Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1881-01-19

1 "W'''t
dollar, teo-so cheap aud 30 beeom
Ing"
Uncle Abel confessed aiterwardi
that no felt quite eonioanded at thu
price, but did not mean to lot thai
Frenchided girl know II, 10 he onl,
said, "oh, that's tho style, CHI II
ain't u bit like Betsey's old one,
though"
hOh, no, Sir the iashioa has chang
cd entirely. Now the gypsy Is the
newest thing out, aud your wife would
set tho fashion, ] don't doubt"
She looked up at John Dare mer'
rily, but could not interpre, the look
10 his eyes 80, taking II for granted
that It was an expression OF admira'
ton, she pursued tho same strain
Just fresh from Paris. Lam sure
your wife would like that. Shall |
try 1t on for you 7"
"wa'al, yes, ! can tell better how 1t
will look. then, Now II looks Just
like dish
"There, It goes this way" and josie
pitched tho little thing over her rosy
face, tied tho strings In q big bow
knot, and swept down the length OF
the room, "Don't you like III"
"Wa'al, ia kind o purity, but its
awful queer amt 1t, John ~
John thus appealed to, could only
answer that no "kpew nothin' in the
world about women's bonncts," and
took up his reverie, whatever 1t was
Just where it was broken of. But
looking idly in the long mirror op-
poslte, ho saw JOSIE making signs to
another girl, and hc soon found that
they were amusing themselves vastly
at the pcrplexlty Of their customcr.--
He saw, toe, that pale, quiet girl,
with smooth brown hair, looked up
from her work Indignantly, and he
rather saw than heard her say, "For
shame !" and grow crimson as she
spoke.
Ills own face flushed a little as he
became aware that Uncle Abel was
being made the butt Of their jokes
good Uncle Abel, who was looking
so admirably at the fabrics incom-
prehensible to him, bis old heart only
full of the thought how he should
make bis present worthy Of the patient
soul for whom it was intended.
Then John was greatly perplexed |;
tor as he said truly, he knew nothing
about all that mysterious and bewi..d
ering arrangement Of dress that he
saw every day.
Still he knew that Aunt Betsey's
spare locks, thinly sprinkled with gray,
were not dressed in modern style, and
he could not for the lite of him see
whereabouts on that dear old head
any Of those gypsles or fanchons
would rest. He remembered that
long ago Aunt Betsey was won't to
twist her hair with the same
energy that distinguished all her
movements, and that this operation
resulted in hard knob at the back of
her head, like a door handle, which
certainly would not harmonic with
these capeless head dresses.
Just as his brow was overcast with
this thought, the pale girl came near
Uncle Abel, her cheeks blushing as
she did so in defiance of the other
girls, holding in hsr hand plain
Leghorn bonnet, trimmed with violet
ribbon.
She wore mourning dress, and the
plain brooch at her throat held lock
Of gray hair
II think this might suit you, sir, y
she said. "If your wife don't dress
her hair in these fashions, these bon
nets would not do at all. This is
rich and plain, and covers the back OF
the head and neck" -
"Waal, now, tell me, tor have
got go bothered with these things and
I don't know one from t'other. l
want to geta bnnnit for Betsey, and
J. mean to. Now jest tell me If you
would like your mother to wear one
like this Oh, l beg your pardon,
ma'am. / didn't see," and he touched
the sleeve of her black dress. 81
Am sorry!"
The young girl brushed off tear
quickly, as she said, 81 have no
mother now but If you will trust
me, sir' I think this will suit" -
She had stood, hitherto, just out Of
the range of John Dare's vision, and
bod had not eeen him at all, Some