The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1888-02-04
ELECTA MILLINGT0N'S DIS
APPOINTMENT.
A PICTURE OF OLD TIME NEW ENGLAND
LIFE.
Chicago, jan, 1888.

Long years ago, on snowy December
afternoon, sweet Electa Wilmington sat
sewing by the kitchen Preside on red
French calico dress. Visions of Christ
mas ball at the Bellinger tavern in her
native town were running in rosy confu-
sion through her pretty head; and she
bent to her work with an earnestness
that betokened determination to have
that particular garment soon out OF hand
and ready for the bewitching occasion.
els it possible" she was saying to her.
self the familiar music of the fiddle dis
tractingly filling her ears meanwhile
81 shall be there to dance in the cotill-
ions and contra dances" 1t seems too
good to be true, and yet her cousin Am
ariah Bilkins, a whole week since, proud
ly circulat I'd through the family that
ideal ticket of invitation, printed twenty
miles away in the city of R., the very
reading of which had made her frantic
with desire to be one of the invited guests.
This invitation, the like Of which was
never before seen in those parts, was
folded up like genuine postoffice letter,
with Amariah Bilkins' name plainly writ
ten on the outside. He had paid three
and sixpence of haId-earned money for
it, said payment emitting him to part
in all the festivities Of the affair, includ-
ing a turkey supper, the sevoriness OF
which was duly suggested by plump
representative bird meditatively perched
at the top OF the sheet. Then among the
list of managers enrolled at the end of
the page, did not Amarish's name appear
in full? She had seen it with her own
eyes, not to mention the reverent feeling
it awakened in her heart to see his name
in print; such an honor never having
CHANGED to one of their family before
within her memory. Nothing could be
truer or surer, she unused to herself, as
she sewed on the last hook and eye at
the bottom of the waist, than that she
was going. Balls, like weddings, always
came off, even il it storme6. Amariah
and his sweetheart, Kitty Mills, were 60
ing, and she was going with them because
she was fret mate OF Hitty's, and ANA
riah, although a cousin, was all the
brother she had ever known. She had
been with him to spelling schools and
prayer meetings ever since she could re-
member; besides, didn't the invitation
plainly say: "Sir, your presence with Ia
dies is hoped for" etc.
Then the fiery gauntlet Of parental per-
mission was already safely run. While
Amarish was begging her father and
mother to let her go, she had fed precipit-
ately into the woodshed and hidden be-
hind the cheese-press with her fingers in
the side door and started for the wood-lot
whistling "Money Musk" she knew that
a grave and reluctant consent had been
given. Then she had bounded from her
hiding-place intent on the preparations
she must make, and passing through the
kitchen, from which her father had al
ready gone, she gathered her meek I'M
resisting little mother in her arms and al
L4Ocb hCA WIN hu1sCos mdh-
ing ready with calesh and cloak and for
tifying herself with her little sum OF
cranberry money, boarded since early
October in the locker drawer in a little
horn snuff-box which once belonged to
great aunt for whom she was named, she
set out for the village store, distant one
mile, where the red calico was bought.
calico was the thing for nice occasions.
Squire Thornton, two years ago had
driven with his wife in their new fashion-
ed chaise one hundred and thirty miles
to New York to buy her calico gown,
for which he had to pay eight shillings
per yard) Then Betsey Ann Knapp, the
village dressmsker, was consulted. That
individual, after praising the "eVenness