The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1886-02-17
AMELIA'S FAILURES.
BY ErrrE ROGERS.

ing to be small and slight when one has so
little money for clothing But, girls, 1
think can afford to get the material for
you, If you can do the making yourselves
30, anybody can make simple overdress,'
said Amelia, a stylish young lady, with
sleepy, dark eyes and a cream-and-strawberry
complexion.
81 can try, mamma" said Margery. slim
little maid with cheeks like peach Blossoms
and long braided hair, which was brown in
the shadow and gold in the sun
80, you will never succeed, Meg" the
elder sister observed with languid contempt.
''You are not clever enough, and one must
have some talent even to properly make the
simplest garment"
She is not very complimentary to you,
Meg, is she?' Cousin Edgar ventured, with
diverted smile behind his morning paper.
Cousin Edgar was not precisely their
cousin; he was an exceedingly remote rela-
tive of the family, and he had Just come
back from the lar Southwest, whittier he had
gone some years before, when Margery was a
blithe miss in pinafores. But if she seemed
to him no longer child, she still remained
the sweet little friend whose sparkling let
tiers had frightened many gloomy hour IN
that strange land. He was very fond of
bonny Margery, certainly; but all the same,
the elder sister had profound conviction he
had not yet revealed what he best liked and
most desired. He liked Margery of course;
but then she was not clever, she had no talent
for anything, she was quite an insignificant
little thing altogether, and Cousin Edgar
would be likely to beStow his choicest atfec-
ton upon somebody more brilliant and ma
ture. And Miss Amelia did not doubt that
somebody had already been selected. even if
he had not announced his preference.
''0h, Meg does not mind what is uncom-
plimentary," she said with her Characters
tic air of languid scorn. ''She has not bit
of spirit-she is different from Inc in every
thing"
"Do you think you can really manage the
tulle, Margery?' the mother inquired anx-
iously. "Your sister can help you, suppose,
or instruct you what must be DONE"
II shall try to manage without her help.
mamma" Meg said, with a dubious shake of
her long, rich braids, and with look of what
was not unlike amused dismay. Perhaps
with her deficiency of the clever, Margery
was perverse enough TO apprehend that the
help might be hindrance, or that the in
struction might not be of supreme advantage
to the rose tulle overdreSs.
We'll, there is nothing like trying Mrs.
SayleS said, sententiOnsly.
''And trying avails where boasting falls"
Cousin Edgar mentally rhymed behind his
newspaper and with peculiar smile, which
Miss Amelia perceived and was pleased 10
interpret as hint of his faith in the superb
ority of her own gifted self.
Meg has q fashion OF Boosting" she re-
marked, grandly. but with a shipper and.
OF course am willing to let her try what
ever she likes without my assistance. But she
will surely make a distressing bOtch OF her
overdress.
Margery said nothing; but her large eyes
flashed an answer OF mute resentment
through a swift rush of girlish tears.
Never mind, Meg the little affair is not
absolutely indispensable to the great party:
beside YOU have plenty of dresses and YOU
s,rf,o
pered Cousin Edgar. bending toward her
until his criDkling yellow beard brushed the
shining head.
'But am not afraid | shall spoil the
tulle," Margery protested as Cousin Edgar
put down his paper, arose from his chair
and, humming merry measure from some
popular melody, sauntered from the room.
~ on are not such child, Meg, that you
need encourage such familiarity from Cousin
Edgar; am sure | do not know what he
must think of you, Amelia remarked. a.
the outer door closed behind him.
-"Why, Amelia, how absurd and cross you
can be- the mother interposed, rebukiAgly.
But Margery did not seem to heed the con-
Guiding sentences. Perhaps she was already
too preoccupied with her plans for the over
dress which she was to have and which she
destined to neither botch nor spoil. all dis
couraging predictions Notwithstanding.
In the seclusion of her own dainty cham
Der she cut and basted and stitched with in
dustrious determination, until the completed
garment was as perfect as artistic eyes and
deXtrOus fingers and conscientious painstak
ing could make it.
And now l Will dress Just as I mean to
dress for the party, and then 1 will 90 down
and show myself TO mamma and Amelia"
she thought, as with pardonab!e pride she
surveyed the exquisite consummation of her
amateur endeavOrs
Smiling and flushed with the satisfaction
1
and then tripped blithely down to the room
where the two ladies were sitting.
"Have l not done well?' she inquired,
with not unnatural exultation.
"You have done nothing for which you
need be so ridiculously jubilant," Miss
Amelia declared, Grossly and rudely. "Of
course that sort of material can always be
sewed together somehow. But the dress has
distressingly unfinished appearance, l
should say-there are so many creases and
ridges all about the waist and shoulders is
there not, mamma?-and the draping IS
neither correct nor stylish. l should never
dare exhibit myself wearing It, if L were
YOU"
All the glad raia.ce vanished from the
sweet face. Margery was so tired from her
unwonted task, and she really had such
modest distrust of her own skill. All the
light and color vanished from the bonny
face, the sparkling eyes brimmed with tears,
and disappointed little cry came from the
quivering pink mouth
But at the grieved cry two voices, the one
Gliding and the other waggish, sounded in
unison.
''She has done her work excellently WE'LL
the mother said. "Ana my judgment is
wort. something, | should think. You
know 1 did dressmaking for my living be-
| fore / married your father"
81 am inclined to believe, Amelia, that
your own experiment has ended disastrous
| w." said Cousin Edgar, who had been stand
| ing an unguessed auditor just without the
| open door of the pretty sitting room.
| ''Oh / decided not to get the lemon gauze."
| Amelia languidly responded, and with some
| Just perceptible confusion. II intend to
save money for mJ charity fund; and after
| all | do not care very much about the party
| i shall stay home | think"
| But despite the assertion, Amelia did not
| forego the party.
81 should not like Meg to go without me"
| she said to her mother. "Meg latterly has
| fashion of making herself too forward toward
| Edgar, and she requires so much watching
and checking. / shall send her home early,
| mamma; and then l shall have Edgar all to
myself" she mentally added.
But her little arrangement was not to be
success.
| Co,s;r Edoar did not oara IN ran,ain If