The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1884-07-24
A BROWN STUDY.

a little low brown house painted in
blocks of light and dark brown, with
blinds of the same tint, aud wooden
fence that matched il all. Even the
door step shared the same hue, and the
bare trunks of the clms, that swayed to
and fro, with branches that clutchcd the
passing crowd, were only n shade or
two darker than the rest. And i'm the
ncutral-tintcd rooms sat three girls
whose rich brunette compilations har-
monized with their surroundings They
were sitting, too, in a 'bruwn-study,"
till the eldest, Marta, spoke ut last, with
II profound sigh in her tone:
Its no use, girls; the garden is
closed for the season. Mother is no
better. and still no word Of-father. "
She spoke the last word in n husky
whisper, adding: What are we to do
for monCyPn
The youngest of the three, who could
not have been moro than fourteen,
tossed back her golden brown curls,
and running her myers through them,
suggested: Take me TO barber $,
Marta?"
ut may come to that some day,
Louise returned the eldest, bitterly,
and then turning To the silent sister,
who hail been sitting in quiet medita-
ton, She asked: Hast thou no solution
for this problem, most thoughtful Chris
tie9n
The girl started hesitated and said:
81 was thinking, girls, what slaves we
are TO fashion and to the conventional
tiles. Here ] have been following the
beaten track Of music teaching. walking
miles of sidewalk for n pupil at two
dollars q month, and not able to earn
enough TO keep myself i'm respectable
clothing. Louise, with her deft fingers,
has loaded down table of pretty but
unsold goods nj the Woman's Ex-
change, and Marta's sales of Christmas
cards ana other art work do not re-
muncrate her for the outlay of paint.
the time spent; and then the worry, the
strained eyes that are already beginning
Go suffer with such close application.
MY poor Martar'
Silence fell on the group. It was
early evening, and, to save expense,
no lamps were lighted rs they talked
''lt seems strange began Marta, at
length, ''that we get no word of father
ship. Mother SAYS it has often been rs
long, but she never before felt the lack
of money. Tho failure Of the Exchange
Bank has swept away all the savings
that were kept there for rainy days l
dollars a month coming in. and Louise
has had to leave school. We must look
IL squarely in the face, and see if there
is no other way Of earning money than
those we have tried SO far. We can
not go out to leave mother, and we
must earn money TO give her more
nOurishing food, for that is what she
most needs
Then Christie spoke: ''Signor Bellino
gets two dollars n lesson from the
young ladies i'm ono of the houses where
teach the younger children. / listened
one day when waiting i'm the hail. and
was surprised TO learn how easily his
money was earned. Girls, I'm going
TO give II up, and turn washcr-woman.'
''Are you crazyP" asked the aston
ished Marta.
II soon should be If l kept up music
teaching in such spiIitless, half-paid
way. NJ; l viii tell you my idea"
"Plcase do, if you have one, said
saucy Lou.
=" don't mind your sarcasm If you
will only agree to what l suggest, 7"
said Christie, little timidly "And, TO
begin / was in Mrs. Aluldoon's the 9TH
or day-YOu know She keeps a board
ing house on James street ~ and ]
thought some of her boarders might
buy wooden ties or cuffs, or those warm
mit's Lou knits; 50 / took sample in,
and while / waited two young men were
talking in the parlor. One remarked
that his shirts had been sent home
without a single button, and as yellow
as old gold. The other laughingly
answered il was enough to make a fell
low rct married without waiting for a
competence to have to sew on his but
tons before he could start for church,
and added: why don't some of these
girls that talk about woman's sphere,