The record-union., 1892-02-20
ASTONISHED THE NATIVES.
The Elaborate Costume Worn by
Country Belle.

Country Belle.
A pretty country girl, who is visiting
in New York among relatives who bad
made midsummer visit to her fathers
farm in the woods of Maine, brings an
interesting story to town, which makes
her women friends laugh heartily at the
ignorance of the butt, though most men,
when they hear it, exclain, 'No won
der" and sympathlZe with her.
In the country village near the Maine
girls home there exists a good deal of
rivalry among the daughters of the farm
ers as to who shall be the acknowledged
belle of the country side. The rivalry is
keen, and two or three of the competitors
are pretty evenly matched for the first
place. Lizzie Brown, however, so the
Maine girl tells the story to her friends,
Laid her plans to Guido them all at the
ball Thanksgiving Eve. A rich old aunt
of hers, who lives in New York. had
sent her present of handsome gown.
/ think now that some one must have
made it present to the aunt, and she,
having no use for the new-fangled thing,
had sent it to Lizzie for lack of something
better.
Lizzie said not a word about it to any
one. Her mother knew about it, of
course, but she, too, was ambitious for
her daughters success, and too deter
mined that no girl should copy her Liz
zie's dress or take off the edge of Lizzie's
triumph, to lessen the surprise by saving
anything about it. When the ball was
fully under way Lizzie sailed into the
room and quite took our breathS away by
her beauty. She is a pretty girl, a blonde
of beautiful complexion, and the gown
became her wonderfully. 1t was of black
surrah silk, cut W shape before and with
Vatican effect behind, and trimmed
with real creamy lace, and it Just did
look lovely. Lizzie sailed around in it
as proud as peacock, and turned all the
rest of US green with envy, for none of
us could approach her gown in stylish
ness of cut or richness of material
1--WE all asked her where she got it, of
course, for we knew she could not afford
to buy it. When she told us that it came
from her wealthy aunt in New York,
who had said in the note accompanying
it that it was in the latest style, our adj
miration and envy were increased and
LizZie's triumph was correspondence
heightened. One girl, however, was
bold enough to insinuate that she did not
think it was the very latest style. She
said that school teacher from New
York, who was in poor health, had that
day come to visit the Jones family, and
that she was coming to the ball with Jen-
ME Jones, and that she might be asked to
pass judgment on the dress.
Lizzie was not at all alarmed at the
prospect Sno invited inspection ana de-
fled criticism. The school teacher from
New York was late, and Lizzie had cut
out several of the girls before she came,
and was carrying things with a high
hand. Finally, the teacher arrived, and
before she could get her wraps of was
told all about the gown. She peeped out
of the dressing-room door at Lizzie, and
as soon as she saw the gown the queerest
expression came over her face, then she
flushed very much and began to giggIe,
and sat down. When she sas able to
answer our inquiries, she explained:
''Why! It's a nightgownn'
GA nightgownW we squealed in
chorus.
Yes she answered, 'one of those
new-fashioned, elaborate nightgowns that
great swells and actresses wear. oh,
my That L should ever have seen one
worn at ballp
"When Lizzie heard the verdict she
tainted. The men nearly died from
laughing, and the whole neighborhood
will talk of little else for month.''-N.
Y. News.