Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1883-08-10

dressmaker's art. 81 -I5s
y Aunt Phoebe remarked that her FAINT
" dined at noon, whereupon Mrs. Her
bert, in. what appeared tonne very i'll
taste, descanted at consid erable length,
upon the improper and ainwh olesome
practice New York people adopted, OF
eating their heartiest meal at nightfall;
to al of which the young lady assented,
with we'll bredeacqu esoence.
! The next day was spent by our state
iy visitor in unpacking. She had ex-
planned 4hat the reason Of her coming
to N-without her parents, was because
they we're unable. to leave the city for
two months longer, and Uncle Eben Of
fering his escort, it wss thought best to
send her this early, where she could
breathe good country air. Later in the
season her parents hoped to join her.
Well, it was not in the nature ofthings
for two young ladies of about the same
age to occupy adjoining rooms without
becoming somewhat familiar. Yet had
stood aloof, really admiring this beauti-
full girl, but dete rmined she should new
| er have cause to feel contempt for me
for forcing myself upon her notice in
alton. It frequently happened she
would result in my staying into her
room while she was dressing for the
afternoon. And what a pleasure and at
traction it was to watch the completion
Of her toilet. With shapely white fin.
gers shewould deftfy plant iaunty bow,
or sweet tuft of flowers, in the midst OF
a mass of crinps over her smooth brow,
and it would look as it there. both bow
and crimps,, without being placed by
hands, so perfectly graceful and unstud-
led would be the entire arrangement.
Her elegantly Numbered muslins, OF
crisp silks. fitted her faultless figure to
a charm, and even the ribbon or flower
was as dainty nestled among the laces st
| her throat as though placed by fairy
fingers. She became to me a beautiful
study by her rich attire, and finished
manners, although t'probably brought
up in bal! room," as NJ rs: Herbert had
rather spitefully remarked. used to
pray God to convert and save the love-
ly girl, for reared ASH mad been,
feared that there must be much of sin
fuIness and danger lurking beneath so
much Of tasteful display. ~s*
A few afternoons after her arrival,
Mr.. Spencer, the talented young minis
ter of N, had called, and while I sat
confusedly wishing knew just what to
say, Rosa swept. noislessly into the
room. Oh, the ease and grace with
| which she received and conversed with
him. / can see now the perfect attitude
she assumed, all unconscious apparent
| ly of the faultless adjustment, as seating
| herself sideways on the sofa, SO as to
face him as he sat in his arm chair, her
long trail laid in ample folds along the
floor.
! To my surprise some question which
Mr.. Spencer asked revealed the fact that
Rosa taught large class of boys in the
| Howard mission Sunday school.
"Why!" / said afterward, 'do you
! teach in the Sunday SCHOOL,"
Certainly" she replied; II couldn't
we'll get along without my poor dear
boys; ma sometimes worries about me
! gning SO often to their wretched homes,
but it is one Of my chief pleasures to try
! to comfort them now and thenp
Aha! here was new phase in this
dressy beauty's character. That was
| more than had ever done in my life
| I had prayed for the poor, but most peo-
pie in our village were comfortably off,
so I knew little about wretched homes
ofpoverty, but.the New York poor of
| othersn
It is true Rosa used frequently to ride
! with fashionable acquaintance at the
hotel and spent more or less time in gay
| company, but sWeater OF more agree
| able manners had never seen, although
| remarks and innuendoes continually
thrown out by Aunt Phoebe and Mrs,
| Herbert, made me always somewhat re-
! served in her presence, but often she
would seem lonely, and on ope occa-
sion standing before me exquisitely got
ten up as usual-she said lovingly:
"You are so bright and pretty, Mag,
gle dear: but think-I imaglne-you
| don't just fancy me. | could love you
dearly too"
white neck and bury nv lips in he,
dlmpled cheek; but Thought of the al
| lusions so constantly made as warnings
| concerning her sinful worldliness, and
sat still. Silly dolt that was.
One evening just as we had finished
supper, on of the neighbours boys burst
excitedly into the dining room, with the
unpleasant intelligence that one ofSthe
| Glen boys "had been run over" and@Dr,
Gray doubted if he could live through
the night. = )! 80 u
The "Glen boys'' belonged to d 8vsery
! poor but respectable family, who lived
abouta mile from Aunt Phnbe's, and
| although every one expressed surprise
| and curiosity, no one, seemed to take
very deeply to heart the fact that a
'mother's boy" was suffering great bod
lily pain and Il danger Of speedy death
f. A few moments later, to my surprise
I met Rosa in the hall, plainly dressed
| in short cam bric-ofa remarkably pref.
/ ty pattern-and with her gypsy and
| gloves, | saw she was equipped,% for a
! walk. !: s.~S
"Why, it is almost dark" I said, "are
you going out alone?"
II am going to poor Mrs. CT EMS" she
replied simply, "she must need help, or
at least sy mpathy, this long, painful
! "0h let me go tool d." pleaded for
! she hesitated to reply. z
! "Certainly, if your aunt is willing; but
| ! oaay stay until mornlllg.'n'evg~
Aunt PhQebe's face would indeed have
| been "a picture for a painter" when /
! told her where I wished to go, and
! with whom. ,"' d:
! ''Law, yes" when her surprise en-
| abled her to find utterance, "and for
mercy?s sake notice what she does for
all things!"-But 1 waited to hear no
more, ana anOther mOment we were Oh.
But the lesson I learned that night
! was howafair, jeweled hand could soothe
bruised and fevered brow; how low,
cultured tones could Breathe consolation
into the ear Of a lowly but stricken
| mother; how an ample purse, in gener-
Gus handsscould provide for some of the
necessities Of the suffering poor. Dear,
Blessed giflI Child Of fashion she might
be.. Gut what harm after all, could the
tine Vestare. prove, with such true
heart beating beneath! asaeassssssa
And if you can believe it! When
told from a full heart, the next day,
some Of the events of the previous night
20 Aunt Phoebe and Mrs. Herbert. auntie
nnlr gold t.IInmnIP, ord Mrs LHarho.t