The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1883-02-14
w. =-s--ss-=4H - - =
MENU CARDS.

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table when Adelaide Van Wyck and hel
mother returned from their afternoon
constitutional
THAT looks like an invitation" re-
marked Mrs Van Wvck as Adelaide op,
ened square envelope of heavy cream
laid paper.
1t is dinner party at theChichester' $.
How wish il were possible to accept"
why impossible9' inquired Mrs.
Wyck placidly
simply because | haven't thing to
wear, and have no money to buy any
thing answered her daughter with an
impatient accent Il wish to heaven
we were Smiths, or Browns, or ANYTHING
but Van Wycls, or else that we had the
means to be Van Wycks decently.
loathe genteel poverty"
MY dear said Mrs Van WICK, se.
renely avoiding the last issue, might
not your going be managed? Why can I
YOU wear the mauve Silk?"
Because the front breadth is hope
lessly ruined by ice-cream stains-eyen
if We're not known by it already And
If could wear it, where are my gloves
and shoes to come from? You see the
state Of my portmonnaie She flung the
poor little empty purse down on the
table and then walked over to the win.
dow, though she could hardly have ex-
pected to find consolation in the emf
nently proper and monotonous view Of
brick houses across the way. She knew
the state Of the family finances much
better than did her mother. In fact
since her fathers death. nearly five
years ago. rh' Ind taken the manage
ment Of affairs into her own hands
Mrs, Van Wyck calmly expected to be
taken care Of She ALWAYS had been,
and so she fell into the way Of leaving
everything to Adelaide, as she had left
everything to Adelsde's father. The
girl did her best. No one knew how
many anxious hours she spent in plan
ming ways aud mesns, in balancing &C.
counts, and in trying to keep the bills
from ''the butcher, the baker, and the
candiestick-makerN within the narrow
limits of their quarterly income. There
was very little surplus for new dresses
to say nothing Of car-iaros and post
age-stamps' They we're Van Wycks,
too, ss she Indignantly complained
Though in truth she was rather proud
of the fact, and as such, had certain
social position to maintain Invitations
came still for dances, dinners, recep.
tons, Sometimes they We're accepted,
and at other times if regrets were sent,
no oue knew that poverty was the
cause.
Lately, however, it had occurred TO
her that she might turn one Of her tai.
ent 20 account 1T Is the craze now.
adays, she said to her mother; why
should not decorate things as we'll as
anybody else?' And her mother said,
Certainly, my dear" as she would
have assented to any proposition AIDE
lalde could make. SO with a queer
mixture Of hope and fear she had paint.
ell her quaint and artistic little designs
upon dozen pale-tinted satin cards and
sent them down to Tiffany,
why don you open your other let
torP' asked Mrs, Van Wyck.
Adelaide turned slowly. She was dis.
uppointed-she was human-she was a
girl and she liked to have good times,
and pretty dresses, and attention lust as
well as any other girl 1t was pretty
bard to be forever hampered by such
sordid restrictions.
OH she exclaimed, with a change
ofaccent, lit is from Tiffany, and-yes,
actually! they enclose check for twelve
dollars, and request me to send them
other cards as good. Hoop la! mother
ling your daughter is Of some account
in the world after all"
81 never doubted that, my dear; but
] certainly am glad you We're so success.
full"
"Well, | always have thought could
get mp prettier and more artistic menu
cards than any have vet seen--even
at the StuyvcSant and Chichester tables
but | hardly thought should find
any one to bear me out in that bit Of
conceit.
Can't you 70 to the Chichesters
nowP' asked Mrs. Van WICK.
Buy an evening dress with twelve
dollars" laughed her daughter. II
don t know-more unlikely things than
mat have come TO pass Goodbye, Tn
gong to inyestgete thcstate of my ward.
robe
Upstairs she ran, singing blithsly az
she went. "Lace your bodice blue,
lassie' lace your bodice bme'--only |
thiuk II viii have to be bodice NAIVE
again Let us see, as she pulled down
the garment that had fallen under con.
domination so short time before -
STAINED i is and that waist always
was horrid but believe the dress has
possibilities still, With three wards Of
velvet ! can make new basouc--cut
square at the throat, and with the old
point lace Il won't abuse my Van Wyck
ancestors again they knew how to bny
lace ola yerityD wired into shane what
moro could wantp Then these skirts.
the train must come of, and thu, will
give me material to ireshen the trim.
ming in place. And the stains--whv.
OF coursc' what goose I was NOT 10
think of 1t before fn have A pain,ed
front, Lots and lots Of purnle nans;os