Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1881-09-21
THE DRESS MAKER At
GREEN HARBOR.
From Lippincott for this month. !


Mis- Babson, the dress-maker, is
the most important parsonage in the
village at Green Harbor, and there is
no place so much visited as her shop,
which is situated on the first floor of
her own little house at the corner
When my acquaintance with the lady
first began, / suppose that she was
single, Judging not only from the fact
that she was called Mis- Babson, but
because there was something in the
twist of her natural ringlets, and in
the tone of her jew's-harp-like voice,
suggested single-blessedness. But l
soon discovered my mistake. She is
not one who makes her griefs unbeara-
BILE by concealing them. She gives
each new customer the full particulars
of her several widowhoods, and talks
as if buryins husbands were the chief
occupation of women She is tall,
rather plump women, of forty-fve or
thereabouts. Her mouth has a pecu-
liar expression, owing to the habit of
keeping it perpetually filed with pins
Her reddish-brown hair grows down
on one side of her polished brow, after
a fashion which is called by her neigh
bors cowlick Her pale complexion
is delicately tinted with green. and her
light-gray eyes have glittering bright
ness. A look of mournfull llveliness
prevades her whole countenance.
She is not only the dress-maker of
the village, but fills various other i'm
portant positions with great credit.
She makes and trims all the bridal
bonnets in the region, though there is
anotherIoutraged milliner at the Land
ing who serves on ordinary occasions.
As nurse she is quite famous, though,
unless the case be particularly attract
i've or extremely severe, she does not
feel justified in leaving her shop to the
tender mercies of Idelia Rosanna, the
fightest niece that ever wise aunt was
afflicted with, to devote herself to the
care of the sick. AS doctress she is
also highly valued and, as there is no
regular physician within FIVE miles
her skill is often called into practice.
When, as she phrases it, any one is
"called away" in the town, her services
are always required for making the
shroud and preparing the body for
burial. Then, she is the very efficient
president of the Ladies' Sewing Socie-
ty, the leading soprano in the church
choir, the agent for Butterick's patterns,
the proprietress of a celebrated eye
wash, and general adviser of both
OLD and young in the town. and several
neighboring towns as well. Of late
years the Harbor has been crowded
with summer visitors, and she has TAX
en- these on her hands also.
1t is facinating place, that little
shop of hers, and, whether you wish
to make purchase or not, it is well
worth the while to visit it on summer
morning. To be sure, your entrance
is likely to be attended with some diff
Guilty, as the gate of the fower-flled
yard is front is fastened by q unique
sort of latch,-an invention of the
latest-lamented, who certainly must
have been genius, and one which she
piously retains in memory of him,
though some of her customers prefer to
climb the fence rather than attempt to
make an entrance by solving its mys-
teries. Then small dog, belonging
to another lamented, objects considera-
bly, to strangers. Once inside, through
the politeness of Idelia Roanna or the
aid of an experienced neighbor, you
draw long breath of relief and pre-
pare yourself to enjoy the situation
Through the open doors and windows,
on the breath of whole-sou!ed breeze,
comes the pungent aroma of the sea,
which sparkles not far away. You
listen to its music and the sleepy rustic
of the wheat-field opposite while
awaiting the shop-mistress, who is in
variably detained by some household
duty and apologies elaborately for the
untidiness of her personal appearance
when she finally enters the door in
solemn haste. The sunshine dances
on the painted floor and peeps with
eyes as curious as your own into the
crowded showcase, from whose splen-
did abundance Idelia Rosanna is be-
decked as maiden was never bedecked
before. What does it not contain with
in its crystal clearness Gorgeous
flowers, the semblance of nothing which
grows in either field or garden; amaz-
ing articles, designed as ornaments for
the neck, heaped together in many
colored .splendor; accordions, which
share the palm with melodeons in
Green Harbor ideas of melody; cotton
laces in rich lowered patterns daz.
cling display of jewelry, beads. brace
let's, necklaces, with great variety ol
precious stones glittering from elabo-
rate settings scissors. pocket-knife,
pink and white candy, spectacles, rat
ties, rainbow ribbons, crocheted edging,
cough-drops, collars, golden cement,
dolls, and fancy soaps, to say nothing
of patent medicines and small assort.
ment of books, evidently chosen solely
for the elegance of their bindings The
wellto-do .sea-captains are building
new houses at Green Harbor of late
and no new parlor is complete without
few gorgeous books for the centre
table. Outside the showcase are also
many fascinating things,-bonnets
dainty covered with pink netting as