The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1886-04-21
Mrs. Saul Smith.

was the proud owner of pretty, gay,
all-wool shawl. 1t had been a present
to her from her Aunt Patty several
years before she had become Mrs. Saul
Smith, when she was yet pretty Fanny
Dresden, young country girl, whose
only means of support was the little
she earned by teaching country school,
and by the time she paid her board
from this and clothed herself, she had
means slim enough to value Aunt Pat
ty's gift 1t had served now for five
years for best wrap, and as she low
ingly folded it around her form one
evening to 60 to prayer-meeting, Mrs.
Simon Judkins came in to accompany
her, and as she was looking in the glass
to see if her hat was on straight, Mrs.
Judkins said:
Fannie, if l were you l would
color that shawl. l don't mean to find
fault with your appearance, but really
it seems little too gay and fashy for
married woman, and for town wear"
Fannie passed her hand softly over
her shawl, so beautiful in her eyes,
and thought of the dear aunt, now so
far away, and for moment forgot her.
self in thought. Then, with a long
uioN IL ouC lOOhCu at lllCDO
and said:
"What color would you think would
be pretty, if | were to take the notion
to color it?''
Brown, by all means. 1t is such
fashionable color, and would be ust
the thing for your complexion. You
know you can get couple of boxes of
Diamond dye to color it with, and it
will be a plaid shawl. Those darkest
stripes will be black, the white ones
will be light brown, while the scarlet
ones will be kind of brown tinged
with cardinal, and l think that will be
a lovely combination of colors, and
every one will think it new shawl if
you do not tell them better.
The next day Mrs. Saul Smith did as
her friend wished her. She had often
noticed her shawl looked little gayer
than the wrappings of other women on
the street, and this helped her conclude
it was best to do so. AS she hung it
on her clothes-line to dry, after color
ing, she was proud of her first attempt
at such work. When it was dry and
pressed, and neatly laid away, she
thought it was great deal better that
she had taken her friends advice. The
next day she dressed and put on the
new colored shawl to call upon friend.
This time the glass sent back face
and form of quiet, older-looking per-
son than it did the evening she went to
meeting, in company with Mrs. Simon
Judkins, and as she entered her friends
parlor she inquired if she was as well
usual. On answering eyes," the
friend said:
"Why, there is something not right
in your looks. Your face seems dark
and old-looking. What can it be?"
Then came the telling of how she had
been persuaded to color her shawl
brown.
THAT is just like Mrs. Judkins,"
said her friend. She thinks every
body must wear brown, whether it is
becoming to them or not. She thinks
because it is the fashionable color at
present old and young must wear it.
believe if fashion is becoming to
one, and it is the one they like, they
should wear it; but if they don't like it,
or it does not suit their style, then they
should have independence enough not
to wear it. Brown does not suit your
complexion, and l wouldn't wear it.
Now if you had selected navy blue or
myrtle green either one would have
answered better purpose"
Mrs. Saul Smith went home, and as
she looked at the acknowledging face in
the glass, and down at the brown shawl
that caused it, she wished heartily that
she could only have back that pretty,
warm, soft shawl just as it was when
Aunt Patty gave it to her. But she re-
solved as she couldn't do that she
would at least change its color to some
thing more becoming, and the next day
blue shawl fluttered in the breeze.
When she again donned it fairer face
greeted her when she consulted her
glass, and she thought her trouble was
now over. She was sure it looked well,
and she was now proud enough of it to
show it to a friend that called soon
after, who, as she viewed it, said:
Mrs. Smith, what ever made you Sc
lect blue? think it is the ugliest color
that is worn, and l do not think any
person looks well in it. Somehow it
always gives the face blue, bloodless
look, like one had just got up out of a
spell OF sickness. Now if you had only
colored it green, that would have be-
come your clear, white complexion so
much.'
When this friend was gone Mrs. Saul
Smith took the shawl, and, spreading it
on the sofa, took a good look at it; and
she concluded it should be green. as
her friend wished. She had always
been help to her in deciding matters,
and she had always found her tasty-so
the shawl was made green. But this
time it didn't look nice when it was I'M
furled to the breeze. 1t had gone through
so many kinds of dye, and had been
heated to the boiling point so often
that when it was hung out it was stiff
and harsh, and the color wasn't as bright
as she had hoped for; and by the time
it was dry it wore an old, faded look.
She quietly took itup in the garnet and
hung it on line where she kept cast
off articles of clothing until she found
need for them, and as she came down
the steps she wondered to herself what
she would do with it, and how she was
to get along without it. She inwardly
resolved she would say nothing about
it to her husband, because he was al
ways so kind and sought in every way
to supply her wants, and times were 50
close she knew he needed all his means