The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1882-06-08
CARRYING OFF THE PRIZE.

CAkk1lNG OFF The klZE.
Nobody goes to church on Easter day
without an entirely new suit in the latest
fashion, said Mrs. De Novelties. .
"Certainiy net!' said Alicia. her eldest
daughter. Mrs. Pelham has written
to Paris for q new bonnet, to my certain
knowledge"
"And of COURSE" added Emily, the
youngest scion of the house of De No.
velles, las you are spending the winter
with US, Madeline, you will be expected
not to disgrace u.s."
Madeline Moray looked from one to
the other of the speakers with troubled
expression of countenance.
"But, Aunt De Novelties" said she,
"mamma writes me that our old Cousin
Zephaniah and his wife have come from
Maine, very poor, and that We must
cconomize as much AZ possible in order
to keep them off the town. They are very
old, and they need great many little
luxuries, and"
Mrs. De Novelties face darkened Wis
IDLY.
''Madeline," said she, will you never
forget that you belong to q farmers
family down-East? Your Cousin Ze-
phaniahs are nothing to me. Of course,
while you are my guest, shall expect
you to dress as becomes your station as
my niece"
sore perplexity after Aunt De Novelties
had rustled out, leaving q strong odor OF
patchouli behind her. She had admired
the devotion Of her aunt and the girls in
attending the church services so regu-
the dim, religious light of the perfumed
church, trying to recall her wandering
thoughts to the words which she uttered,
and had come to the conclusion that she
was not half so good as her aunt, and
Emily, and Alicia. And now, Aunt De
Novelties felt no charity for poor old
Cousin Zephaniah, and wanted her
to spend all her little money for
dress and fashion to make an out
side show.
She had fifty dollar bill yet left of the
small store which they had scraped to-
gether at home when they had sent her to
spend a winter in Boston with Aunt De
Novelties, and she took it from her purse
and snloothed it out upon her desk.
Fifty dollars! She had hoped to save it
Ill for Cousin Zephania.
Her pretty shot silk, with the damasse
front, was very fresh and pretty silk
she had only worn it some half dozen
times-and her neat little split-straw hat
would look very nice, if she bought new
ribbon for it and re-arrangcd the flowers
At least that was the mental conclusion
at which she had arrived, when Mrs,
De Novilles issued her commands,
binding as an imperial purchase, that
new Easter suit was among the nccessi-
ties
Madeline knew very we'll that she was
pretty. She never looked into the glass
without perceiving the difference be-
tween her fresh, apple blossom of face,
and the enaneled and roughed complex
ions of her city cousins. She knew
that her long hair was like bur-
nished coils ofgold, her long dashed eyes
like stars; and she would have liked
new Easter suit as we'll as any one-and
the bonnets in Madame Printemp's win
dow looked infinitely beautiful in her
eyes, with their French roses and Der
fcctly simulated violcts; but there was
the old man and his enfeclbled wife to
remcmber-the ancient relics of by
gone generation who had outlived the
sympathy of almost all the world.
"No,' said madame to herself, II
must not spend this money, Easter suit
or no Easter suit"
So she sat herself down in the rainy
March afternoon to rip up the shot silk
dress and alter it so that even Alicia and
Emily should not know it for the same.
But with all her skill In amateur dress
making the folds would not hang Stylish
1y, the old creases would obtrude them
selves on the eye, and the costume pro-
claimed In its every glisten and puff,
Made over, made over, made overm
Emily De Novelties shook her head.
Madeline" said she, "its of no use.
You never can wear that dress! And
your nat, too. A plain split stray, with
Madeline burst into tears.
Every well, Emily" she said. '"Then
will remain at home. You need not
fear that will disgrace the congreea-
ton Of st. Etheldreda OH Easter Sun
day"
And this pledge evidently relieved the
mind Of Miss De Novelties.
"For," as she afterward told her sister
Alicia, these half-civilized country girls
are capable Of anything"
And the two elegant sisters did not
take the trouble, when Captain Braba-
zan dropped in to five o'clock tea, to
was company in the parlor.
II suppose she don't care to see me!'
the captain thought, with a sinking
heart, when at last he went away, after
having fingered as long Us po1iteness
would admit.
-! suppose he never asked for mel!
Madeline said to herself, as, from her
window, she saw his retreating figure
saunter slowly down the street. "Well,
1t matters less than ever now about the
Easter suit. Nobody will know whether
l have one or not"
But when Easter eve came, and Made
line was crying softly in her own room,
to think Of the radiant spring
sunset that was flooding all
the world at home, the COL
9red waiter came grinning up to the
Please, Miss Maddy," he said,
"hyars a basket O. 1aylocks. Real
spr'ngy,smellin', 1 do declarei Wild de
daRpen's card-Cappen Brabazan, miss!"
delight.
Vs. NVSay1 pup GuuSo! NluS-
tiers Of lilac fragrance! Delicious re-
minders of the springtide at home. Oh,
how kind it was of Captain Brabazan to
remember that she was country girl,
exl!ed here among brick walls!
Madame Cressonde's young woman
sat up until II o'clock that night to finish
the three elegant costumes which Mrs.
DeNovelles and her daughters had Or
tdered. The three bonncts did not come
home until Sunday mourning.
But Madeline watched them sail forth
to 1se church en- to the glitter OF golden sun
bells, like three fashion plates.
And then she put on her plain little
made-over dress" and, taking a fresh
cluster of lilacs from the vase Of water.
pinned it across the split-straw hat.
"There! she thought, as she tied the
strings under her chin, "no Paris exotic
ever looked half so sweet as that! And
am sure that heaven will incline its ear
no less favorabIy to my prayers than if l
went to St. Etheldreda's in Worth's
newest design"
And she crept to the little church in
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