New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-12-27
LADY BETTY.
AND HER GREAT GRANDMOTHER WE'D
DING DRESS.


-sion We must tell Hugh il must be given up"
Lady Betty looked relieved. but the rest oil
us, who were OF mundane turn on miH i saw
what she did not-that 80 awe up TINS Poiat was
to put OF the day of L or things 1lGehnilteiy.
Ne were four sisters, dependent Tor daily Dread
On Hugh our Ses ot 81 p Gome Scxt to me- an
the ugly duckling of the family all eyes and cars
and love my Betty as though were her DOG:
We always call her Lady Betty because she Is
SO dainty in her ways. She can't think or com,
mon things; her thoughts fly away to all KINDS OF
lovely dreams While II ,hS ffs Is for dinner % and
whether. in fact there will be enough Tor more
than one dinner on the joint; and they would iiS t,
new clothes and everything OF the best Lady
Betty does not seem 10 know or care.
Hugh is choirmiaster and organist Of the Ca
thedral, and he wants TO get pupils, nut he Is
very shy perhaps he Is pdOgo e rege m uOh
q good living while he stands haughuiy ai?oi.
And, now when this great chance Is come 10 him,
Just for want OF suitable dress it must be set
aside For one of the reasons that our Betty is
40 different from me is because she has the genius
Of song, and Hugh has trained her to sing ex-
The Squire of the parish is o very strange man.
] wish you specially to note this lie lives IN
big. gloomy mansion. ali alone with his family
he means to turn over a new leaf and has sent for
Major ST. John, far-away, nephew, and intends
to make him his heir, and is going to give
OF the neighborhood. He has sent a request TO
Hugh to get up good concert Tor Chrls!mas
IL
bound to be a success: and perhaps Hugh would
get moro work; and then some OF us c0nld thlnk
Il other thngs besides the grinding dull lives Of
II was hard to ten Hugh, but Bessie. managed
= r. and Sefs% een st p wRo on
slipding in the sunlight, triliDg to the canary,
wsrbline Just like bird.
Girls" he said, Get her 60 in. that cotton
gown No one viii care what she has on when
once she begins to sins"
Just then had en- idea, and I'm afraid trod
on Hughs toes in my hurry There was Iust one
beautiful gown in our possession though, perhaps,
it ives at least $50 years old, if it was minute
Bessie AL. shrefed 1.-THE sTeafsr0n"m0'her'
IL wss an inspiration. No one replied. Hugh
looked as if he thought we were all mad, but orr
kindly Bess said in Fer genial way. Its all right
lie went away rather bewildered, and began to
make out his concert programme, and we three
left our clever ones together and ran up 10 the
The gown was the only piece of property, in
possession 1t had been my mothers but
how it came TO her we did not know for our
parents would not tell anything of her an,
ccstry. All we knew was that orr father mao
p pefa 9hff oed Ff him Mhn he was still
and that he died hcartbroken.
All we knew Of our mother was that she looked
Just like Betty, and had faced out OF lie when
my fathers love longer shielded her from pam
We valued tie old gown Cor her sake. ana because
il seemed 20 Tell us that our forbears had Dceh
gcntlefOlk, WHO, perhaps, nhu h.OWu EcCUVM
from small economies and cares.
We sat On the floor of the garrett, with the dress
and its accomplishments of colt lace spread out
among us. Bessie pronounced Judgment on each
RssSs' as sns ''a'4 ~ a ' 'F r"s .,.r ~.
toes with tissue paper. This blue quilted skirt
needs darning. / will sec TO that The ruby ny
dear, the lace is all to pieces blrt we must mend
It up as best we can Well, that's settled Come
along, girls. and let US set to work There is no
When we got downstairs we found that for once
sur Betty had taken an obstinate turn: 20 70
the park wsGat her dear old Dot pys s s6f
| there. That Is how it was 1 thought of writing
! the story. was in il, from first TO last. and
The grand evening arrived. and we all took
share In dressing our little lady; we were very
anxious about the effect of the old gown, but we
need not have been, for. surely nothing could
have looked pretty as this sheeny ruby and gold
"Now. Dot, on with your dress cried Bessie,
turning to me, her eyes shining with triumph, as
waiting for me. / wore Besse's best black silk.
specially done, up for the occasion. 1t was worn
and shabby, but no matter-it fitted very well,
and no one would look al. me. Hugh had asked
for special sitting room for us. lie was proud,
as said before, and be did not wish us TO mix
with the rest Of the performers; nor with the
guests, as we could not be on an equality with
them. II was foolish pride no doubt | am
afraid i did. not like his ccarefulness | wanted
upon il, so after we had arrived and settled down
looked impatiently round the room.
Lady Betty was absorbed in the flowers. There
were some fine pots Of heather on the iardiniere
she did not notice when / slipped the bolt of
the glass door aside and wandered into con-
servatory.
hearq voices at e distance, and, keepin{ well
behind the huge palms, l advanced until L was
within few yards of the speakers. To my sur
prise 1 saw Hugh, and barring his way was an
old gentleman, so strikingly like him that he
nfaht have been his double
Pray who are you, ?" Numbered the old
man. Hugh introduced himself as well as he could.
and made hs % he old mans brow cleared
ct once-he made cordial apology Forgive
an old man, sir; ! thought | recognized your
help in the success Of the evening.
1t was the Squire. We had not. seen him
before, for our coming to this cathedral town was
recent and he seldom or never came TO church.
IL very much approve OF your programme, SIR,
no continued. The songs ale English; l hate
your German and French: the tendency is a bad
sweet tunes. ! particularly like these old friends,
Bid me DISCOURSE Where the Bee Sucks and
Hugh explained that his sister had fine voice,
which he had taken pains 10 cultivate.
Bat she i: only child" he said tenderly.
About seventeen, Ell, Dot?
The Squire turned and looked OF me, and the
frown came back to bis brow.
"Very strange he muttered.. "1ler face also
10 quite familiar 10 nle. WnaJ docs III mean
"Oh am like anybody and everybody" /
admitted clumsily enough: hut whep you see
Betty / am sure you will say you never saw any
one like her 10 your life before"
Betty sings" suggested Hugh, as the frOwning
Squire looked suspiciously at my dark face. Then
Hugh bowed and passed on, and the Squire cate
chised me to our family in very pertinent or
impairment manner.
But before had given him much information
I heard Betty calling, and ran back through the
conservatory with only time for short farewell
to The Squire.
srve seen the Squire and he's the very counter
part OF Hugh in everything except age, only not
so kind In his manner" said, brcathessly Il
never saw such q likeness"