Ashtabula weekly telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1880-1886, 1880-09-10
THE BLUE SILK DRESS.

dress to wear at Aunt Ruth's party"
said Laura Corwin, fretfully. 81 do
wish 1 could have things like other
folks for onoe-iust to see how it would
seem.n
"Why can't you wear your white
muslin, with new ribbons or fiowersP"
asked Mrs, Corwin, quietly.
"And set up for sweet simplicity" '"
said Laura, scornfully; "not if l never
60 anywhere l must have something
else, or l shall not be decent"
Mrs. Corwin leaned backin her chair,
one hand enveloped in a stocking she
was darning, and pondered the old-yet
ever new-problem: How to make a
new thing out of old ones.
elbow would it do to get little of
something new and make up with your
old pink silkP"
cit would be simply horrid! Decid-
ed colors are eold-fashioned, and should
look as though / came out of the ark.
Besides, l shan't have enough left of my
hundred dollars to buy a yard of cotton
cloth, after have paid for my ticket to
New York"
"Well, I'm sorry, dear, but 1 don't
see what we can do" said Mrs. Cor
win, signing. "I'm sure you've made
Aunt Ruth's money go as far as money
could"
"I'd rather not 90 at all-for my
part-than to go shabby" went on
Laura.
"Perhaps you had better not try to
make the visit then," said Mrs. Corwin.
''She did not make it a point, you
know"
"I suppose 1 could give it up-of
course" said Laura Grossly. "I gener-
ally do have to give up every thing l
want; never have any thing as l like
it; never go anywhere as other girls
do''-and with this speech she threw
down her sewing, and founced out of
the room.
Mrs. Corwin resumed her darning
without word, but deep sigh fell on
the ear of her other daughter Katie,
who sat reading by the window, and
had taken no part in the conversation.
"What is it, motherP" she asked.
"Nothing, dear, except that Laura is
so unhappy about her dress. l should
like to have her able to get all that she
wants for once, just to show her that
happiness does not really depend on it,
even for her."
al suppose it is hard," said Katie
thoughtfully, "she's so fond of dress
ing, and she wants to have pleasant
visit. It's different with me-" she went
on, cit doesn't make any difference
what l wear; but Laura is really pretty
when she is dressed, and she doesn't
care for books or pictures as do"
"Youll have nice time in New
York." said her mother smiling
Your aunt is as fond of pictures as
you are. She has some beautiful ones
herself, besides a splendid library"
"Ohl" said Katie eagerly, show 1
shall enjoy them, and the Exhibition,
and-every thing. wish Laura was
ready to go tomorrow"
"Have you spent all your money!"
asked Mrs. Corwin.
"No; want to get some books when
1 go there, few-for my own"
Aunt Ruth lived in New York city,
and had not seen her two nieces since
they were little children. She was a
queer parsonage, and always doing
some thing unexpected. Having allow
ed Laura and Katie to grow up without
seeing her, she had suddenly walked up
to remember them, and had sent each a
hundred dollars to use exactly as she
liked, but accompanied by an invitation
to spend a few weeks at her house.
The invitation was as unusual as the
gift, and trips to New York were very
unusual indeed in thelives of these girls
in fact, neither of them had ever seen
that city, and each in her own way was
full of aRticipations and dreams of the
visit.
At the tea-table that evening, Laura
astonished the family by announcing to
the family that she should not 90 to
New York. There was general excla-
nation of surprise.
"Well," said she in explanation, "
haven't money enough to dress decently
while I'm there, l know very well how
countrifed l shall look and feel, and 1
would rather stay at home till the end
of time, than be mortified to death
about my looks"
"But my DEAR" demonstrated papa,
"You have accepted, and Aunt Ruth
will think very strange of it."
"I don't care if she does, ," said Laura
snappishly.
"But I'm sure you will look well
enough" said mamma, "you have two
new dresses, and one or two old ones
that look nicely"
"But haven't single thing to wear
to the party" said Laura. al won't
wear an old summer dress, as Katie will.
If can't be like other folks IN stay al
home-therei"
Mamma sighed, and papa looked
grieved.
Katie said nothing, but she noticed
Laura's red eyes, and she knew that this
visit had been her hope and dream fol-
years. She was a generous soul, and
never could bear to see any one un.
happy, and thought flashed into her
mind.
"What if stay at home and let her
goi" 1t brought a pang, for she thought
of the books, the pictures, the thousand
wonders the city holds for the little
country girl. She too had longed to go,
all her life.
"But Laura doesn't care for books as
1 do" urged her generous impulse,
"she has no pleasures except in society
and going about, while l can forget my
disappointment in book. 1t is hard,
too,n went on the invisible monitor,
"she is pretty, fond of dress and society,
and she has never been out in the world
at ALL"
All the evening the contest went on in
her heart, while her eyes were bent on
ner book. All night she tossed and tum'