Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1883-08-24


ed into carioature of the prevailing fash
ion. A ruffie Of solid lace surrounded the
girls neck, beneath which, over no,
overclean muslin tie, hung smart loo ket
of yellow metal-very yellow. Bangles
clinked round the slender wrists. Beneath
the puffed and ruffled skirt shabby petit
coat of gray cotton peeped out. Though
the weather was chill, the girl wore nc
wrap. Miss Sydney noted these details ir
half the time 1t has taken to describe
them, and stirred with pity which was
half Indignation, said, my child, how
could you think Of coming out on such 8
day al. this without shawl ?"
Il haven't any shawl"
swell jacket, then ?''
81 haven t any jack ct, either. that match
es this dress. " glancing complacently dowr
At the berufisd skirt.
"But you would rather wear JACKIE,
that didn It match your dress than catch 6
cold. wouldn't you?"
YES" admitted the girl, in rather ar
unwilling tone. "But the only one I've
got IL purple and it looks horrid with thi.
blue" Noting dissent in her cornpan.
ions face. she added: 1--WE poor girls
can't have wrap for every dress, like rict
ladies do.'
NO. said Miss Sydney gently. 81 know
it. l never attempt to have a different
wrap for each dress wear. can't afford
it, either"
"Cary" started How queer she began
then changed it to. ''But you and US arr
quite different. ma am"
There was something wistful in the face
which touched Myra Sydney. ut will be
time wasted, I dare saw" she said to her
self. ''still 1 should like, just for once, to
argue out the dress question with girl
like this. She is one of class, aud, pool
things, they are so dreadfully foolish and
ignorant" She made no immediate reply
to her companion, but rose and rang the
bell. II am going to give you cup OF
tea" she said. ''Hark, how it rains Yor
can't 60 yet, and you Will be less likely to
take cold when you do go. it you start vel
warmed. Besides, want to have you stay
l should like to have little talk over this
question Of dress which is so interesting
to all of us women" She smiled brightly
as her guest, who, as if dazzled, wat chez
the entrance of the tray with its bubbling
kettle. its plates OF thin bread and butter
and crisp dainty cakes; watched Myrs
m tho ha of To
panese ware and when the brew was rea
dy, ill the thin Tipped cups, and drop in
sugar and cream.
''Ho1 nice" she said. with a sigh Of
satisfaction. Her heart opened under the
new. unwonted kindness and comfort. ant
Miss Sidney had little difficulty in learn
ing what she wished to know. Cary
Thomas was the girls name. She haG
lived 'at home" till two years ago. Die
she like the city? Yes, she said 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 room to
gether out in Farewell street. They had
pretty good times when they were not toe
full of work, but in the busy season they
stayed 80 late at the store that they didn't
want anything when they got home. ex
cept to 60 straight to bed. They got sew
en- dollars week, more when there was
extra work to do.
"Can you lay up anything out of that?'
asked Miss Sydney.
s.N,, oopt. 1oooT
don't. There's 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, "to 90 back to the jacket
question. AS told you, can't at all
afford to have one for every dress"
"Can't you, ma'am? What do you do
then?"
II buy one jacket which will do with
everything year,
"But that isn't a suit" said Cary,
doubtfully.
''No, but is it absolutely necessary that
everything should be suit ?''
The girls at our store think so much OF
suits''-iu puzzled tone of self-defense
II know some people have fancy fol
them, and they are very pretty sometimes
But don't you see that they must cost q
great deal of money, and that working
people, you and myself, for instance, ght
to manage more carefully ?"
''Do you work, ma'am?"
ITO lie sure do. You look surprised.
All, you think that because l have little
home of my own and live in pretty rosm
1 must be fine lady with nothing to do.
That's a mistake of yours. 1 work nearly
as many hours day IS you do, and earn
the greater part of my income, and have
to consult economy to keep my home and
make it pleasant, and among the things
which can't afford to have are 'suits'.'
II wish you'd tell me how you do,
ma'am."
II will. though 1 am not in the habit OF
talking quite so freely about my affairs,
but I'll tell you, because it may give you
an idea of how to manage better for your.
self. In the first place, keep two or three
colors. have black gown or two, and
an olive brown, and this yellowish green
that you see and some lighter ones, white
or pale yellow. Now, with any of these,
the same bonnet will do. The one 1 am
wearing now is black, with little jet and
pale yellow, and it goes perfectly well with
all my dresses. and so does my black cash,
mere jacket and my parasol and gloves,
which are yellow also. Don't you see that
there is an economy in this, and that if
had purple dress and blue one and a
brown. should want different bonnet
for each and different gloves and differ.
ent parasol ~
ssWhu Vac ~ doas sao,,o m ,, ..:s ~,