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

keep this matter from him. Just as she
reached the bottom of the stairs Mr..
Saul Smith came bounding in the hall
door, with the mornings mail in his
hand, and as he held it above his head
to see Mrs. Smith beg for it, she espied
letter directed to herself in Aunt
Patty's well-known hand, and she
eagerly clasped Mr.. Smiths arm, and,
drawing it down, said:
A letter from dear Aunt Patty,
Saul! Give it to me quick, until hear
from the PARKWAY friend. | have been
thinking so much of her the past few
days. do not think Aunt Patty has
been out of my mind five minutes in
my waking moments for days. l hope
they are we'll" And as she hastily
tore the envelope off she read a few
words, and, with deepening color on her
cheek, she said
"Oh, Saul The best news in the
world it contains. Aunt Patty is COM
ing to pay us visit, and is even now
on the road"
" Yes, and is at the door," said Mr..
Saul Smith, as the hack that took the
passengers to and from the station
stopped directly in front of their house
and the driver began to help white
haired lady to alight. Mr.. and Mrs.
and Fanny eagerly told of the letter
that arrived not five minutes before her,
and of only three lines getting read be-
fore she arrived, and begged Aunt
Patty to bring one on her next visit to
let them know she was coming.
That was happy visit to aunt and
niece. They had not met since Fannie,
happy young bride, had gone from
under the home roof, leaving kind Aunt
Patty, Rose and Horace alone in the
dear old home, where Aunt Patty had
for years been the loved companion of
the three young children, who had been
deprived of both parents while yet al
most in infancy.
The evening of Aunt Patty's arrival,
as she was unpacking her trunk, she
said to her niece: " Fannie, have you
good stores in town, or do you have to
60 to the city for all of your best goods?"
"Oh, we have nice stores, auntie,
where we can get anything one needs.
Our merchants are such honorable men,
and have such good taste in their Sc
lections of goods, that we can buy to
better advantage in our town than if
we were to go to the city and deal with
strangers"
" did not bring you present, as
would like to have done, because l
didn't have an idea what you would
need. So just brought the money to
you, and will allow you to get for your
self something you are in need of; and
| will accompany you, and see what
you know about selecting goods. / had
just one hundred dollars to give you
three this winter for a present. To
Horace l gave twenty, and he got an
overcoat that he needed with it. To
Rose l gave forty, and she got beau
tiful ottoman silk circular, lined with
Siberian squirrel fur, and she wanted
me to bring you one of the same kind;
but thought probably wrappings of a
different kind were worn here, and /
just brought you forty dollars to get
yourself whatever kind of wrap you
wished" And as Aunt Patty counted
four crisp new ten-dollar bills into
Fannie's hand she lovingly clasped her
arms around Aunt Patty's neck, and,
sobbing on her bosom, told her the his
tory of that shawl.
Aunt Patty let her cry for awhile.
Then, as she stopped and pressed her
lips to the fair young face, she said:
Fannie, go bring the shawl, and let
me see it," And when she came with
it Aunt Patty looked at the poor ugly
thing and said:
"Fannie, / would say give it to some
poor woman who lacks one thus good,
but think you have probably learned
| from IL q Icaf,1l 1acGon ap1 ~ bod hot
ter be kept by you as reminder of it.
prove it any, You might have learned
your lesson more extensively than by
losing that shawl that has proved so
good friend for five years. Every
woman has to learn to be self-reliant.
She must have judgment enough to
know what to wear and how to dress
herself. She must not change her man
ner of dressing for the purpose of pleas
ing some one else. A sensible woman
will acquaint herself with her husbands
business affairs, and know what she can
afford, and dress accordingly-no matter
what any person may say. Many will
tell you that you should have this, that
and the other because some one else has
it, and your husband is doing as good a
business as that wOman's is. Turn a
deaf ear to all such. Ifany one is vul-
gar enough to find fault with your at
tire, they are not the kind of associates
you want. Cut their acquaintance and
select your friends from more intelli-
gent class. You should have higher
aim in life than to try and please every
one. You might have gone on coloring
your shawl until it had worn every hue
of the rainbow, and still you would not
have pleased your neighbors. Always
be your own sensible self. Act as your
hitherto good judgment has caused you
to do, and you will please your husband
and your old auntie that has your inter-
est as much at stake as if you were her
own daughter; and you will please
many sensible people. And those that
have no higher aim in life than to seek
to follow every fashion of form or color
that is presented to them you need not
care to please. They are in such close
pursuit of fashion that they will not
miss you in little while if you refuse
total into the ranks. Some one else will
fill the place, and they will rush on, and
you will be left more important one. !"
The next afternoon Aunt Patty and
Fannie went to the store to buy the
new wrap. Fannie looked at many
beautiful cloaks, ranging from fifteen