Beverly banner. [volume] (Beverly, N.J.) 1877-1964, 1890-01-25
Written for the BANNER.
Sir Herbert's Choice.

-Four o'clock in the afternoon, and
brilliant July sun blazing down on
lovely country lane and glowing o
the daisies and honeysuckles that forr
a hedge which separates the lane fror
a meadow, in which are browsing hal
dozen cows among the white and pun
pie clover.
Leaning over the hedge in earnes
contemplation, stands a figure in
tumbled brown holland dress and broa
brimmed sun hat; with a bunch 0
scarlet peoples in her hand.
The young lady is not pretty, quit
the reverse, large features and fac
tanned to a ruddy brown. But thes
defects are somewhat overlooked by
large pair of brilliant black eyes whicl
can flash with anger or soften witt
love.
The short cropped hair curls ii
natural ringlets over well SHAPED
head. At the first glance some people
would call Polly Ferrars fine girl bu
on a closer examination would deem
her plain.
Mary Ferrars as she is commonly
called polly" is the second daughter
of Squire Ferrars who is a widowel
with two daughters Dorothy and Mary
aged eighteen and twenty-five.
1t would be impossible to find two
sisters more unlike; the elder like {
rare dollhouse flower with a pink anc
white complexion, angelic and very
beautiful.
The younger as we have already
seen was totally different, she was like
a hard mountain plant.
Her chief amusements were outdoor
sports while Dorothy sat at home anC
played at doing fancy work and run
ming her hands carelessly over the key
of the piano.
Dorothy had the dauntiest dresses
from Worth while Polly's dresses were
made in the village and brought rounc
to the back door.
When Dorothy had her teas Polly
was rarely noticed.
Squire Ferrars would say
Eyes, that's my second daughter
Never take her to be Dolly's sister,
With a sigh. Poor thing she is per
petual eyesore to me can't make he
look presentable whatever you do"
1t was before Polly was in he
"teens" that she used to be madly
jealous of pretty Dorothy. In thes'
| days she rebelled against her, pickeC
quarrels and leased her ON every avail
able occasion.
"Why was her father so indulgen
| to her sister and so snappish to her.
She used to ask herself.
Perhaps Polly would not been Sc
disagreeable had Dorothy been kind
even just little sorry for her. Blu
kindness and sympathy were totally
foreign to Dorothy's nature.
Polly's eighteenth birthday was nov
gone by and she was in measure re
signed to fate no longer does she fum'
and fret.
But let us return to her who we lei
in the lane.
"If | am late for dinner the thirC
time this week dad will be furious,
she murmured.
"Pll try the short cut, the COWS lool
very harmless, I'm sure"
With this she chambers over the
hedge and gathering her dress around
her starts off running and is soor
across the field and at the entrance o,
the Hail.
As Polly opens the door she meet
Dorothy sailing down stairs like
veritable fairy in blue and white.
"What not dressed" asks Dorothy
in astonishment.
"You have only nine minutes, de
clare you grow more boyish every
day running wild like you do; anyone
would think you were some village
girl She angrily ends.
Indeed, you have made what | am
Anywhere is pleasanter than the hous'
where you and dad are continually
counting my deficiencies and mourning
how hopelessly long my limbs are,
retorted Polly.
Dorothy makes no reply to this sh'
never to Polly's outbursts. She goe
into the drawing room and Poll,
rushes up stairs two at time to dol
one of her few evening dresses; all o
which are little the worse for wear.
She is down just in time to follow
the Squire and Dorothy into the dining
room.
After dinner Dorothy is in the din
niest of moods playing Mendelssohn'
'Leider' while the Squire is scowling a
Polly over his specks and taking snui
by the ounce.
Truly the walls of wrath are poure
upon her head and for the hundredt
time she is told that she is barely wort
her bread and salt.
"Let me tell you miss" continues