The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1895-04-11

| 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 anyone 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 discouragements
and failures she finally appeared be-
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 dress; the toes
were ornamented with big pink bows
and pair of old paste buckles. In
fact, they were as pretty and dainty a
pair of shoes as a girl could desire; and
if they did show on close inspection
traces of their home manufacture-as
Marion and her mother agreed-who
was going to inspect them?
We will pass over Marion's arrival in
New York and the warm welcome
which Mrs. Hardness 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 Hardness that the
two girls bid fair to establish a friend
ship which would rival their mothers
The dictator of New York 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
she had not penny of her own and
but one evening gown to her back; and
he cited in support of his theory sew
era1 notable ladies, now millionairesses
and members of titled English families,
who in their girlhood days could
heighten their charms with little more
than one black lace dress of genteel
poverty.
Marion's rich, statuesque beauty, her
freshness and her perfect simplicity
made her a favorite at once;
and although her appearance at
the horse show was scarcely
greeted by that storm of APP
plause with which the popular
novelist is wont to announce the APP
pearance of his heroine as reigning
beauty, she did not pass unnoticed. AS
the winter festivities advanced Marion
felt that she was living in a perfect
whirl of gayety, and the rectory
at home was kept on the gu 0a0e of ex-
element over long letters concerning
her wonderful doings. Yet to many a
| New York girl Mary and Marion
would have scarcely been going out at
all; for Mrs Hardness was a judicious
woman, and would not allow them to
undertake six or seven engagements, as
so many girls do all through the win
ter. Then there were district visiting
and sewing classes and other things to
be done during the morning, so that
Marion in many ways was quite as busy
with doing for others as though she
were still at home.
When her visit was about half over
Mrs. Hardness only son Jack came
back from a trip abroad. Although
never much of society man he did
not seem averse to sharing the girls
pleasures. The night of the first
Patriarchs' ball came, to both of the
| girls an important one, as being their
first ball. Mrs. Hardness, with ready
! 1yip5naSS ,xyaC auSyio,1C ~ Mo-,
ion with a beautiful new toilet as hand
some as her own daughters; but it had
been Mrs. Leslie's one stipulation that
Marion should accept nothing more
than the love and kindness that made
her visit so delightful.
There was a pang, such a pang in
Marion's heart when she saw Mary's
beautiful tulle dress; her own silk
seemed old and shabby, and the little
pink shoes she had been so proud of at
home seemed shapeless and ugly beside
the tiny white ones that her friend
wore. She stihed her covetous long
ings very qui ckly, however, and took
herself well to task for finding one
thing amiss when she had so much;
and by the time they reached Sherry's
she had quite forgotten all her bad
feelings, and her face was bright with
anticipation of the pleasure before her
When the Hardness party entered
the ballroom Marion was observed
from every side; there were plenty of
tulle dresses and plenty of pretty girls
there, but Marion's beauty was of such
rema rkable style and was so height.
ened by the rich simplicity of her
gown that she soon found herself sur
rounded by court of admirers, and,
indeed, had the greatest difficulty in
saving the two dances which she had
promised Jack Hardness.
How late it was in the morning be-
fore they returned home will not say
city people keep very strange hours;
and Marion was terribly shocked to
find how late-or shall / say, how
early-it was. 1t took her some time
to get over her excitement sufficiently
to go to sleep, and it seemed as though
she had scarcely closed her eyes when
she awoke TO find the sunshine stream
ing into her room and Mrs. Hardness
standing beside her bed. She folded
Marion tenderly in her motherly arms;
there was something so gentle in her
voice that the girl felt at once that