River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1898-02-24

Obi" said Hattie, have we all got
to wear evening dresses?"
II should say" returned her friend,
plays at an evening concert, and espe-
cially in such hall, unless one is
dressed for it, Besides, we are to have
reception after the performance"
WELL" said Hattie, mournfully, but
with decision, Il haven't got any even
ing dress, and | shall just wear my
brown cashmere, no matter what the
rest do"
Here Miss Perkins was called away;
but she had heard enough. Next Tues
day, and this was Friday night! There
was absolutely no way to get a dress
ready for Hattie, even if she could af
ford such expense.
And l can't afford it," she said to
herself Three of the boarders going
to leave this week; the bill for her
music lessons SIS more'n l expected;
and such a lot for my lavender silk! l
can't do it, anyhow. She'll just have to
put up with her cashmere. Land! she's
lucky TO have that. Id thought l was
made, if I'd had such a pretty dress
when l was her age"
I'm spite of herself, however, she felt
much upset. She knew SO well the
natural discomfort a girl feels when
she is appropriately dressed. Had
she not suffered real agony, many times
in her young life, because she could
never dress like her companions?
well, can't help it," she said to her
self, impatiently. There amt time to
get thing ready, even if l could man
age with the money"
And she began to put away her own
new dress. She had almost finished
folding the soft draperies, when she
stopped short, and dropped the dress
upon the bed.
81 can't do it," she said, aloud, trcm-
ulously. For 40 years I've actually
hungered and thirsted for an evening
dress. And now I've got il, it is too
much to ask of a long-suffering saint
TO give it up to somebody else. And
[ amt saint. Nor don't want to be,
either" she continued, somewhat bel
ligerently; II never did have any opin-
ion of people who made business of
being pious. It's bad enough to do
things YOU have TO, without skirmish
ing round hunting up land knows
what! Self-sacrifice is very well, but
there is such thing as sacrificing ones
self till you make pigs of other people.
l amt going to bring Hattie up TO think
she's got to have the best of every
thing, no matter if go without"
Miss Perkins shook her head yictori-
ously, and went on folding the dress.
Pretty soon, however, she stopped, and
again began her audible self-commun-
ings.
Poor child! IT'S mean. She ought
TO be dressed somewhere near right.
Mr. lamont said, if she pleased the au-
dience, he'd no doubt she would get
some pupils. And people are such
born fools, they let dress count good
deal. And 1 s'pose 1 could wear my
black silk. 'Twon't really be out of
place. Don't make any difference, |
s'pose, if woman of IS amt dressed
up to kill"
Here she sighed unanimously. 1t
did make such a difference to her!
you're a vain old woman" she said,
scornfully, to her disappointed face in
the mirror. I'D like to know who you
think is going TO look at you, anyway?
You amt to be put on platform, for
a crowd of people to stare at and crit
icise. Butch, dear!" and in the
midst of her words, poor Miss Luella
broke down completely, and had what
she afterwards called "a regular house