The Brookhaven leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1883-1891, 1883-09-13

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of so many American women a fleeting
charm. 1t was face which softly
banded hair and n low knot would
suit; but, with the bad taste of her
class, Cary had adopted the style of
couture which became her least. All
the front hair was an unkempt tangle of
''bang." At the back was mass of
iute switches, braided and surmounted
with a gilt comb, and on top of the
erection was perched a straw hat lined
with blue and ornamented with be-
draggled cocks tail. The dress, of
cheap material, was blue also, and was
frilled and hounced into a caricature of
the prevailing fashion. A ruffle of
soiled lace surrounded the girls neck,
beneath which, over a not over-clean
muslin tie, hung a smart locket of yell
low metal very yellow. Bangles
clinked round the slender wrists. Be-
meath the pulled and ruffled skirt a
shabby petticoat of gray cotton peeped
out. Though the weather was chill,
the girl wore no wrap. Miss Sydney
noted these details in half the time it
has taken to describe them, and stirred
with pity that was half indignation,
she said:
MY child, how could you think of
coming out on such day without
shawlP'
II haven't any shawl"
"Well, a jacket, then"
Il haven't any jacket, either, that
matches this DRESS" glancing compla-
Gently down at the beruffled skirt.
"But you would rather wear jacket
that didn't match your dress than catch
a cold, wouldn't you?"
Yes" admitted the girl, in rather
an unwilling Tone "But the only one
I've got is purple, and it looks horrid
with this blue" Noting dissent in her
companions face, she added: 1--WE poor
girls can't have wrap for every dress,
like rich ladies do"
"No." said Miss Sydney, gently, -
know it. / never attempt to have a diff
ferent wrap for each dress wear. l
can not afford it, either"
Cary stared. "How queerr' she
began, then changed it to: "But you and
us are quite different, ma am"
There was something wistful in the
face, which touched Myra Sydney ut
will be time wasted, | dare say," she
said to herself, "still l should like, just
for once, to argue out the dress queS-
ton with girl like this. She is one
of great class, and, poor things, they
are so dreadfully foolish and igno-
rant" She made no immediate reply
to her companion, but rose and rang the
bell.
81 am going to give you a cup of
tea," she said. ''Hark, how it rains!
You can't 90 yet, and you will be less
likely to take cold when you do go, if
you start well warmed. Besides, want
to have you stay. | should like to have
which is so interesting to all of us
women" She smiled brightly at her
guest, who, as if dazzled, watched the
entrance of the tray with its bubbling
kettle, its plates of thin bread, and but
ter, and crisp, dainty cakes; watched
Myra measure the tea, warm the pot of
gay Japanese ware, and when the brew
was ready, fill the thin-lipped cups, and
drop in sugar and cream.
How NIGEL" she said. with sigh of
satisfaction. Her heart opened under
the new, unwonted kindness and COM
fort, and Miss Sydney had little diff
Guilty in learning what she wished to
know. Cary Thomas was the girls
name. She had lived "at home" till
two years ago. Did she like the city?
Yes, she liked it well enough, but it
was not much like home to board. She
and another girl that worked at Snow
& Asher's had a room together out in
Farewell street. They had pretty good
times when they were not too full of
work, but in the busy season they
stayed so late at the store that they
didn't want anything when they got
home, except to 60 straight TO bed.
They got seven dollars week, and
more when there was extra work to do.
"Can you lay up anything out of
that?" asked Miss Sydney.
"No, ma am, not a cent; at least,
don't. There are some girls in the store
that do, but they've got sick friends to
save for"
Now" said Miss Sydney, having thus
felt her way, Ito go back to the jacket
question. AS l told you, | can't at all
afford to have one for every dress"
Cant you, ma am; and what do you
do, thenP'
Il buy one jacket which will do with
everything l wear"
"But that isn't a suit" said Cary,
doubtfully.
mo; but is it absolutely necessary
everything should be suitP'
1.-The girls at our store think SO much
of suits" she said, in puzzled tone of
self-defense.
Il know some people have fancy
for them, and they are very pretty some
times. But don't you see that they
must cost great deal of money, and
that working people, you and myself,
for instance, ought to manage more
carefully?"
''Do you work, ma amp"
ITO be sure 1 do. You look sur
prised. All, you think that because
have little home of my own, and live
in pretty room, must be a fine lady
with nothing to do. That's a mistake
of yours. work nearly as many hours
a day as you do, and earn the greater
part of my own income, and l have to
consult economy to keep my home and
make it pleasant, and among the things
which | can't afford to have, are
suits"
81 wish you'd tell me how you do,
ma am"
81 will, though I'm not in the habit
of talking quite so freely about my af-
fairs, but I'll tell you, because it may
give you an idea of how to manage bet
ter for yourself. In the first place l
keep to two or three colors. | have a
black gown or two, and an olive-brown,
and this yellOWish-0reen that YOU see,