The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1880-04-23
CORA's MISTAKE.

dashing girl. fond of dress, and looking
always as if, to use common saying,
just out of Bandbox Cora was belle,
of course, and had many admirers.
Among the number of these was young
man named Edward Douglass, who was
the very stpink" of neatness in all mat
ters pertaining to dress, and exceedingly
| particular in his observance in the little
proprieties of life.
I saw from the first that if Douglass
pressed his suit, Cora's heart would be
an easy conquest, and SO it proved.
'sHow admirably they are fitted for
each other!" I remarked to my husband
| on the night of 1.-THE wedding. 'sTheir
| tastes are similar, and their habits SO
much alike that no violence will be done
to the feelings of either in the more inti-
mate associations that marriage brings.
Both are neat in person and orderly by
| instinct, and both have good principles. !"
From all present appearances, the
| match will be a good one" replied my
| husband.
There was, I thought, something like
reservation in,his tone.
'Do you really think so ?" I said, a
little ironically; for M. Smiths approval
of the marriage was hardly warm enough
to suit my fancy.
ooh, certainly. Why not? he re-
Piled
I felt little fretted at my husband s
| mode of speaking but made no further
! remark on the subject. He is never
very enthusiastic nor sanguine; and did
not mean, in this instance, to doubt the
| fitness of the parties for happiness in
| the married state, as I half imagined.
For myself, I warmly approved my
| friends choice, and called her husband
lucky fellow to secure for his compan-
| ion through life woman SO admirably
fitted to make one like him happy. But
visit which paid Cora one day, about
six weeks after the honeymoon had ex-
| pired, lessened my enthusiasm on the
| subject, and awoke some unpleasant
| doubt. It happened that I called soon
after breakfast. Cora met me in the par
lor, looking like very fright. She
| wore soiled and rumpled morning
wrapper, her hair was in paper, and she
had on dirty stockings and pair of old
slippers down at the heels.
"Bless me, Corap' said, swhat is the
| matter? Have you been ill?"
''No. Why do you ask? Is my dis-
habille rather on the extreme? 2"
| ''Candidly, I think it is, Cora, was
my frank answer.
"Oh! we'll, no matter" she carelessly
replied, s'my fortunes made
ST don't clearly understand you," I
said.
"I'm married, you know
eyes, I am aware of that fact"
'No need of being so particular in
dress now; for didn't I just say replied
| Cora, ''that my fortunes made? I've
got husband
Beneath an air of jesting was apparent
| the real earnestness of my friend.
sYou dressed with careful regard
and neatness in order to win Edward 8
love-" said I.
Certainly did,
''And should you not do the same in
order to retain?"
why, Mrs. Smith, do you think my
| husbands affection goes no deeper than
| my dress? should be very sorry indeed
| to think that He loves me for myself" !"
.sNo doubt of that in the world, Cora
but remember that he cannot see what is
in your mind, except by what you do or
| say. If he admires your taste, tor in
stance, it is not from any abstract appre-
| citation of it, but because the taste mani
tests itself in what you do; and depend
upon it, he will find it a very hard mat
| ter to approve and admire your correct
| taste in dress, for instance, when you
| appear before him every day in your
present unattractive attire. If you do
not dress well for your husbands eyes,
for whose eyes, pray, do you dress? You
are as neat when abroad as you were be-
| fore your marriage.
| GAS to that, Mrs. Smith, common de-
cency requires me to dress we'll when I
go out into company, to say nothing of
| the pride one naturally feels in looking
well"
"And does not the same common de-
cency and natural pride argue strongly
| in favor of your dressing well at home
and for the eyes of your husband, whose
| approval and whose admiration must be
dearer to you than the approval and ad-
miration of the whole world?''
s.But he doesn't want to see me rugged
out in silks and satins all the time. A
| pretty bill my dressmaker would have
against him in that event! Edward has
more sense than that, fatter myself"
2"Street or ballroom attire is one thing,
Cora, and becoming home apparel quite
another. We look for both in their
| place"
Thus I argued with the thoughtless
young wife, but my words made no inn
[ preston. When abroad she dressed with
excellent taste, and was lovely to look
upon; but at home she was careless and
slovenly, and even made it almost impos-
sible for those who saw her to believe
that she was the brilliant beauty they
had met in company but short time
before.
But even this did not last long. no.
ticed after few months, that the habits
of home were not only confirming them
selves, but becoming apparent abroad. !.
ttHer fortune was made, and why should
she now waste her time or employ her
thoughts about matters of personal ap-
pearance?
The habits of Mr.. Douglass, on the
contrary, did not change. He was as or
derly as before, and dressed with the
same regard to neatness. He never ap-
4 peared at the breakfast table in the morn
ing without being shaved, nor did he
lounge about in the evening III his shirt
sleeves. The slovenly habits into which
Cora had fallen annoyed him seriously.
and still more SO when her carelessness
about her appearance began to manifest
q itself abroad as well as at home. When
he limited anything on the subject she
did not hesitate to reply, in jestine
manner, that '.her fortune was made 7