The Press., 1885-03-12
A SOUVENIR.

'NOW dO snow me W nat It IS: you Ve got my curiosity all reused up" said Paul lima. She cooked up her face at the other two women, who were taller. She was very small and lean she wore her black hair heavily frizzed, and had on 8 fine black silk dress, and lace bonnet with some red flowers on it.. Charlotte, other- wise Mrs. Steadman, was very proud to take her about, she was so airy and we'll dressed. She was Mrs. Jerome Loomis, an out-of-town lady, 8 cousin of her late husbands, who was visiting her for few days. She had taken her over to call on her sister Nancy, Mrs. Weeks, this after noon. She herself had ou nothing better than plain black and white checked ging- ham. It was Q warm afternoon, but she had realized keenly her reflected grandeur as she had walked up the street with her well-dressed guest. She was tall, spare woman, and usually walked with a ner- vous stride, but to-day, all unconsciously, she nipped, and teetered, and swung her limp gingham skirts with just the same air that Paulina did her black silk one. It was nervous imitation. Mrs. Steadman was incapable of anything else #: she WAS not a weak woman. Her mind, being inn pressed, simply produced reflex action in her body. She would have despised her. Self if she had known it, because of the very pride which led her into it.
 The call had been made, and the three women were standing ill Mrs. Weeks en- Try taking leave.
 Pauliua went on, coaxingly: 'Now do show it to me. What is it? I know it is something beautiful, ,or your sister wouldn t have said anything about it."
 Paullna had a prOtruding upper jaw, cbo ,kol>, T far back. She smiled a good deal when moved her eyes. She affected snapping vivaciiy of manner. or else she had it nat urally. She did not know which it was herself, but she admired it in herself.
 Mrs. Weeks, who looked deal like her sister, except that she was paler, and her hair was grayer, and she wore spectacles, colored up faintly.
 c. ''Taln't worth seein', " said she, depre- catingly; "but as long's Charlottes spoke of it, don't mind showin' it to you."
 Then she opened the door opposite the sittiag- room, and with an air at once sol emn and embarrassed motioned her call CTS to precede her in.
 Pauina bob5ed her head about enga- gingly. "Dear me, which is it There are so many pretty things here never could tell which you meant" | Mrs. Weeks was innocently proud of her best parlor. She had so much faith in it's grandeur that she was almost afraid of it herself. Every time she opened the door its glories smote her freshly, and caused her to thrill with awe and delight She had been used to the commonest ano i poorest things in the way of furniture un til the last two years indeed, this parlo1 had not been finished and plastered til lately. To have it completed and furnish ed had been the principal longing of bel life; now it was accomplished by dint o1 the closest work and economy; it was the perfect flower, as it were, of all her wishes and fancies. When she had her parlol she had always meaut to have something good, she had said, and HOW it was superla lively good to her simple eyes. There was gilded paper on. the walls, and : Brussels carpet with an enormous flower pattern on the floor. The furniture was covered with red plush-everybody else 1T town had hair, cloth, plush was magnifi cent audacity. Every chair had tidy or its back; there was very large rufaet lamp mat for the marble-top table: there were mats for the vases on the shelf, anC there was a beautiful rug in front of tht fireplace.
 Pauina darted toward it, her silk an6 her stiff white skirt rattling. ''Is this it ? "Ihis," said Mrs. Steadman, pointing impressively at the wall
 "Oh! Why, Mrs. Weeks, where dit you get it Who made it ?"
 ''She made it.. sad her sister; an sh' wan long about it either
 "Why, you don't mean it How could you ever have had the patience? Al those little fine, beautiful flowers are mad of"
 "Hair. Yes, every one of 'em. Jes look close. Thars rose buds, au' lilies an pansies, an peoples, an acorns, beside the leaves"
 "I see Oh, that dear little rosebud il that corner made out of sandy hair An, that acorn is so natural ! and that sprig o ivy! Mrs. Weeks, don't see how yo' Can do such things"
 Even Nancy Weeks mild nature coul' not hinder her from straightcning hersel
 up little out of mere self respect as sh 2azed at her intricate handiwork with he admiring guests.
 s'I made the whole wreath" said shs "out of my folks haircut of the Wilson's
 Charlotte an me wa- Wilson's, you know had a good many locks of 'em way bac' : I had some of my great -grandmother hair, an my grandmothers. That littl ! forget me-not in the corners made out ( ; , my great grandmother II didn't he much of that-an' that ily's grandmotl CTS. She was light-favored woman, al her hair turned queer kind of yellel gray. I had a great piece of it mothe ! cut off after she died. It worked iu res
 pretty. Then I had a lot of my mothers s an some of my sisters that died, an : child's mother lost when he was baby an a little of my Uncle Solomon Whites
 mothers brothers, au' some of my fathers r Then thar's some of. the little boys tbs Charlotte lost" : ssThey're all dead whose hair is in it ? I said Paulin, with awed and admiring il . terest. . .... Nancy looked at her sister. "Well, thar's one in it that amt dead
 said Charlotte, hestat1ngly, returning ht
 sisters look. ''Nancy wanted some ha f that color dreadfully. None of the Wi sons was sandy. That reddish rose-bu o you spoke of was made out of it. /. "Whose was it ?" asked Paulina, CUT ously.
 "Oh, well-somebody'
 "Well," said Paulina, with sigh, ''i b beautiful, and it must have been sight :. work. I don't see how you ever had u
 patience to do it. 'sYou're a wonderf' f woman."
 d ssOh. mol It wu'nt so very much to (