca Gerrish had decided to learn
dress-maker's trade, and 60 out by the
day to earn livelihood, remembering
the legends Of the family greatness and
not above a certain respect for good
blood, Mrs. Random had been among
lhe first to give Rebecca patronage.
No doubt it gave Mrs. Random
pang to regard Rebecca with ever so
title distrust-it is always disap-
pointment to 6nd our friends falling
short of our ideas and then, too, it
showed Mrs. Random what she was
low to believe, that even good blood |
nay have its backslldings; and, fur
hermore Rebecca made the best fit I
n town, at the lowest price, had a J.
Unique fancy for trimming, which she f
vas pleased to call the poetry of dress
baking and thus it would require q
,reat sacrifice in her employer to give t
Ter up. \
Mrs. Random was not one to "
AXE the blame of any accident upon "
Ierself if there was any proxy at r.
land /; besides, she was by nature sus u
'icious, and when her mind had once v
eceived an idea it closed firmly upon
t, like bivalse upon an intrudlng \
ubstance, and it would have required
nd angel from heaven to disabuse her E
nind from prejudice. Moreover, who il
nows il she had not observed the O
rowing interest OF Mr.. Laugstrath in e.
he little dress-maker who spent SO l
many hours beneath his root, under
those hands dry.goods blossomed into ft
uch perfect toilettes, which he could "