The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1880-09-15
Josie's New Hat.

Josie's New Hat.
BY ELSIE SNowE.
The question of a new hat is a serious
n to all girls, even those who have
rich papas and full purses.
To Josie Herne it had, alas! always
been a serious question, but on a GER
tain momentous occasion, about to be
described its seriousness was beginning
to assume appalling proportions.
This was the way Of it:
The Newcome girls had gotten up a
lawn-party, led on to do so by the ex-
ample of some friends who had but re-
Gently returned from a prolonged resi-
dence abroad, and who declared that
life in the country was not to be en-
dured without ~lawn-parties now
and then to relieve its tedious mo-
notony.
The Newcomes were the great peo-
pie of Centreville. There were a half
dozen girls of them, and they were
very nice girls, too, in their way /; rather
snowy, a little loud, a little slangy, and
somewhat disposed "to put On airs" as
they said in Centreville. But, on the
whole, good-natured and kind-hearted
girls; and little Josie Herne, who was
the daughter of taeir music master, had
often fouHSthem SO. They were con.
stantly inviting her to the house when
her father $ame to give them lessons;
they often invited her to tea-more Of
ten than Josie could accept, o rshe had
so few dresses, and such as she had
were not in a very fine state of preser-
walton, Notwithstanding the care she
took of them. And in summer, espe-
eially, she had often to refuse invita-
tons to tea, when she would very
gladly have accepted them, because her
summer wardrobe consisted of two
cheap muslin gowns, made by herown
skillful little hands; each time she
went out anywhere it was necessary to
appearin one or the other ofthesegowns,
carefully laundried by Josie herself.
And how fresh andpretty b eylooked,
too; and no one ever dreamed how
flushed and tired Josie had been after
the ironing, or what economy she had
practiced to enable her to buy the ex-
ira half pound of starch.
But she didn't mind that, not a bit,
after the task was, accomplished. She
was just as happy, and enjoyed herself
probably much more than any one
of those girls whose dresses were so
many that they would have been puz-
zled to number them a. a mere matter
of memory.
But sometimes even the strictest
economy failed to bring in the extra
starch and as Josie was her fathers
housekeeper, and did all the laun-
dry work as we'll a. her own dresses,
and the cooking housekeeping, every
thing, in Shorthand kept the tiny cot
tageasn neat and trim ass fower-garden,
it happened, occasionally, that she
couldn't even afford the time to go up
to the Newcomers grand house to enjoy
the hospitality that was profered with
such hearty good will
However, a lawn-party-that was
something that could not be refused.
Therefore it was accepted, and gladly
too, for Josie Herne liked the society
of young people Of her own age, and
enjoyed "a good time" quite as much
as any young, bright happy girl could.
But oh! the hours of anxiety that be-
set Josie after the too tempting invita-
ton had been accepted.
All Centreville would be there, OF
course the Newcomes had the finest
lawn in the neighborhood, and every.
body would be charmingly dressed,
Such an opportunity for the display Of
summer toilettes did not occur every
day, and when it did, of course every
one would take advantage of it.
Josie was not a vain girl, and only
moderately fond of dress, but for s
lawn-party a hat was an absolute ne
eessity, and what in the world was she
going to do? for she had been wearing
her dark straw, trimmed witha bright
winged little bird, all the spring and 81
far into the summer that only a natur
ally brunette complexion could have
stood such close acquaintance with th'
sun. But that hat with a light muslin
dress would never do for a lawn-party
Consequently poor Josie was in despair
at least as nearly so as a bright, hope