The Russellville Democrat., 1888-07-19

Lena, in mock distress. Il have no | talent for literature, music or the stage. Preaching detest Law and medicine do not beckon with rosy and alluring smiles. suppose l shall have to stay at home and look after father and mother. and grow to be little quiet old woman with shouldershawl, one of these days-the kind who sit in the corners at tea-parties, and have to be hunted up and talked to by the long suffering hostess.
 Catch you sitting in cornersi You're long way of from the shoulder-shawl yet, my Lena" said Dora, giving her an afTectionate smile. She was very proud of her sisters brightness and quickness, even when the jokes were aimed at herself. m A M
 "An idea has just occurred to me, n said Lena "but ] shall not whisper a syllable of it to any body till l see how it is going to turn out. Meanwhile, if this misguided mortal wiH put her head into a .ion's. den Cor an editors, which is the same thing), she must go clothed and in her right mind. Dora, why couldn'twe take the best of your brown tricot, rip and color the disreputable street suit with diamond dye exactly the shade of the brown, trim with dash of brown velvet, cover a twenty-five cent bonnet frame with the same, and send you forth, conquering and to conquer?" Lena, you're the salvation of the family" " cried Dora, in ecstasy.
 Clara hustled the arithmetics back into the closet, and produced three pairs of sharp scissors. In a short time the two suits were ripped, shaken free of dust and ravelings, and the diamond dye, purchased for ten cents at the drug store around the corner, was seething in an old tin pail on the kitchen stove.
 "'I am dyeing, Egypt sdyeing, :" sang Lena, as she fished out the pieces with an old broom-handle, rinsed them through four or five waters, and hung them out in the bright air without wringing.
 If Howard Vandyne should come to eall shall send him out here to shake hands with youP" said Dora, saucily, coming to the kitchen-door with her half-made bonnet in her hand.
 Considering that these lily fingers are being darkened for your especial benefit young woman, it strikes me that your jests are rather unseemly."
 You will be rid of me next Monday. Clara, the dear soul, has run around to see if little Miss Moss can come to- morrow to cut and fit the transformed goods. have just had it out with father and mother in the back parlor. They were opposed to my going, oi course, but finally convinced them that there was no choice. Father is too old and disheartened for a new start in business. If we all get situa- tions, we can take care of ourselves and the dear old folks, too"
 That remains to be proved" said Lena. "It is very certain that we must try it, whatever the issue"
 | Monday morning Clara was installed as assistant book-keeper in the estab. lishment of the elder Vandyne at 6 salary which seemed small when com pared with the lavish pin-money formerly bestowed by an indulgent father. She accepted it gratefully, however, for it meant independence thing more to be desired than fine gold Dora left on an early train for Bos. ton, carrying in her hand-satchel five dollars in money and about a dozen MSS, which had never yet been sub mitted to the piercing glance of ar editorial optic. The new suit was all that could be desired. I You needn't tell Beacon street people how much it cost, Dora,n said Lena, dabbing at sisterly tear or two | with her handkerchief, as the hour oi parting drew near.
 "I don't expect to meet many oi them" was the reply. Don't cry, dearie, till you see whether I make a failure or not"
 Lena went home from the station, and, with the help of one small maid 1 (the other servants having been dis pensed with), set the house in order, made preparations for dinner, then procee ded to put in execution the plan which had been simmering. She made brief calls on six or eight of her lady acquaintances, and when Clara came home at noon, she found her sister sorting various garments in all stages of dissolution, from the merely faded I and stained to those that were rim raeked and center-shookm
 What are you doing, Lena? Those things never belonged to our house" exclaimed the astonished Clara. as
 "True. But am going to build up the fallen fortunes of our house on just these shreds and patches. To elucidate - she produced from under her chair large placard on which she had printed with pen:
 Hospital for disabled garments Patients re- 1 ceiyed in all stages of infirmity, Dyeing and cleansing speciality.
 '1 have the privilege of doing the best can with these things. The ut terly irredeemable ones will be cut up into carpet-rags for their owners l expect eventually to require several assistants, and if you get sick of book keeping and Dora's journalistic plan falls through, we can organize home l Consolidated
 Clara dropped into chair, the pict- ure of amazement.
 ''You never were like other girls, Lena, What put this into your head?"
 Planning Dora's suit last week. |" answered Lena, serenely, shaking out alavender silk skirt and eyeing it critic