Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1881-07-09
BEAUTIFUL HANDS.

OGA Al va AANDOe
A young girl sat in large easy chair
in the elegantly furnished parlor of her
fathers palatial mansion. The richest
of lace fell over a beautiful hand, which
rested upoh tho S.at upholstery of the
arm of the chaiF.5 1t was a hand that
the most fastioious of sculptors would
have chosen for his model. On its first
shapely finger was magnificent dia-
mond ring, which the son of Mrs. Thomas
Fletcher had placed there only the night
before. Mrs. Thomas Fletcher was
rich widow; Roland Fletcher had no
identity of his own-he was always
spoken of as "the rich Mrs. Fletcher's
son." and every ybody knew that it was
his mothers money that kept him
sailing on the top wave of elite society.
Marion Douglass, our heroine, was in
deep thought. Her eyes rested upon
the betrothal ring upon her finger, and
a shade of sadness passed over her face.
81 wonder if there is any real happi-
ness in this world" she said, aloud.
81 thought was going to be so very
happy after promised to marry Roland
Fletcher, but this has been the most
depressing day | have had for months.
How l wish 1 had something to do;
something that amounts to something.
l want to be occupied, but there is
nothing for me to do; everybody does
everything for me. Roland talks about
the beauty of repose' and rest, but l
will tell him tonight that Cowper says,
the absence of occupation is not
rest.'n
Just then the door-bell rang, and the
servant. summoned Marion Douglass to
the hall. The caller was a sewing-girl
from Madame Marmount's, who had
come to bring home the new silk dress
which had been made to wear at re-
ception on the following evening.
"Madame wishes me to stay and see
if the dress fits well, and if you will wish
any alterations made," said the sewing
girl, as she handed the elegant dress to
Miss Douglass.
The dress was pronounced perfect
fit, and Marion saw no alterations she
wished made, so the young girl fixed the
''loopings, and pinned on the flowers.
1t was with a gaze of rapture that the
tasteful dressmaker surveyed the beau
tiful young lady standing before her, ar
rayed in the elegant costume, and clasp
ing her hands together. she exclaimed
go, how lovely, how lovely ~ Then, as
if fearing she had been too communica.
tive, she said, "Please excuse me, Miss
Douglass, but indeed could not help
expressing myself as l did," tel F..
"You are perfectly excusable, replied
the young lady, kindly. eff Hook well
l am greatly indebted to you for the
tasteful arrangement of my dress. May
l ask your nameP"
"Dora, Dora Curtiss," replied the
girl.
"Don't you get very tired sewing al
the time?n asked Marion, in kindly
tone of voice.
go, no, Miss Douglass, / love to sew
and help design the beautiful dresses,
she replied. 81 hope soon to be able tC
have an establishment of my own, so
can do more for mother and the chill
dren."
Marion saw that Dora Curtiss was BY
no means the hollow-eyed, thin
checked, sad-faced girl" of the averag,
sewing girl type, pictured in novels. Oh
the contrary, she was a bright, fresh
red-cheeked, happy-faced girl.
"My mother has been an invalid fo
years." she said, encouraged by the in
I terest the young girl had manifested
"She gets low spirited, sometimes, so
always try to keep a state of brigh
weather in my heart, and that make
t me feel better"
"Wouldn't your mother relish som
| iellyPn asked Marion, impulsively; "w
have plenty of it," and she sent tn
, servant Immediately to the store-roon
to bring two glasses of the incest jelly
81 thank you many, many times, Mis-
Douglass, for your thoughtfulness,
: said Dora. "Mother will enjoy tn
/ jelly so very much"
4 "How much happier | feel since ! me
that sewing girl, thought Marion. /"
wonder if it is because happened t
q think of giving her that jelly! But tina
was such little thing to do. How muc
/ might do every day for the happines
of others"
The next morning Marion woke u
7 with the full determination to go and Sc
/ Dora Curtiss' mother and carry her som
. fruit. She got ready very soon afte
: breakfast, and while drawing on a pal
: of well-ftting gloves over her tiny hanC
: she remembered how often her friend
y had said, "What beautiful hands yo
/: have" and a feeling of pride filed he
q heart for moment. When she arrive
:, at her destination she was ushered int
: plainly furnished apartment on tf
: first floor of tenement house. Mr.
: Curtiss received her with many kin
!, words of welcome and thanks. 81
' said the fruit and jelly were just VIII;
d she had been wanting.
As Marion looked around the room
her eye fell upon a paper pinned upo
the wall. These words were write
on it:
, Beautiful hands are those that do,
l. Work that is earnest, brave and true,
e Moment by moment, the whole day throug
= She asked to copy the words in h
s memorandum book, and, after pleasa'
talk with the invalid, Marion left Il
house. She had only walked short di
,. tance when she Unexpectedly met r
- land Fletcher. -...
!, "Why, Marion, what are you doir
n in this miserable part of the cityP"
" &c have been calling on sick wor
an she replied, with sweet smile.
j, $50 you have turned Sister of Cha
+ itv, have youP" he replied, in tone
t. displeasure 81 trust you will
directly home; don't you know that th
is not a proper portion of the city for
IS younC girl like YOU? Have you no fe