Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1880-09-21
NO. 223.
miscellaneous.
BETSEY'S BONNET.

lifted his hat and pushed back his thick
hair rs he stood on the hotel steps talking
to a plain, country farmer in suit Of
homespun gray.
"Wa'al, no, not quite yet, John.
want TO get BetSey 4 bonnet; n real nice
one Just as good as Yorker might want.
Cause Betsey's worked awful hard this
spring. Times are good, too. So guess
we'll see il my Betsey shan't look as good
as anybody S'pose you don't want to go
along with me. do YOU ?''
LET me see-tour e'clock--yes, I'll 60,
Uncle Abel. III look at the pretty girls.
though; you won't mind that, Come on."
So they walked up the street, the fash
ionablc attire Of the young lawyer con-
trasting strongly with the antiquated cut
of the farmers garments, which at home
were wont to lie in solemn state in the
spare room all the week. only to be worn
ON Sunday with becoming carefulness.
There was little likeness in the face-a
trifle too fair for manly beauty. with its
blonde mustache and setting of close
brown curls-to the eronzed and beardless
one, with the few locks. spare and gray,
beneath the well brushed hat; but the
blue eyes were the same in both. and like
those that were closed forever under the
sod in the apple orchard on Uncle Abel's
farm, where his dead sister was laid when
Johnny was n tiny child. 1t troubled John
not whit to be seen with the plain coun-
tryman; in spite of his periumed hair and
we'll -gloved hand, his heart was as true rs
steel to the god friend of his boyhood,
and the inquiring glance of his compan-
ions gave him no annoyance whatever.
They reached Madame Rozcttc's at last,
| Ill, -. H.. Il u.xI
straightway engaged in the laudable en-
ployment of finding out the prettiest face
of the girls in attendance. Josie Molliet,
radient with smiles, and think little ar
tificial bloom. came forward with the most
bewitching glances to wait upon the farm
er who brought so attractive person
with him; and iancying that she would
show her superior quality by so doing,
made up her mind to quiz Uncle Abel un-
mercifully.
! Poor old man, lie never was so miser-
able in all his life. In Haptown he would
have made no trouble whatever. Miss
Crabtree, in her plain dress and cap with
lavender ribbons, would have tod him Mt
once what to get and her little gray eyes
would not have confused him in the least.
But here was fine lady, with great
circumference of black silk trailing out
along the carpet, waist no bigger than
a wasp. a head on which the hair seemed
struggling with crimps and curls to get
away from the shining bands strapped
| tightly around il, and pair of great
black eyes looking straight at him, while
the damsel held up one stvle after another.
or tried them on coquettishly, but derived
no help from him.
"Now, young woman, show me some
of your best bonnets-rcal good ones.
None of yonr old-fashioned poor things
for my wife,
Having said this, Uncle Abel felt that
he had stated the case clearly. and should
have no more trouble.
| Miss Josie sailed about and returned
with white chip gipsey, trimmed with
blue, shirred green satin with red
rose on it, and gray straw trimmed with
scarlet poppies.
! Now that will be Just what, | am sure;
only twenty dollars, too-so cheap
and so becoming
| Uncle Abel confessed afterwards that
he felt quite conlounded at the great price,
but he did not mean to letthat Frenchified
girl know it. SO he only said, "Oh. that's
the style, eh? 1t amt bit like Betsey's
old one, though
"Oh, no, sir; the fashion has changed
entirely. Now this gipscy is the newest
thing out, and your wife would set the
fashion, don't doubt
She looked up at John Dare merrily,
but could not interpret the look in his
eyes; so taking it for granted that il was
an expression OF admiration, she pursued
the same strain.
Just fresh from Paris am sure your
wife would like that. Shall | try it on for
you?''
"Wa'al, yes, I can tell better how it
looks then. Now it looks just like II
DISH
There, it goes on this way and
Josie pitched the little thing over herrosy
face, tied the strings in big bow knot
AMI swept down the length of the room.
Don't you like it?''
"Wa'al, it's kind o. purity but it's aw-
full queer; amt it?'
John thus appealed to, could only an
swer that he "knew nothing in the world
about women's bonnets," and took up his
reverie. whatever it was. just where it
was broken off. But looking idly in the
long mirror opposite, he saw Josie max
ing signs to another girl. and he soon
found that they were amusing themselves
vastly at the perplexity of their customer.
He saw. too. that pale, quiet girl, with
smooth brown hair. looked up from her
work Indignantly, and he rather saw than
heard her say, .for shame" and grow
crimson as she spoke.
His own face flushed little as he be-
came aware that Uncle Abel was being
made the butt of their jokes-good Uncle
Abel, who was looking so admiringly at
the fabrics incomprehensible to him, his
old heart only full of the thought how he
should make his present worthy Of the pa
tient soul for whom it was intended.
Then John was greatly perplexed for
as he said truly, he knew nothing about
all that mysterious and bewildering ar
rangement OF dress that he saw every
day.
Still he knew that Aunt Betsey's spare
locks, thinly sprinkled with gray, were
not dressed in modern style, and he could
not for the life of him see whereabouts on
that dear old head any of those gipseys OF
fanchons would rest He remembered
that long ago Aunt Betsey was wont te
TContinued on fourth page.1