The Richmond palladium. (Richmond, Ind.) 1906-1907, 1906-11-12

lAI II K1aN Il dtWayS ODSeFVeu WITH
wonder and amusement and
S1Y a tender gladness the faculty
kS with which young creatures,
and particularly young girls. can throw
off their minds for the time being the
weight OF cares and anxieties and bring
all Of themselves TO bear upon those
exercises OF body or mind 10 no par
ticuiar end of serious gain. which we
call play and frivolity
That very next morning after had
learned from Mary Cavendish. sup
plemented by sulky silence of assent
from Sir Humphrey Hyde. that she
had under pretense Of ordering FEM
mime fnery from England. spent all
her years income from her crops on
powder and shot for the purpose OF
making stand in the contemplated
destruction Of the new tobacco crops,
and thereby plunged herself and her
family in a danger which We're hard
to estimate were ii discovered. heard
a shrill duet of girlish laughs and mer-
nv tongues before the house. Then.
on looking forth. whom should l see
but Mary Cavendish and Cicely Hyde.
her great gossip. and young colored
wench, all washing their faces in the
May dew, which lay in a great flood
as CT diamonds and pearls over ey-
erything.
l minded well the superstition. old
er than 1. that If a maid washed her
face in the first May dew it would
make her skin wondrous fair. and I
laughed 10 myself as 1 peeped around
the shutter to think that Mary Cav
need of such amendment of nature.
Down she knelt, dragging the hem of
her chintz gown. which was as gay
with a maze OF printed posies as any
garden bed. and she thrust her hol-
lowed hands into the dew laden green
and brought them over her face and
rubbed till sure there was never any
thing like it for sweet. glowing rosi-
ness.
And Cicely Hyde. who must have
come full early 10 Drake Hill for that
purpose, did likewise. and with more
need. as I thought. for she was a
brown maid. not SO fair of feature as
some, though she had a merry heart
which gave to her such a zest of life
and welcome of friends as made her a
favorite. Up she scooped the dew and
bathed her face, turning ever and anon
to Mary Cavendish with anxious in
quiries. ending in trills of laughter
which would not be gainsaid in May
time and youth time by aught of SO
little moment as q brown skin. How
look 1 now" she would cry out. How
look l now. sweetheart? Saw you ever
lily as fair as my face!"
Nov vxyixh %
ping with dew. with that wonderful
wet freshness OF bloom upon 1t. would
eye her with seriousness as to any i'm
provement, and bid her turn this way
and that. Then she would give it al
her opinion that she had best persevere.
and laugh somewhat doubtfully at
first, then in a full peal when Cicely.
nothing daunted by such discourage
ment in her friends eyes. went bravely
to work again, all her slender body
shaking with mirth.
But the most curious sight OF all, and
that which occasioned the two maids
the most merriment, though OF a covert
and even tender and plying sort. was
Mary's black serving wench. Sukey.
half grown girl, who had been hidden
to attend her mistress upon this MORN
ing frolic. She was seated at a dis
tance, square in the wet greenness, and
was plunging both hands into the May
dew and scrubbing her face with
fierce zeal as II her heart was in that
pretty folly. as no doubt 1t was. And
ever and anon as she rubbed her
cheeks, which shone the blacker and,
glossier for it, she would turn the
palms OF her hands. which be so curl
ously pale on a negro's hands, to see II
perchance some OF the darkness had
stirred. And when she saw not, then
would she fall to scrubbing again.
Presently up stood Mary and Cicely.
and Cicely flashed in the sun q littls
silver mirror which she had brought
and which had lain glittering in the
grass a little removed, and looked al
herself, and saw that her brown cheeks
were as ever, with the exception OF the
flush caused by rubbing. and tossed il
with her undaunted laugh to Mary
THE more fool be I!' she cried out
Instead Of washing mine own face in
the May dew. better had II been had
locked thee in the clothespress, Mary
Cavendish, and not let thee add to thy
beauty, while I but gave my cheeks
the look of fever or the smallpox.
trow the skin be OF in spots, and all
to no purpose. Look at thyself, Mary
Mary washing her face