The Van Buren press., 1904-05-07
The Pale Blue
CashmereCoWn
By SARAH S. PRATT

DEV. JOHN LAWRENCE sat at his
X study table, leaning on his elbow,
his usually busy pen held idly between
his fingers. He gazed far over the plains,
tranceiike expression in his thought
iul eyes, he believed that the time was
coming when those plains would be peo-
pied and. with the hopefulness which
made his missionary life beautiful, he
seemed to see the church leading, in
spring and miuistering to these peo-
pie Already he had visions Of school
wherein his own wife would be the rul-
ing spirit; visions Of a hospital, a
clubhouse and clubrooms, where these
sayages might grow less savage. Even
the fact that thus far only one poor
little wooden church building was to
be found in many miles did not in the
least interfere with his dreams,
How long he might have dreamed, no
one knows, but he was recalled by de-
licious voice calling to him:
81 am 70 inches around the waist,
John, and my skirt length is 43. You
know you asked me yesterday
Sure enough" he answered, with
little start, taking up the tapeline which
lay Conspicuously on his desk Il must
get that letter off to-day; but I'd bet
ter measure you myself. You probably
measured with a string That's the
feminine way, believe"
His wife came in, feather duster in
hand. and as he drew the line about her
waist, he dropped a kiss upon her fore
head
81 hope they will send you something
pretty"
Mrs. Lawrence burst into laughter.
"The idea of anything pretty in a mis-
sionary box John! Who ever heard of
It? It's against the nature of things.
Perhaps it's wicked, but | have some
times thought that they made them as
ugly as possible Do you remember the
snuff-colored dressing jacket with the
black fringe"
Wasn't that pretty?" he queried, 81
always thought it was very elegant, eX-
cept when the fringe dipped in the cof-
fee"
"You dear dreamer! You don't know
what is pretty You don't see anything
but your beloved Sunday school and
night classes and sick people. A rheu-
matte old Indian woman is beautiful to
you if"
IF she is Christian! Yes, | admit It."
he said, gently; "all Of Gods creatures
are beautiful to me, and one Of them
most beautiful" and again he gave her
a loving caress and resumed his work.
Sheets and pillow cases, street suit
for my wife, clerical suit for sell, over
coat hate to ask for that but it is
necessity in this bleak land"
He read once again the friendly letter,
In which he had been urged to make
known all his needs, assuring him that
they would be supplied, so far as posi-
bic, by branch Of the Women's aux
Hilary.
These boxes, which had so irked the
pride Of many a missionary, never Of
Tended John Lawrence. He gave little
thought to self. His Divine Master had
lived on aims, and his own horizon was
too rich too broad, for any petty egotism
TO create even a speck upon 1t; but he
sometimes reflected with regret his wife
keenly disliked this phase Of missionary
life. He could not forget at times that
he had taken her from luxurious home;
but had he not given her greater OPP
pOrtunity 10 do Gods work, and was she
not doing il sweetly and uncomplaning-
ly? He would try to believe that she did
not care.
In the meantime Mrs Lawrence was
busting the sitting-room, and she had
come to standstill before little ivory
miniature of herself, the price Of which
would almost have paid for everything
IN their modest home, II was made ten
years before, when she had Just finished
school and was archly charming In that
dainty gown. How becoming It was,
and how much he had admired her In ~
Alice, is there anything else you
want? We are TO mention everything
we need, and they viii supply us as far
ss possible"
Yes she called, little sarcastlcally,
"please tell them | need very much
pale blue cashmere gown" and then
she smiled at the absurdity OF such a re.
quest from a missionary's wife "lmag-
inc the CONSERVATION that would ere
ate" she thought, III he really would
ask for such a thing,"
she replaced the miniature with sigh.
Was II crime to love pretty things?
And would she ever have any again
Her trousseau was long ago exhausted,
and now she lived and moved and had
her being In black things and brown
things, and all things that wouldn' show
dirt Oh, dear but-blessed after
thought wouldn't she rather be the
wife Of John Lawrence, in black bril-.
lantinos and brown surges, than any
body else in the world?
The president Of ST. Mary's auxiliary
was rapping loudly for order She was
reading n letter saying that Rev John
Lawrence would be deeply grateful for
a suit an overcoat, etc II was when
che came TO the ovorcoat that the con.
fusion arose; for one lady had prac.
tically new ovorcoat which her present
coachman being stout, could not wear
II was exactly Rev Lawrence size, but,
being a surtout, she questioned whether
II would be the correct thing for clerical
wear The entire auxiliary set Itself to
urguo this point when the president
stopped them