Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-06-04

amaZement, 1Or wnat the eleSant ana wealthy
Mrs. Barton could possibly know Of calico
wrappers or their adaptation to SO unique q
purpose not one of us could even conjecture.
''We" were four eighteen-year-old chums on
a visit to our mutual friend, Mrs. Barton in
Chicago. We were Boston girls, bred under
the shadow of Bunker HILL and it was with Sc
rious misgiving that our four mothers finally
consented to this momentous trip west.
without a chaperone to Sara" said mamma
to me as. 1 was superintening the packing of my
trunk. "Really, 1 consider this trip quite to
hazardous for girls of your tender years to take
unattended"
In an agony Of terror lest she carry out her
rigid ideas Of propitiating the prophecies by
placing us in charge Of some one of my old
maid aunts, of whom the supply was unlimited,
promised all sorts of impossible and imprOb-
able things, and talked against time to such
advantage that the dear little motherkin had no
opportunity to think OF, much less interpose any
more objections to the delightful trip.
This evening we were mot at home" to
callers, but were taking solid comfort in loose
gowns in Mrs. Barton's sanctum-a suite Of
rooms exquisitely lovely in turquoise silk hang
ings, white satin wood, onyx, gold, silver and
canvas draperies. On one side Of the cosy
room ih which we were gathered was a real old
fashioned fireplace, with mantel of blue Mexi-
turquoise silk, heavy with silver embroidery,
covered the archway leading to Mr.. Barton's
room.
Margaret and jamie, half buried in white
bearskin rug in front of the roaring fire, were
playing with kitten, Blanche was idly touch
Barton and l were reading newspapers, when
she startled us with her odd observation.
"a calico wrapper" echoed Blanche, coming
out of the alcove.
''For riding habit did you say?" questioned
Margaret, struggling to sitting posture.
'Yes, a calico wrapper, which once figured as
a riding habit"
Mrs. Barton was a superbly beautiful woman,
tall and graceful, with the carriage of a queen.
Her hair ripping away from her broad low
forehead in perfectly natural wave was caught
low on her neck in masses Of shining braids.
Four pairs of eyes scanned her mercilessly in
the attempt to establish the degree of relation
ship existing between the calico wrapper and
the distractingly lovely lace and silk 'sym-
phony" in which she was arrayed, but could not
reconcile the two, and l remarked that if she
ever had such a combination garment she GER
tainly never had worn it.
"Yes, / wore it on two memorable occa-
sions," she replied, iaughingly, she adjusted
the priceless lace about her wrists. "And SO
highly did prize it that have kept it to this
day, and value it more highly this moment than
do this inspiration from Worth, although
this tea gown represents in dollars and cents
the worth of all the calico in western Kansas at
the time wore the calico wrapper. You see it
all happened this way.
at was as many years ago as you have seen
summers, jamie, when papa found that his
health was failing and his old wound troubling
sense enough to take it. Rest for active men
like papa. however, means change of scene and
employment, so he concluded to go to Kansas
and file ON his soldiers claim, rs they were
called then, and start a stock ranch, where he
could go every summer to rest up and take
brother Bob for an outing. Mamma and 1
wanted to try it too.
"Papa had not counted on this, but as man,
mas health was wretched and mine none too
good he consented to take us. He went at once
to western Kansas, located his land contracted
for four-room house with a basement and,
turning all over to an agent, ordered it to be
furnished and ready for us by the LIST Of June.
"We made but little preparation. Mamma
and packed few Of our plainest clothes and
a box of books, Bob concerned himself only
with his guns and other hunting traps. and
within six weeks after the decision was made we
stepped from the car in the little village of In
man, then on the very border of civilization.
Have you girls ever been out on the plains?
queried Mrs. Barton, as she paused for breath.
I'VE passed over them on our way to Santa
Barbara last summer" answered Margaret for
the trio. I'm sure we do not care for any
closer acquaintance"
swell, you don't know anything about them
at all, continued Mrs. Barton. 'You never can
have any conception Of the joy that comes from
Just knowing that You are alive until you have
filed your lungs with the air from the plains
for weeks at a time. And then the glorious at
mospheric effect upon the view! You have
seen those exquisite canvases of Bierstadt and
no doubt noted the soft purplish haze that al
ways seems to envelop them. Well, you can't
begin to appreciate those marvellous bits Of west
ern scenery until you have enjoyed the reality.
l was born and bred in the city. and young as
/ was considered myself welded to its con-
veniences and conventionalities, but cannot
convey to you any idea whatever Of the exhil-
aration Of feeling that came over me as after
four days in those stuffy cars / bounded out on
the tiny platform laid in front of the freight
car, which served as a depot, and drew a long
breath, actually painful in its delicious purity.
And the view! I exhausted all the adiectives in
my vocabulary in the first hour. The town
consisted of half q dozen tiny houses and q
dozen or more tents and there was nothing to
obstruct the gaze.
1.-The prairies swelled away on all sides Of us
like billowy waves of the ocean. The immense
stretches Of country, with gentle fluctuations,
emerald-hued in velvety grass, rolled on SEEM
ingly to the very verge Of the universe. And
over all was the sky, a deep ultra-marine, arch
ing itself in cloudless splendOr above us, and
over and enveloping all was that utterly indie
scribable blush haze.
The agent met us with a wagon, for there
was no hotel in the place, 80 we Of necessity
rather than choice went directov to the Claim
which was two miles from town. We were too
tired to think OF preparing meal, though the
agent had laid in a store of provisions, 30 ate
the lunch we had with us and retired.
"We all helped about getting breakfast and
enjoyed the novelty greatly. Mamma was a
famous cook when they were married, so papa
said, but could not remember when our house
was not full of servants, consequently my house
wifelX accomplishments were at that time