Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1921-02-04
DYED
BY NELLIE r. BROWN.

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CO 1921, by Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate
The rural delivery had just come.
There were no letters today the farm
paper for dad, circular for Dick, adj
vertising chick feed, the daily paper
from the city, and two magazines.
Mrs. Merritt glanced over the head
lines of the news, and then picked up
one of the magazines for peep at it's
contents. It was charmingly illus
trated, but after a moment or two
Mrs. Merritt flung it down with some
thing like a snort Of disgust.
"Td like, for once, to read some
thing real good and homelike," she
exclaimed. "a body would think, from
all the magazines nowadays, that
everyone lived in New York city or
on Western ranch. Why don't they
ever write stories about real people
people that live in New England, like
us, for instance, Or"
Because" flashed Lucille stormily,c
not waiting for her mother to finish.
because nothing ever happens in this
dead-and-alive town. We wash on
Monday and iron Tuesday, and go to
the Ladies' Aid once a month Wednes-
day, and we boil sap in spring and
pick berries in summer and make
pickles in the fall"
"Mercy! What a blue streak you
are I'M" expostulated her mother
good naturally. "And with a party at
Rose Wilder's this very night"
"That's just itv' walled Lucille. 81
haven't thing to wear, and therell~
be all the summer" folks" ..x
"Your green batiste is pretty" said
her mother. ~.9s
"That" cried Lucille. I've had it
three years, and everyone knows it
was white with a pink figureoDnce,
and that boiled it out and dyed it
green. And those soap-dyes fade so,
everyone knows when it has been
freshly washed and dyed again. I
couldn't find any green only in a. new
kind the last time I went to the city,
and this kind has to be boiled"
''Tm sorry" said Mrs. Merritt, "but
what can't be cured must be endured
You know we decided this summer
that we'd go without everything we
could to buy the washing machine
Go get your dress and do the best
you can with it. I'm sorry I haven't
had time to fix your white dress, but
that's torn pretty bad" ~>
Mrs. Merritt's philosophy was al
ways to make the best of things, and
Lucille tried to make it hers as she
brought down her seersucker batiste,
ripped off the wide white collar and
cuffs, and surveyed rather scornfully
it's faded green folds.
The mixing of the dye was rather
messy" but at length it was ready,
and Lucille dropped the dress in,
damp from washing. The directions
said, "stir constantly" but who ever
follows dyeing rules explicitly?
Besides, Lucille had the dishes to
wash, so contented herself with a poke
now and then with her wooden. dye
sticks.
But alas, the dishes done, she lifted
out the dress and found it notified
with all shades Of green, from light
yellow-green to deep olive.
ooh, for PHYS sake" calculated the
girl. cts ruined now. And at least
it was whole, and I could have got
lots more wear out of it."
'Never mind" cheerily said Mrs.
Merritt, called upon to comfort, con-
sole and counsel. "Put it in strong
soapsuds and boil it out white and
start again." ''@5'
But Lucille was discouraged. She
shook her head, bit her lip to hold
back the lump in her throat, and hur-
ried off toward the barn.
"Poor child" murmured her mother
alphabetically And splash, went the
kettle Of green dye down the sink
spout, hiss went stream of hot wa
ter into tin tub, slivers Of strong vel
low soap followed, and pop went the
dress again, into soap bath this time.
- When Lucille came back from her
walk down the lane her head was high
and her eyes bright, but they shone
brighter yet as Mrs. Merritt lifted from
the hot suds the wet, clinging folds
Of a dainty blue gown-the soft dull
blue Of old rugs and tapestries.
"Why, mother, how did you do ftp
cried Lucille, and 'Did you ever I"
burst from Mrs. Merritt.
"Why, It's real pastel shade" ex-
ulted Lucille, who had caught the
light through. a single thickness, which,
as everyone knows, shows the shade
the goods will be when dry.
stake If ont ouicIx haforo n trims