The Penn's Grove record., 1896-12-04
A PAIR OF 0

Bertha sat on the floor critically eying
4 pair Of new shoes: shaking her head,
she said eomplacently:
yes, they look pretty nice. very nice,
but. she added with a Sigh, Il would
have liked a pair Of red ones, Mamma,
when / was at the store this morning
with grandma | saw a lovely pair Of
red shoes. l asked her to get Them for
NE, but she said she thought you did
DO care for colored shoes; now don't
youE"
why, I don't know, my dear an
swered Mrs. Bartlett, laughing at
something that had come to her mind
with Bertha's question. II guess
grandma was thinking Of . time when
I did ike colored shoes"
"WeIl, | think she was too, for she
laughed, and told me to ask you II You
liked them. | guess It is n OF grand
mas jokes. Do tell me whist it is,
Did 1t happen when you
were a little grip
After waiting a moment. her mother
smiliHgly piled: Yes. It was IN
thing when | was a little girl that
made grandma laugh. but we didn't
laugh ut the time it happened, you
may see. Get your work, and win
tell you.
'sThe shoes that grandma and I
we're thinking of were purple ones.
brilliant purple, with little fiat heels.
Laced up to the front ana Reaching Just
above the ankles"
"Oh dear, how funny they must have
been" laughed Bertha
Yes. as l look at them now, they
must have been queer little shoes, but
at the time they were bought they were
Just as beautiful in my eyes az the red
ones which grandma refused to buy for
you this morning. When / was d little
girl l lived In a small town In Ohio
where my father vas the physician.
He had not grown rich, for 1t was an
exceedingly healthy place. No one was
very rich. no n was very poor. l had
played all my life with little girls and
boys brought up just as ! was, caring
mors for a good time than for fine
clothes.
4 had a playhouse built by a young
uncle, but the furnishings were not
such as ehildren's playhouses have In
these days. My dishes were broken
bits OF china and glass, and among
them were some that were 80 fine In
my childish eyes that they were only
used upon state occasions. Well, As /
said. l played and was very happy
with my little friends, never caring for
anything different from what we had,
But n day something new appeared
to us Hattie Ray. my particular
friend. had a cousin come to visit her
from New York. She astonished Us all
by her clothes; never had we seen any
thing so gorgeous in all our small lives,
such dainty dresses and silk
aprons with tiny pockets and bows,
such beautiful stockings and ahoea
Colored shoes, red and yellow and
brown; for very common wear she had
black ones. These different articles Of
clothing pleased the different fancius
OF the children. Hattie told me In con
tdenee she meant to her mother
20 give her a silk apron with pockets
Cor her next Christmas present.
But nothing pleased me as did thS
shoes Every night when l went 10 BID
my list thought was Of thoss coiorsd
shoes and l resolved to have some red
eneS myself when / vas rich II was
The fourteenth of June, Just two days
esfore my birthday. that my mother
called me into the kitchen where she
vas making pies. and said:
Lizzie, you had better 90 down 10
Mr. SsoutS and get a pair OF Shoes
Taess are too badly worn for Sunday.
i intended to so myself. but l shall not