The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1880-09-15
full, light-hearted girl of her age could

II must overhaul my wardrobe"
she thought, the day after accepting
the invitation; and with a comical
little grimace she added, being so ex-
tensive of course I may have forgotten
many things-no doubt I shall find
Just what I want in it."
Next day, accordingly, as soon as her
mornings work was over, and after
the one hours practice on the little cot
tage piano, which she lever omitted,
Josie proceeded to overhaul her ward
robe as she had said, and greatly to her
surprise, Notwithstanding its limited
proportions, she actually found two ar
ticles of which she had been uncon-
scious. These were, first, a leghorn
hat, very old, very yellow, and having
a very wide brim !; and second, a dress
of fine India muslin, time-stained and
antiquated in style, but so long and
wide in the skirt that Josie's quick eye
instantly saw it, in the mirror of her
mind, ripped, bleached, and re-made
into an elegant dress of the presentday.
Both articles had belonged to the
pretty young mother dead so many
years ago, that ven the memory of her
was like the fleeing mist-like dream
to Josie Herne. But the warm tears
dropped from her eyes, and she kissed
the hat and dress as she took them up
~reverently in her hands.
"Dear littlemother!" she murmured,
and thought, perhaps, that mothers
spirit lowered near, anxious that her
little girl should enjoy her day of inno-
cent pleasure while she was young and
happy.
The hat was broken and worn round
the outer edge, buts so wide thatit could
bear with improvement, a couple of
inches taken from the brim, and then,
when pressed into shape on the post of
the old-fashioned bedstead, it looked,
as Josie laughingly assured herself,
like a "brand new gypsy of the latest
Style
What to trina it with became the
next momentous question; and after
thinking the matter overM all day while
engaged in her other duties, Josie was
obliged to give it up, leaving the hat
still poised on the end of the bed-post,
consoling herself with the hopeful re-
Fiction:
"Well, I'll manage it somehow
something will be sure to turn up in
time for the lawn-party."
Meantime the yellow, time-stained
India muslin was ripped. and washed,
and bleached like the new-fallen sSw,
and then made into a charming COS
tune with rufies and knife-pleatings
in the newest style; and indeed it
made a dress handsome enough for
any occasion. But, alas! nothing in
the shape of trimming for Josie's hat
had yet been found, and in despair she
had almost decided on a wreath of wild
flowers and grasses. They would be
appropriate and lovely-for an hour,
perhaps; but after that they would be
faded and withered, and terribly sug-
gestive of a genteel makeshift. But a
kind fate, who surely waits on poor
young girls, came to the rescue.
On the day before that fixed for the
lawn-party, Josie was hanging out her
few little laces to dry on the rosebush
in front of the house; and while she
did so, her clear, fresh young voice sang
gaily: -.
"Gin a body meet a body
Comm thro' the rye,
Gin a body kiss a body,
Need a body cry?"
"No, indeed" thought a cookbook
ing youth, who was just passing; "for
my own part I'd be more likely to
smile" and he stopped and looked long
and admiringly at the pretty girl
spreading her little bits Of laces to dry
then as she turned toward him he
lodged quickly out of sight, and at the
same moment a wandering breeze
caught the loose silk handkerchief
carelessly knotted about his throat,
bore itstraighttoward oslo anddropped
it at her feet, while the owner, laugh
ing to himself, passed on unconscious
Of his loss.
With a cry of delight Josie caught
up the soft, brilliant square of silk,
with its border of Roman colors, and
in her grateful joy pressed it to her
lips.
"Where could it have come from?"
she asked, aloud. Surely some good
fairy must have dropped itw
And then, without a thoughto of look
ing for an owner for it, she few into
the house, up stairs to her little room,
and snatched her hat from the bed-post
where it still hung, being pressed into
shape.
Josie's costume for the lawn-party
was a great success; indeed the soft,
white India muslin was the prettiest
dress there, and the old-fashioned leg
horn hat, with its trimmings Of two
half handkerchiefs of brilliant silk
wound scarf-wise about it and..tied in a
how IN the side was declared to be