The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1882-09-06

hiiiStiht uuucI tuc Colo, SiitlOd
glance of an uninterested public
and beauty-honest. simple beauty
must be extraordinary and won
derful to stand much chance against
a little nature and a great deal Of
art-well applied.
The average person will Judge oi
beauty, and talent, too, by the loud
ness of their demand for recogni.
ton. The glare of a gaudy leaf
the glistening plumage of brilliant
bird, will awaken from their lethar-
gy of indifference large number OF
people, who straightway declare
themselves to be earnest admirers ol
nature, while TO all her countless
delicate attractions they turn blind
eyes. And the grace and worth that
knocks at the portals of careless
world clothed in modesty and tim
idity, will stand long in weary wait
ing.
Native grace stiffens into angular
ugliness under blazing lights and
searching eyes; and the gentle
sweetness of a soft voice is drowned
quite in the roar of large towns.
And so our little heroine discovered.
The voice with which her fortune
was to be made. which rang out
with a clearness and sweetness that
rivalled the birds in the dear old
wood at home, sounded thin and
sharp in the curtain-hung. furniture
filled parlors OF her uncle's home.
One critic said, You lack meth
cd, Miss Rivers" This one found
one fault-that one another.
1t was a cruel disappointment,
| but Nan faced the truth brayeiy. AS
a singer she was total failure, ana
she knew it. The great plans she
had formed grew misty, and faded
quite away. The castles she had
built tumbled in ruins about heI
head. She had grown large in her
own conceit, naughty in her assumed
worth, proud of what she deemed
herself to be. She had lived, like
many another, in world of her own
creating-a world in which she was
the centre about whom great events
revolved. The discovery was pain
full in the extreme.
But Nan was brave, and bravely
faced the truth. As a singer she
was total failure. She recognized
the fact, and accepted the inevitable
calmly.
But she grew homesick and sad
| Oh, how she longed for the old days
once more How her heart ached
for the old, simple, free life-her
lost kingdom and her loved and low
ing subjects She fought it bravely,
but at last, overpowered, she wrote
a little timid letter to Paul, and
waited in a nervous hutter for the
answer. The pride had quite died
out of the sweet little face, and a
timid, entreating look had crept in
to the, soft brown eyes. Day efter
day this look grew stronger, and day
after day the color came and went
more and more fitfully on the sweet
tace-but no answer came.
Her uncle, who was very fond of
her, noticed the change, and remark
ed to his WIFE,
MARY, our little girl does not
seem to be as happy as she was.
Don't you think you had better take
her-er-er-shopping?"
shopping" was Uncle Johns in
fallible cure for all of ills of female
flesh. In pursuance of this idea he
called Nan into the library, one
morning and putting into her hand
large roll of bills, said,-
I've got no girls, Mamie, so you
must furnish the dressmaker's bill,
etc. Get some pretty dresses, dear,
and brighten up the old home let
me see what fine little bird you
can be. There, there Don't thank
me Give me kiss and run away
with your aunt. She dotes on shop
ping"
| am afraid ii was not much
like a heroine 20 turn from u lover
TO fine clothes, and find comfort in
the clothes. Nan should undoubt-
edly have refused her uncle's offer
ing coldly and silently, and been
sublimely indifferent TO silks, satins
and Iaces but she was eighteen and
pretty, which is match for a great
deal.
a thing of beauty is joy torey-
er." and the milliners and dressmak-
ers produce many artistic combina-
tions OF silk, lace and velvet, which
are things of beauty, though no;
Joys forever; still they are very
fascinating to the average mind
male or female-fOr a brief space of
time.
The old fairy story tells us that
Cinderella's transformation was due
entirely to her costume. The dain-
ty figure and the lovely face were
not changed by the charm which
caused her to be unreoognized by
mother and sisters. The days of
fairies have passed, they say, but
nevertheless any Cinderella may
find more than one god mother who
for gold, if not for love, will trans
form her with the magic wand of
skill till scarcely the eye that loves
her best can tell her form again.
Nan had no difficulty and soon
the simple violet became the grand
pansy in short, Mamie disappear
ed. and Miss Rivers stepped
upon the scene. Her feet were
incased in narrow toes and high
heels, so that she scarce could walk;
her skirts extended in swift expanse
from the tiny waist, and the sleeves
clung tightly to the plump arms.
The soft brown eyes, and the curls
were twisted into two unslghtly
punches and pinned on either side
the little head, upon whose crown
rested the biggest of hats, surmount-
ed by the most gigantic of plumes.
Her gloves might have reached the
shoulder, perhaps, had they not
wrinkled SO delightfully."-, while each
wrist carried innumerable bangled
bracelets which jingled charmingly.
Even the nails grow pointed and