The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1899-12-06

c"hs tciHaIkcu the squire. DOu !
/ you think 50, Milly?n
81 should say his heart piece was
quite good" replied the young lady OF
the black hat. at was capital, the best
Thanksgiving sermon 1 ever heard.n
ut was pretty long, though" re-
marked another Of the sisters. al turn
ed my bead now and then TO look at
the clcck, and he preached exactly for
ty minutes. Now, think that is too
much. Twenty minutes is enough for
any sermon"
81 never once thought of the clock. Z"
said Mrs Eldridge; 81 was too inter-
ested. Now, girls, we shall all have
to hurry If we're to be ready for dinner.
Half past five, your Pa told the minis
ter, and it's most two now. Which of
you will help me and trim the table up
little, while / get my things Off?
Marcia has it all set, of course, but she
is no hand for decorating, and neither
am /, for that matter. In my young
days, folks were satisfied il they had
enough to eat, and it was good; but
now they expect things to look pretty
beside.n
81 can't, Mother, because I've got TO
alter the sleeves of my dress; Miss Tim
mons has sent it home all wrong"
THAT'S too bad, Ellen; you, then,
Dora"
''I would, but I've got the least bit
of headache, and if 1 don't go and
lie down, shall look like fright this
evening"
"rll do it," said Milly. There's
plenty of time, and I've nothing else
to do. May / pick some chrysanthe-
NUNS ?n
"Why, Of course; all there are, If you
want them. There's dish of white
grapes in the pantry, and some oranges
and red apples. told Marcia TO shine
them up till you could see your face in
them. Ask her for anything you want,
Milly. 1t is very good of you to see
TO IT,"
80, / like to fuss over tables and
make them pretty. Just leave it all to
me; think / know what you want.
Do go and lie down, Dora; you look
pale"
So Dora went to lie down, and the
others to read and gossip and make a
leisurely toilet, leaving Milly to attend
to the table.
Only three of the girls were in the
room when Mr. Williams arrived, one
of them. the dressy niece, whose looks
he had sc disapproved of in the morn
ing. She was dressier than ever, and
her cousins seemed to have caught the
contagion OF her finery, for they were
all bedecked in the same style, an exag-
geration of the existing fashions. Their
bangs were of the widest, the loops
and twists Of their iptricstety dressed
hair bristled with shell and gilded pins.
The puffs on their sleeves rose, as it
seemed to Mr.. Williams, to the levels of
their ears The heels of their slippers
were an inch high; the toes glittered
with beads; bows that did not lie, but
tons that did not fasten, predominated
in their costumes, the bangles about
their wrists clicked like miniature cas-
tanets as they moved. Their talk was
like their dress = noisy, artificial
Thanksgiving was such a horrid day.
Did not Mr.. Williams think so? Or,
perhaps it was only so in the country,
where there was nothing going on; the
city was different, of course. Oh, didn't
he adore the city Mr.. Williams grave
ly dissented, and again he thought of
the pernicious influence of one bad ex-
ample.
"Where is Milly" demanded the
Squire, suddenly.
"She was little belated," explained
Sophy. ''She didn't go up to dress
quite soon enough. She'll be down in
a minute"
''She was keeping everybody till the
last moment, as usual, - added Mrs. FL
bridge. "I never saw such girl"
Alexander Williams listened to these
observations with interest. "MiIly,"
then, as the name of his intelligent
listener in the simple attire. How diff
ferent she was from the rest Of her sis
ters-
Presently she came in, dressed, as it
seemed to his unpracticed eyes, with
the most perfect simplicity, but just
right. In reality, the gown Of pale he
liotrope crepe, an emanation from one
Of the famous medistes Of the day, to-
gether with the single jewel which sast-
ened it at the throat, had cost more
than all the three gayer gowns put to-
gether. But what do men know of
such things?
"Here's my good girl who has been
lending hand to everybody" said the
Squire, putting mis- arm about her, fond
ly. "Milly, here is Mr.. Williams, and
you can tell him how much you liked
his sermon this morning."
"Indeed l did," said MiIly, putting
out cordial little hand. Her smile,
and the frank look in her eyes delight
ed Alexander. He had never seen such
eyes in girls head before, so honest,
so sweet and intelligent, with such long
black lashes to shade their gray.
zone unspoiled," he said to himself
as he gave his arm to escort Mrs. Ed
ridge to the dining room. "What
kindly influence has kept her so in
the midst Of such family? Oh, that
cousinr'
The dinuer-table looked gay and pref
ty, with It's ivy-wreathed centre piece
of fruit, crimson, yellow aud translu-
cent white; its old candelabra filed
with lighted candles, and low dishes
banked with rose colOred and white
chrysanthemums- There was a deli
cate touch Of finish in the whole ar
rangement, and Marcia's cooking wss
beyond praise. 1t was truly delight
full Thanksgiving dinner, with one
heart especially light and gay.
'rhis Is the best salad I've eaten for
years." declared the Squire. Marcia,
you've outdoDe yourself this time"
SIT was Miss Milly that fixed the
dressing" replied Marcia. speaking