Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1880-08-25
Miss Violet.

your head as you will be sure to get at Mrs.
Van Voorst's; and, in the second place, you
have nothing suitable to wear at such
place. Oh, Mary, don't tease me don't
want you TO go, for know it will be bad
for you in the end. You will get accus.
toned to life that is Just as much separ-
ated from yours as the queen of England's
and when you come back you will be dis
contented and pining for what you have left
behind"
Smother, it is Violet Van voorst herself
that | want to visit great deal more than
anything else, though shall enjoy beautiful
Newport too. And it's so kind of her
mother to wish to give me this pleasure;
and she wants me, too, not merely out of
kindness but because she loves me-"
Mrs. Harwood knitted her brows slightly.
She had seen good deal of trouble, and
perhaps that was the reason she had for
looking down on schoolgirl friendships.
eff Miss Violet Van Worst loves you so
much, why didn't she come oftener to see
you when she was at school here 2" she
asked her daughter presently and little
bitterly, perhaps.
Mother, you always discouraged my bring
ing her home with me after that once, you
know" answered Mary Harwood a little
shyly
" "Well, dare say did, Mary; for that
once, as you call it, was rather an unfortu-
nate visit. There was nothing in the world
for tea hut cold bread and butter and
cookies, and | remember that the boys
had come in and flung all their fishing tackle
in the front entry"
"But Violet was so pleased with every
thing, mother. You know how she praised
your bread, and that delicious butter of ours
and how she apologized for eating so many
cookies; and when you spoke of the boys
fishing tackle she laughed, and said it was
just like her brothers."
"Oh, your Miss Violet knows how to say
polite things, Mary but, all the same,
shouldn't care to be patronizsd by fashion
able young lady," returned Mrs. Harwood
laughing little, but quite in earnest. Mary
did not reply. 1t was of no use, she said to
herself for Mother did not understand Vio-
let, and would be sure to think she did the
wrong thing. After this conversation she
was no little surprised the next morning to
hear her mother say
"Mary, have thought that perhaps am
not doing right by keeping you from visit
ing Violet Van Worst. You are sixteen,
now, and ought to face things for yourself,
I dare say, and to see all sides. didn't
mean to be hard last night but don't like
fashionable life and its follies, and / hated
TO think of my sensible Molly being hurt
by them. But have come to think if you
want to go so much, child, perhaps it is
better that you should, else you may think
all your life that your cross old mamsey
has made you miss what you can never
make up"
go, mamsey darling, you're never cross.
| know you are always thinking of my good,
and this-O, mammy-this is so Just and
kind of you ~
The mother and daughter kissed each
other, and then the happy Molly flew off to
commence her little preparations for her
visit to lovely Newport and Violet Van
Worst. But, first of all, she must write to
her friend that her kind invitation was ac.
cepted, and what day and hour she might
expect her.
"A letter for you, Miss Violet" said a
groom, dofhng his hat as he handed out
Molly Harwood's neat little missive.
Violet tore open envelope and glanced
rapidly down the page.
son, she is coming | was so afraid that
she wouldn't she exclaimed joyfully after
this glance.
"Who's coming, if | may ask, Vy?" in.
quiteu MISS Margle DsarDOrn.
"Mary Harwood, dear girl knew when
| was at Sherwood school. She was day
scholar, and used to walk over from Hollings-
ford, distance of three miles, every morn
ing, and back at night"
"Why did she do that For her health ?
Because they had no horse or carriage,
Miss Margie."
"Oh | thought all the people who lived
in ba haI -
horse, W." commented Miss Margie rather
wonderingly.
"All farmers do, suppose, but Mary
Harwood was not farmers daughter. Her
father was dead and she and her mother
aud little brothers lived in little country
town-lIollingsford, three miles from Sher-
wood. They were not rich people at all. |
sometimes used to think they might be quite
poor; but Mary was so nice, the incest girl
in school. | want you to call upon her
when she is here, Margie, and be very sweet
to her."
| Margie nodded her head carelessly, with a
pleasant of course to her friends request,
aud the next moment the two girls were
bowling along the avenue in the pretty
basket phaeton, Violet holding the reins with
a practiced hand.
| Three hours later as the Providence boat
steamed up to the Newport wharf, Mary
Harwood, looking anxiously from the for
ward deck, saw the basket phaeton and its
pretty owner, with the natty little groom in
the little back seat-or, properly speaking
the rumble of the carriage. All the way in
the cars and in the boat, Mary had been an.
ticipating this meeting with her friend with
unalloyed pleasure; now, as she caught
sight OF the stylish turnout, with the glitter
ing many.buttoned little groom perched on
guard as it were, there flashed over her, in
voluntarily, all the things her mother had
said in regard to the difference in her life
aud that of this lovely Miss Violet. Ont
thing specially came to her-almost the las
thing her mother had said to her =
"You mustn't expect, Mary, that girl sit
uated like Violet Van Worst will continu,
TO feel the interest in you that she does now
You are new and fresh to her Just now, but
when she is fully launched in the gay worlC
where she belongs, you must make up youl
mind to lose her."
When Mrs. Harwood said this Mary hac
resolutely refused to believe it, though sh,
spoke not a word to her mother of her re
bellious state of mind. But now, in sigh
OF Violet, transformed into such gay littl,
princess, sitting there as if upon littl'
throne with her body-guard, her mother
warning words came back upon her with
cold chill, and not even the princess brigh
face and warm kiss of welcome could quit,
restore her old feelings of trust and happi
ness. And it was this feeling that, like
vague shadow, seemed to be perpetually look
ing over her shoulder and clouding the sun
shine all through the first days of her visit
In these days her letters TO her mother wer
mostly made up OF descriptions of Newpor
the cliffs, the glen, the famous old fort an,
the rest of the fascinations of the histoyi,
old town. And Mrs. Harwood, reading thes
letters and observing how little was said o
her dear Violet" and the Van Worst fam
lily, commented to herself in this style, afte
her critical, suspicious fashion -
Poor little Molly it's Just as knew
would be. She's finding out that whel
fashionable people are in their own world
they don't need simple little folk like her
who have no fine feathers, TO reflect credi
upon them. II is as well, perhaps, that sh
should learn this early, but | do hope the,
won't make her unhappy"
But while Mrs. Harwood was making III
her mind TO these dismal conclusions, Mar
was learning quite another lesson than he
mother supposed, aud on the third week o
OF her visit, just week after the third of