Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1884-03-18
4 Girl in Blue.

"There she sits in her elegant new morn
ing dress, nothing in the world to do but
amuse herself; and I must stain my hands
pairing potatoes and onions, and l don't
know what all for dinner! A dress with a
train, and she only sixteen! Only two
years and few months older than am!
How would look in train? I never ex-
pect to have such an elegant dress as she
has on this minute, and it is only her morn
ing dress. Tonight she will wear that
lovely garnet silk trimmed with white lace.
Think Of me in my old blue flannel! 1t is
everything I lave to wear! I don't see
why there should be such difference be-
tween cousinsl I wish Helen had staid in
New York. Why she wanted to come to
the country in the winter is more than 1
can understand. She isn't homesick bit.
I just believe I'll stay at home tonight.
Almost all the girls will wear new dresses
and my old one will look older than ever
beside Helen's grand one."
"Carrie," called that young lady's moth
er. and Carrie went to the kitchen.
There she gave her hands to the potatoes
and her thoughts to the discouragements
around her. At last she spoke some of
them aloud.
sMother, 1 don't think I'll go tonight,
after all.''
'sNot go to Kate's party. Why, what
has happened? Is the child sick ?''
"No'm, Pm not sick, I'm discouraged.
I don't want to go and wear that old blue
dress, and that's the truth. I shall look
different from the others, and seeing me
with Helen will make everybody notice it
more"
''My child, Helen's father is worth a
million, and your father is not worth a
thousand dollars besides what it takes to
support his family"
81 know it, ma am; Pm not finding fault,
only don't want to 60 to be looked at,
that's ALL"
The mother looked very sober, and some
thing besides the steam that puffed out of
the pudding dish made her eyes moist.
Carrie split a large potato in two and look
ed gloomy. Then the mother said, speak
ing low:
''Won't you disappoint good many peo-
pie tonight, daughter? Isn't Kate de-
pending on you to help her with the cha
rades and the music ?''
I can't help it, mother. People must
not depend on me. Most every girl but
me has new dress for tonight, and can't
be going there just to help other people
have good time, when / know shall be
mortified all the evening"
"Can't you? Why, daughter, even
Christ pleased not himself"
After that not another word was said in
the kithen for nearly an hour. Carrie fin
ished the potatoes and ran away. Where
she went and what she did her mother did
not know, but when she came to set the
table her face was pleasant to look at and
she stopped on her way to the pantry to
kiss her mother.
'T'm goiug, mother, and I'll have asnice
time as I can and not grumble bit"
She looked very pretty in her blue dress,
with its deep, low collar and nice ribbons
in her hair. At least her mother thought
so, though when Helen came down in all
the glory of her garnet silk and gold brace
let's there was certainly difference.
It was a sort of family gathering, to
which the city aunts and uncles had come;
and there were some elegant dresses there,
and Carrie in her old blue one did really
feel very much alone. Yet she went cheer