The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-10-31

oiiNo sing my, anu Tue Dluo SKY over
head, and every thing in harmony.
Even then, I'm sure, | should feel like
little brown sparrow in the feathers of
bird-of-paradise. A rainy-day wrapper,
indeed! No, thank you. My gray one
with the Persian trimming will do we'll
enough for rainy days"
My dear, you are wrong, believe me,
and cousin Mary is right. She has lived
in housefull of brothers all her life,
and knows, as l do, that the masculine
eye delights in soft, pretty colors. Men
don't always know what it is that
pleases them, but they are pleased with
! DrIgnt, cheerful colorS In a woman /:
| dress You should wear the wrapper
for the sake of your husband and boys. :"
! 'Oh, as for DR.. Kendall, the dear
man! he is SO absorbed in his studies
that he would never know whether 1
was robed in sky blue, or grass green,
or dandelion yellow, or poppy red
bless him! AS for Phil and Teddy,
they are rampaging boys, too young to
know or care what anybody wears;
while Max and Howard are young gen.
tlemen OF such fastidious tastes Pm
sure they'd laugh to see their new old
mother tricked out like young girl.
No, my dear friend, l know my duty
better"
''Well," laughed Mrs. Lindley, "you
will be wiser six months from now, and
then you will take cousin Marys and
my advice"
81 hope l shall be wiser. Perhaps
you think 1 will be sadder, too. Some
of my friends seem to believe that /
have hidden goodbye to all the pleas
ures of life, and to all my common
sense as we'll. But that's because they
do not know Dr. Kendall as do. Still,
/ would like to show them that have a
shred of sense left; so shall array my
self in good, substantial, work-a-day
gowns, such as befit my age and the
station of life whereto l am called"
''You are incorrigible."
mot at all | have simply thought
out this whole question of clothes as it
concerns myself, and reduced it to an
exact science. You see, with my COM
plexion, can't wear blues and greens;
reds and yellows are out of the question
for one of my mature years and my pro-
fession of 'pastoress;" purple do not
like; so there is nothing left but blacks
and browns and grays, and assure you
l am fully equipped with them. have
run through the whole gamut, and can
produce almost any shade of them from
my wardrobe at minutes notice."
''But what will you do with the wrap
per?'
ooh! I'll keep the lovely thing, and
once in awhile will take it out and re-
member cousin Mary, and delight my
eyes with looking at it. 1t is delight
to the eye"
So the wrapper was folded away, and
the next day it went with Helen Ken
dali to her new home.
Time passed. and in the absorption OF
her new duties and fitting herself into
her new place, the box and it's contents
were almost forgotten. One day, in
making some changes, the box hap.
pened to be brought to light, and the
wrapper was taken out to be put in
: some other place. Before it was disposed
of Helen was interrupted, and it lay
upon a chair in her room all night.
The next morning was dark and rainy.
She was late, and in hurrying her dress
ing she remembered that her ordinary
gray morning dress was out of repair.
Hesitating a moment, her eye caught
sight of the card with ga RainyDay
Wrapper on it. She smiled at the
Righteousness of wearing such thing
on such morning: then, as she paused,
sudden inspiration came to her.
''What if I should? 1 declare! I'll dc
itr' she exclaimed, AMI in a spirit OF
mischief she hastily threw it on. A
glance in the mirror assured her that al
forty-eight the color was becoming to
her clear, dark complexion and brown
, hair and eyes. But she went out and
took her place at the breakfast table
a little shamefacedly, it must be con-
fessed.
, ''Oh, mother, how pretty you look!'
was the greeting of Teddy, the youngest
and privileged pet of the household, as
he came around to give her the good
morning kiss.
Its her pretty Dress" commented
outspoken Phil
Eyes, guess it is, " said Teddy. survey
ing it critically. Its 50 rosy. Where
did you get it, mother?"
''I've had it ever since 1 came here
only thought it was too gay for the
mother of such big boys to wear"
''Oh, it isn't" protested Max, the
Oldest, young man of twenty-one "It's
good to see one bright spot in this
wretchedly dull morning. l wish you
would wear it every time it rains"
Making sunshine in a shady place, ~
quoted DIR. Kendall, mischievGusly, but
looking at his wife meanwhile with
admiring eyes.
1t was merry breakfast, spite of the
pouring rain outside; and, after her hus.
band and boys had separated to their
several employments, Helen Kendall did
some serious thinking. The boys evil
dent pleasure in the pretty wrapper was
81 revelation to her. Could it really make
any difference to them how she was
dressed? Was it not possible that per.
petual browns and blacks and grays,
even of differing shades, mightin time be-
come trif1e monotonous and depressing?
And especially upon dull morning,
when it was so easy to strike minor
keynote for the day? Neat she always
was, with immaculate collars and, cuffs
and frills, but couldn't she add beauty
TO neatness sometimes? Could she not
strengthen her influence over the boys
by making herself more pleasing in
their eyes? Yes, cousin Mary and Mrs,