Smyrna times. [volume] (Smyrna, Del.) 1854-1987, 1891-08-19
That New Dress.

~ was Il oIllllauJ eDfuarV afternoon
, with the world all crested over with
fairy pearl, the woods hung with frin.
ges of icicle, and the sun going down
in great sea of yellow gold. The
sunset at Glen Angel were a sort OF
daily miracle, and Beth Clifford. lean
; ing her fresh, young face against the
quaint, lozenge shaped panes of case
ment, looked out and dreamed. until
she could almost have fancied herself
in fairyland.
Suddenly old Peggy, in the room
below, dropped a resounding tin pan
on the hearth and in the same instant
Muf, the cat, made leap at an adven-
furious mouse, which had dared to
peep around the edge of a folding.
screen.
Beth turned round with a sigh and a
shiver, and said:
"Put up your work, Cressy. Oh, 1
wonder if there are any girls in all the
world like us ?"
Il suppose we are all alike" said the
solemn Crescenda, who, in a linen
blouse, and with her hair flying in
silken curls all over her head, was
standing before an easel, with a pal.
cite and mahIstick in one hand and a
brush in the other.
mo, we're not" said Beth. ESQUIRE
Selwyn's daughters are drinking after
noon tea at this moment, surrounded
by host of young gentlemen admir-
ers; Miss Mixsell is practicing La
Juive; the rector's girls are making
flannel petticOats for the poor, and
Fannie Clare is working worsteds
while we"
WELL we? ?" Crescenda laughingly
filed up the momentary pause.
y am dreaming over my last poem.
which won't end itself to suit me and
you, Cressy, are painting Queen GUM |
evere, We don't go anywhere, we
don't see anybody. Do you suppose |
we shall ever be married?"
Crescenda looked up quickly. She.
herself was slightly deformed, with |
one shoulder higher than the other.
and she halted slightly as she walked. |
Since the day that she was 20, matri-
mOny had scarcely entered her
thoughts. Bot with Beth it was diff
ferent. Beth was only Is, with dark.
long-fringed eyes and cheeks of sea-
shell pink. Beth ought to marry a
prince, at the very least. But where
are princes to come from in these
lonely mountain Businesses?
Beth" said she, "you ought to 90
to Miss Selwyn's party"
Granted" said Beth. "And evil
IDENTIFY Miss Selwyn thinks so. too. else
she never would have sent us those
lovely gilt-edged cards of invitation
But how can 1 goY I've nothing on
earth to wear but that Oream-col-
ored silk, that everybody knows bv
heart"
Crescenda sighed. How passing
hard it was to be poor
beth, " said she, coaxingly, Couldn't
you wear it just once more ?"
Beth shook her head.
1T wouldn't do" said she. "Thir-
teen times within year People will
begin to think-what is the truth-that
havn't got anything else" !
You'd like to go very much.
wouldn't you? ?" said Crescenda Low.
ingly.
ooh wouldn't I, though ?" nodded
Beth.
well, you shall CO." said Cresenda. {
If you will 2Onjure up some fairy |
gOdmOther," laughed Beth. ito pro- :
vide me with something new and i
splendid to wear" }
Then she sighed again, for she knew q
that Colonel Champney Durelle was to \
be at this same party, and she had fau- G
cied once or twice that Colonel DureIle /
was to be at this same party, and she
did not absolutely dislike her, although r
Maud Selwyn was so much more beau.
yiful, and Essie Parks sang so delight
fully, and ROsalind Hawkshaw c0uld
talk so much more learnedIy about
Shakespeare and the musical glasses =,
md all that sort of thing. u
"But ones fate is ones fate. =" Thought
Beth. "And it will come to one. even G.
n an old stone cell of house like
ms, new dresses or no new dresses. II
Not quite so soon, perhaps, or not 1
t"ANS ~ L
And Beth's soft eyes brimmed with Z
'udden moisture at the thought of Col Ii
mel Champney Durelle going awav
rom Glen Angel, where she should d
lever, never see him again. e:
Crescenda and Elizabeth Clifford Il
ived all alone in the old stone house
where, century ago, old Glorious a,
clifford had settled down in a fit of ~
'ique at the grand relations who so q :.
Systematically ignored him, and where Va
he Clifford family had ever since been
rowing poorer and poorer, until thew b,
lad dwindled down to three rooms in b.
he old Tower, one rheumatic old SER
ant woman, and desperate struggle !,
nth poverty day by day. =; ~
Elizabeth was a beauty and Cressy -
7as genius, but even beauty and ~ ~
enius have a horizon wherein to -
hine, and what was the Tower but a ~
a g 90