Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1883-06-11
Mrs. Hopkins Bonnet.

| nanQ, anu Holu HeI Hedu OH OHc oluo,
pronouncing her approval of it in a
very critical manner.
s'I am glad you like it, I have not
had a new winter bonnet for two
years, and [ thought | would get a
nice one.''
"Wal, it's beauty, but don't you
90 tn bein, proud of it; if you do
you'll have a fall, sartin. | could
tell you story about a bunnit [ had
once; it happened good while ago,
but l can tell ye | hain't forgot it.
1t caused me more modification than
anything that ever happened tn me,
but I guess ON the whole twas a
good thing, for was kinder apt, in
them days, tn be proud
80, Mrs. Hopkins, / don't believe
you were ever bit vain or proud"
eyes, | was, Matilda, l thought
sight of havin' pretty dresses and
bunnits. You sit down in that rock
ing chair, and rest, you must be real
tired talkin' tn them scholars all day,
and I'll tell you about that bunnit.'
II do feel rather tired teaching
school is hard work.
"Wal, Matilda, 1 kinder guess, by
the way Joe Brown comes round here,
you won't have tn keep school al
ways. You don't know, | suppose,
seein' you havn't been acquainted
round here long, that we hain't lived
in this town more than ten years.
When we was first married we lived
in M, a real smart little town..
John, he used to work in the mill
he had first rate pay but it didn't
agree with him very well, so we came
here and bought this farm. [ hated
to come away from M. We had
a petty little place about mile out
of town. John kept horse and we
had a nice top-buggy. We used to
always ride to meetin'. | was pretty
dressy, as [ said, but / took few
boarders, and used to do some dress
maxim for the mill girls, so I got all
my cloths myself.
/ should have taken a sight of COM
fort livin' in M if it hadn't been
for Miss Wilson. She was my near
est neighbor. She was the fastest
dressin' woman / ever saw. Every
thing she put on looked well, if it
want nothin' but a six cent print. If
there was anything pretty she would
have it. I know now l was dreadful
foolish, but it did rile me up, to see
her come out in things not bit bet
ter than mine, but somehow anything
she wore looked a good deal better.
She come over to our house one
evenin' and we got to speakin' about
bunnits. | was calulatin' to wear
the one | had the summer before.
She said she wss going to have new
one and asked me if had noticed the
one in Miss Evans window she said :
II don't know when l ever see a
bunnit that took my eye as that one,
and l mean to have it. 1t is a per-
feet beauty
s'What kind of bunnit is it" l
asked.
''It is beautiful white Dunstable,
trimmed with cream-colored ribbon
and pink roses," she said.
''After she had gone l kept think
IN about that bunnit. Here was a
chance where could get ahead of
Miss Wilson. could buy the bun
nit, but l knew did not need it, SO
l argued with myself all night, fur
could not sleep much, and when /
did git into browse dreamed of
bunnits and m-colored ribbon and
pink roses.
Wal, the end of it was, l got up in
the mornin' bound to have that bun
nit. Just as soon as 1 got my work
done up, I put on my things and
started for Miss Evans shop, and
sure enough, the first thing | see III
the window was that bunnit.
I went in and priced it. Miss
Evans said it was six dollars, thai
Miss Wilson was talkin' about buyin
it, but she had not promised tn keeI
it for her, and.if | wanted it / coul6
have it, for she could trim her anoth
, er if she wanted one.
/ tried 1t on, it looked well, it wa
+ a handsome bunnit and no mistake
5 1t want the fashion then to have ties
e but an elastic cord held it on, ant
1 there was long ends hanging dow
behind.
Wal, I paid the six dollars an
went home with the bunnit.
Il When John come tn dinner, b
i said there was a man goin' tn lectur
= that evenin', who had been livin Ion
e with the Injins and he wanted tu G
~ and hear him. John always did tax
!. sight of interest in Injins. didn
20 care uothin' bout the lecture, [ a
IL ways did thidk Injins terriful treacl
erous critters, but l thought it woul
n be good chance to wear my ne
H. bunnit, so / said right off that wan
- = ed tn go.
a John was hindered about som
IF thing at the mill, and was late
up supper, but one of the boarders ha
a messed the horse while we were 81
~ ~ tin ready, and We got started a lit
no after seven. / felt pretty grand wi
ed my new bunnit, can tell you.