The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1884-06-27
3flistcllallenus.
A New Suit.

Now" said Mrs. Mills, as she took hel
semi-annual dividend from the envelope
now | will have spring suit; it's high
| time, too, and mean to have it made by
Furbelow. Once in my life l want a dress
| that will fit like a glove and look stylish I'm
| dead tired of being dowdy, and running
| about in ready-made gowns that hang on me
| like bag, and ravel apart if one looks at
| them. think will have q gray Henrietta
cloth and gray velvet. l saw one at an OPEN
ing that was too lovely for anything-but a
wedding. I'm so sick of black cashmere
and black silk; it seems to me I've never
worn anything else. To be sure, black is
more economical; your next neighbor can't
be certain whether you had your black gown
this spring or last, and it's becoming and
lady-like. | shouldn't care to have Mrs.
Brown say, there goes Mrs. Mills in her ever.
lasting gray gown; when shall we see the
last of it? Perhaps l should get to be
known as the woman in gray; and then
gray spots so easily, and benzine isn't all
that fancy painted it. To be sure, it would
dye-and shrink. Brown is durable color.
aud not so pretentious. | could never wear
a gray gown except on fete days; still that
gray gown has haunted my imagination it's
like poem, like the first sight of the silver
catkins the first sound of the robin. How
ever, I'll go in to town, and get patterns, and
see Furbelow."
So Mrs. Mills went into town, and obtain
ed patterns at the best shop patterns of vel
vet, OF Hcnrietta-cloth of cashmere, of ar
mure, of bouretIe, of bison.cloth and what
not; patterns of gray, of London smoke, of
ashes of roses, ofclover red. Then she pro-
ceeded to Furbeow's $, and looked at fashion
plates, and asked questions. Here's gray
we have just finished for Mrs. Tyson, of Mi.
Vernon street; it's thought to be very chic"
said the assistant. "Our price for making is
forty-five dollars only" Mrs. Mills sighed.
1t was plain she could not have q gown
made by Furbelow, fit her never so nicely.
Her check was but for fifty dollars. When
she reached home with her patterns, in rather
a pleasant frame of mind-for even the Sc
lection of patterns is a kind of shopping
which exhilarates the feminine heart, more
or less-she found Mrs. Armstrong waiting
for her.
you see" explained Mrs. Armstrong,
I'VE are getting up a testimonial for dear M
Glucosc-his thirtieth birthday-and we
knew you would wish to add something; all
of our best people have given. Miss Clapp
gave fifty dollars; nobody has given less
than five except old Mrs. Blunt, and you
know how stingy sheis. She gave dollar"
Mrs. Mills gave five dollars. "She conldn't
do less" said Mrs Armstrong aflerward. II
was determined she should not get OFT with
dollar"
THAT rather cuts into my spring suit"
said she; "but can have it made without
the velvet, | suppose"
She returned to her patterns next day, and
meditatCd upon them it was SO hard to de-
eide If gray should happen to become her.
brown might look old womanish. Black
was the safer, of course. She consulted with
her friends and with several of her feminine
relatives. She made up her mind in favor of
gray on Monday, and chose brown on Tues
day. She found her attention wandering in
church from the preachers text to the parish
toner's toilets. The woman who hesitates il
lost, we are told, and Mrs. Mills was still de
batting the subject when letter arrived from
her dearest friend.
"You will be glad to hear" (she wrote)
shat my wedding day is set for the Goth.
You must come and stop here. 1t will be
quiet affair, without much dress. Macolm's
partner has sent me such lovely necklace.
In haste. NELLIE"
THAT means a wedding present" thought
Mrs. Mills. "She gave me such beautiful
vinaigrette when | was married; and ten
dollars is all | can spare. Well, suppose
can get my gown for thirty-tive, and have a
dress-maker come to the house; that will be
cheaper. Of course, it won't fit like Furbe-
lows" And she went TO look up wedding
present for ten dollars; and as she couldn't
find anything for just ten dollars that suited
the circumstances of her friend and as she
had the money in hand, she paid fifteen for
the love lest piece of brio a-brac, that had Just
been marked down from twenty dollars. ~
needn't give so much for the material for my
gown" she reflected, as she counted her re.
naming ducats.
slave you decided about your spring suit
yet?' asked friend later. us it to be gray
or brown9"
II don't KNOW" answered Mrs. Mills, II
have been obliged to spend some of my
money, and that makes it difficult to decide"
1t was few days afterward, when she had
happened in at neighbours in the evening
| for game at whist, that the conversation
fell upon the Cincinnati sufferers. Every
| body expressed great commiseration. "Yes,"
said Mr.. Salem, one of the guests present,
1--WE are all very sorry, but 1t doesn't keep us
awake nights, and we don't like to abridge
our own material comforts for their sake we
are sorry in poetical, immaterial way. Now
who of us would give our personal adorn-
ments for their benefitp / mean to pass
round the hat, and see who is in earnest
about this business. Here goes my seal ring,
my intaglio for an example; 1t came from
Rome, and was blessed by the Pope"
"And here go my earrings" said lady
present 81 always disliked them"
"And here's my locket," cried the hostess
"lockets have gone out of fashion"
II have no ornaments 10 give" said Mrs.
! Mills,