The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1886-12-19
SULY KETGHUM'S BONNET STRINGS.
BY SOPHIE SWEET.

AS for Jed's goin, when he's most broke
out with the mumps on both sides, that''
out of the question"
Sabr' Ellen wanted to so to singing
school anyway. She didn't really mine
going alone, but Sshc pitied Jed, who
couldn't go.
She "hew around and got her work
done up, as they said on Turtle Island,
and then proceeded to make her toilet
which operation consisted of putting on
her old brown merino dress and pinning a
rufie In her neck with very large hail
breast pin. The brown merino had sui
fered a sea-change, and was very streaked
and Sabr' Ellen sighed as she put it on
Every other girl at singing school would
be sure to have something new; they had
been picking berries for the hotels and
waiting upon the Summer visitors.
Sabr' Ellen never had time for any OF
these things, because her Uncle Sol, who
had taken her to bring up when her father
and mother died, had delicate wife and
q great many children. Uncle Sol kept
the lighthouse on Turtle Island, and he
had SO small salary that, after the chill
dren's clothes and the various medicines
with which poor Aunt Jemima was always
trying to ''get herself backbone" were
paid for, there was seldom anything left
to buy Sabl Ellen a dress.
And Sabr' Ellen loved pretty dresses.
She knew she ought to be thankful that
she had the cd brown merino and that
her toes were not fairly out of her shoes,
as they sometimes were, but she did wish
that she had only bit of ribbon. Her
hair was very hight, and hung in two long,
leavy braids down her back. Sabr' Ellen
diunl like liQht hair much anyhow, but it
didn't look bad when the brdIds were tied
with ribbon, in pretty bow, instead of
an old shoe string,
But the shoe string had to go on, and /
am sorry to say that Sabr Ellen tied it
with an angry little jerk, and the jerk or
the modification, l can't say which,
brought tears into her eyes as she ran
down over The rocks to the little step
where the rowboat was fastened. But
cnC CdbitNt OuCh3 ctkhPuShOAiNo'J
'Im oihe sorry you can't go, Jedr'
Jed raised his swollen face from the
pages of "Pirate's Own Book" (which had
been left at the lighthouse by an ancient
mariner. and which the boys were allowed
to read only in deep Attic ion, like the
mumps or whooping cough), and respond
ed. somewhat Grossly:
II amt girl baby!"
Don't forget the darnin' needles n the
'lex 'utus, Sibr' Elem called Aunt Je-
NINA.
Lex 'utus" meant elixir salutis, de-
ccction of which Aunt Jemima took bot
tie after bottle without finding any back
bone in H.
Sabr' E len jumped into the boat and
pushed off quickly. 1t was only mile
across to Barnet's Cove, but she must go
around 10 the store after she landed.
Sabr' E len could row almost as well as
one of the '.'varity crew." The boat
went skimming over the water in course
almost as stra' ght as the swallows flight,
and wiis pulled up in Barnet's Cove be-
fore the sunset colors had faded from the
sky
Captain Hezekiah Barnet Familiarity
known as Captain Hez, kept the store
the cape road, and his wife. Mis-
Capn Hez." kept a millinery shop in her
paflor, adjoining the store.
well, | declared Its real providential
that you've come" exclaimed Mis- Cap'n
Hez, as soon as Slbr Ellen entered the
store. Ave been tryin' all day to ketch
from Turtle so'st | could send
Suly Kaichum's weddin' bonnet over to
her There's fair wind, and the Wing
and Wing, her beau's vessel, ought to get
in TO night, aud they're goin' to De married
the day after. Hez and the boys has gone
fshin', and there hain't been nobody over,
expect because it 5 SO mumpY on Turtle.
It's all trimmed with pink, and [ declare
it's handsome. Now, you'll be real care
full Of the band box, wont you? And
don't let anybody TO singin' school see it.
cause that would spoil Suly's appearin'
out
Sabr' Ellen took the band-box tenderly
and reverenlly.
Ursula KeIcnum was the belle of the
whole region, and she had beautiful
clothes.
If Sabl' Ellen could only have one lit
tie peep at the bonnet! She thought Mis-
Cap'n Hez might have offered to show it
TO her, but she had not.
When she reached the woods road she
sat down behind some large trees anu un
tied the strings of the box. She didn't
mem 10 take the cover quite off, but it
couldn't spoil Suly Ketchum's "appearln'
out" for her 10 have ore little glimpse of
the wedding bonnet
Oh it was beautyl 1t had white roses
upon it, and white glass beads, and pink
ribbons, and q lovely little pink Ostrich
feather. 1t is doubtful whether MIS-
Cap'n Hez had a Partisan touch, aud
whether Barnet Cove millinery would
have been approved in fashionable circles;
but certainly no artist" ever Created a
bonnet that aroused such thrilling admira-
ton as did tins. Sabr' Ellen quite forgot
that she had not intended to take The
cover off the box She poised the bonnet
upon her forefnger and gazed upon it en-
tranced
frkan nftcr lcolrinor .antinnslu out from