Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1883-04-25
MENU CARDS.

noon cODsutuilOn :.
'Tbat looks like an Invitation. re-
marked Mrs. Van Wyck, as Adelaid
opened a square envelope Of heavy
cream-laid paper. ...
1T is dinner party at the Chiches-
ters. How l wish 1t were possible tC
accept!'
'WLv impossible?' p inquired Mrs
Van Wyck placidly. -
Simply because haven't a thing tt
wear and have no money 10 buy any
thing answered ber daughter with ar
impatient accent. 1 wish 10 heaven
we we're Slnlths. or Browns, or any
thing but Van Wycks, or else that W.
had means to be Van Wycks decen1y
1 loaihe genteel poverty
My DEAR raid Mrs. Van. Wyck
serenely, avoiding The last issue
might not your going be managed
Why can't you wear the mauve silk"
Because the front breadth is hope
lessly ruined by ice-cream steins-evet
if l were not known by il already. Ant
If l could wear il, where are my gloves
and shoes 10 come from? You see
the state of my port-Dohnaie Sht
flung the poor little empty purse dowr
on the table, and then walked over tC
the window, though she could hardly
have expected to find consolation IN
the eminenly proper and monotonou'
view of brick houses across the way
She knew the state of the family finan-
ces much better than did her mother
In fact, since her fathers death, nearly
five years ago, she had taken th'
management of sffAirs 10 her OWE
hands. Mrs. Van Wyck calmly ex-
pected to be taken care Of. She al
WAYS had been, and so she fell into The
way of leaving everything TO Adelaide
as she bad left everything to Adelaide;
father. The girl did her best. No one
knew how many anxious hours she
spent IN planning ways and means, III
balancing accounts and in trying tC
keep the bills from the butcher, The
baker and the candlestick maker with
in the narrow limits of their quarterly
income. There was very little surplus
tor new dresses, TO say nothing Of cal
fares and postage stamps. They were
Van eWycks, too, as she indignantly
complained (though in truth. !she wa'
rather proud Of the fact, and, as such
had q certain social position 10 main
tain. Invitations came still for dances
dinners, receptions. Some times they
were accepted, and at other times re-
grets W ere sent, but no one knew tha
poverty was the cause.
Lately, however, 1t had occurred t
her that she might turn her talents tC
accoun..-It is the craze nowadays,
she said 10 her mother; why should
not decorate things as well as any body
else p And her mother said, Ger.
tainly, my dear,' as she wonld have
assented TO any proposition Adelaide
could make. So with queer mixture
of hope and fear she had painted hei
quaint and artistic little designs upon q
dozen pale-tinted satin cards, and sent
them down to Tiffany. 80 .
why don't you open your other let
ter?' asked Mrs. Van Wyck.
Adelaide TUNED slowly She was
dlsappointed-she was human-sht
was a girl, and she liked to have goo(
times, and pretty dress. and attention
Just as well as any other girl. Itwai
pretty hard to be forever hampered by
such sordld restrictions.
oh :. she exclaimed, with change
of acce ut, 'it's from Tiffany, and-yesI
actually they lnclose check for sl2
and request me to send other cards as
good, Hoop la! mother-your daugh'
ter Is of some account in the world af'
ter all f.. 70.
Il never doubted that, my dear; bu
1 certainly am glad you were so sue
cessful,' ... -.
well, l always have thought coult
get up pretter and more artistic meu'
cards than any 1 have yet seen-ever
at ibs Siuyvesant and Chichester table
but 1 hardly thought / should finl
aby one 10 bear me out in that bit o
coneei..' .., r ~ -
Can't you go to the Chichester
now p asked Mrs. Van Wyck. sa
Buy an evening dresss with twelv'
dollars p laughed her daughter.
dou't know y more unlikely thinks thai
that have come TO pass Good bye
I'm going 10 Investigate the state o
>, :, vordrobe., h7''' ~ -
ny WalutVOe' .r.. .rn..I
Up stars she ran, singing bllthely a
she went. Lace your bodice blue
lassie, lace your bodice blue77only
think il will have 10 be acbodice mauve
again. Let us see, as ! sbe Q pulle'
down the garment that had fallen IN
der condemnation so short a time be
| fore. 'Stainedit s-apd that waist'al
ways VAS hofrid, bu. 1 belIeve tn
DRESS has possibilities still. Wit
ii rec ards of velvet 1 can make ne'
ba sque, cut square at the throat, AM
with The old po,pt lace Il won't abus
my Van, wyck ancestors agaIp-tAe
knew how to buy lace ota seriiy
wned into shape, What more could
wanlY Then these skirts-tbe tral