Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1895-04-03

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to see New York and take part in the
wonderful city life, it seemed to her
rs momentous step as going to India
or the Antipodes.
There was large family of children
packed into the low rooms of the rec
tory, and Marion, as the eldest, had
had her hands almost too full to give
much thought to dreams. lfnow and
then she had longed to see little
more of the world there was always
some little brother to be amused or
some mending to do, and with her
hands occupied her thoughts would
soon come back to normal channel.
Mrs. Leslie, who was Northern
woman, had kept in touch with sew
eral of the friends of her girlhood by
monthly letters, the answers to which
were one of the events of the quiet
rectory life. Perhaps the most de-
lightful of these correspondents was q
Mrs. Harkness, q women who had
married rich New YcrS merchant,
and who had daughter about Marion's
own age. Her letters were looked
forward to; and you can imagine the
excitement that reigned in Marion's
mind when her mother told her tinat
Mrs. Hardness had written for her to
come to New York and pay two
months visit.
Marion's first feeling was too tumul-
tuous to be described; her second was
that she must not think of going, that
the expense of the journey was far too
great, and that she could not leave
her mother with the care Of all the
children. Mrs. Leslie, however, soon
showed her that this feeling was a
very wrong one, rising from oyercon.
scientiousness; and the Fectory was
soon in great whirl of cutting, sew
ing and planning for Marion's modest
wardrobe. Everything was finally
finished, neat half-dozens of white
garments, a tailor.msde dress, some
pretty morning frocks, and, best of
all, one evening dress-the pale pink
silk in which Mrs. Leslie had been
married years before, and which she
had put away lovingly, thinking to
keep it to show her children and her
grandchildren. She felt that Marion
must have an evening dress, and she
brought out the wedding dress and
spoke of refashioning it SO calmly that
Marion could only guess at the sacri-
fee that her mother was making for
her. There was an abundance of silk
in the full, old-fashioned skirt to
make a very modish gown according
to modern styles, and, with the aid of
the fashion papers, which occasionally
found their way to the rectory, they
made a very charming evening gown; !;
very simple it is true, but it fitted
well and hung well, and the bertha of
old lace about the shoulders would
have carried off much worse gown
and adorned much palmer face than
Marion's.
Mrs. Leslie was more worried about
the details of Marion's toilet than her
daughter who was yet in ignorance of
the enormous value of shoes, gloves,
handkerchiefs and fans in we'll
dressed woman's outfit. One of the
family treasures was q little ivory
fan, painted q Ia Watteau, which had
belonged to some long dead Southern
beauty. This priceless treasure was
added to the girls scant collection of
adornings. The question of pair of
evening slippers seemed to be the
only one which it was impossible to
solve adequately. There was pair
of beautiful little bronze slippers In
shop in the town, but they were five
dollars, and the rector's narrow purse
had been stretched to the furthest ex-
tent; it seemed as though Marion's
journey would have to be given up,
when an idea struck the girls mind ;
she said nothing to any one for fear
of being unable to carry out her plan.
Every spare moment she could get
she would run off to her room and
work away at mysterious something
which was wrapped carefully in a
white towel; after many discourage
ments and failures she finally ap-
peared before her mother holding in
her hand the daintiest pair of little
pink silk shoes; she had taken an old
pair of slippers, and had covered them
with scraps of silk like her drosa ;
the toes were ornamented with big
pink bows and pair of old paste
buckles. In fact, they were as pretty
and dainty pair of shoes as girl
could desire; and if they did show on
close inspection traces Of their home
manufacture Marion and her
mother agre ,d-who was going to in
spect them?
We will pass over Marion's ar
rival in New York and she warm
welcome which Mrs. Harkness gave
her. Marion was too well-bred to
feel out of place in the beautiful city
house, although there was much that
excited her admiration and surprise.
In few days she felt thoroughly at
home, and she seemed to have so
many thoughts and tastes in common
with Mary Harkness, that the two
girls bid fair to establish friendship
which would rival their mothers.
The dictator of New ok Society
was once heard to say that if girl
was sufficiently beautiful and had the
proper people to Introduce her, she
might go triumphantly through the
.season, an acknowledged belle, though