The true northerner., 1895-04-05
CINDERELLA'S SLIPPER.
RY POLLY KING.

The first going away from home is a
tremendous event in girls life; and
Marion Leslie's existence had been SO
narrowly bounded by the half-asleep
southern town where her father had
his parish that when she realized that
she was really going away from home,
that she was going to~see New York
and take part in the wonderful city
life, it seemed to her as momentous a
step as going TO India or the antipodes.
There was a large family of children
packed into the low rooms of the rec
tory, and Marion, as the eldest, had
had her hands always too full TO give
much thought to dreams. If now 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 a normal channel.
Mrs. Leslie, who was northern
woman, had kept in touch with several
of the friends of her girlhood by
monthly letters, the answers to which
were one of the events of the quiet
lightful of these correspondents was a
Mrs. Hardness, woman who had
married a rich New York merchant,
and who had daughter about Marion's
own age. Her letters were looked for
ward to; and you can fancy the eX
citement that reigned in Marion's
mind when her mother told her that
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 very wrong
one. rising from over-conscientious-
ness; and the rectory was soon in a
great whirl of cutting, sewing and
planning for Marion's modest ward
robe. Everything was finally finished,
neat half-dozens of white garments, a
tailor-made dress, some pretty morn
ing 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 chill
dren and her grandchildren she felt
that Marion must have an evening
dress, and she brought out the we'd
ding dress and spoke of refashioning
it, so calmly that Marion could only
guess at the sacrifice that her mother
was making for her. There was an
abundance of silk in the full old-fash-
! ioned skirt to make 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 charm
ing evening gown; very simple, it is
true, but it fitted we'll and hung well,
and the bertha of old lace about the
| shoulders would have carried off a
much worse gown and adorned a 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 little ivory fan,
painted a la Vatican, which had be-
longed 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 a pair of
beautiful little bronze slippers in a
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;