Polk County news. [volume] (Benton, Tenn.) 191?-1983, 1921-01-27

BY NELLIE r. BROWN.


| 90 1891. b. Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate
The rural delivery had just come.
There were no letters today; the farm
| paper for dad. a circular for Dick, ad-
vertising chick feed. the daily paper
\ from the city, and two magazines.
Mrs. Merritt glanced over the head
| lines of the news, and thea picked up
one of the magazines for a peep at its
| contents. II was charmingly illus
trated, but after a moment or two
Mrs. Merritt flung, it down with some
thing like snort of disgust.
I'D 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,
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 in" eXpOstulated her mother
good naturedly. "And with a party at
Rose Wilders this very night!'
That's just it" walled Lucille. 81
haven't a thing to wear, and there'll
be all the summer folks"
"Your green batiste is pretty" said
her mother.
THAT" cried Lucille. i've had it
three years, and everyone knows it
was white with pink figure once,
and that l boiled 1t out and dyed it
green. And those soap-dyes fade so,
everyone knows when it has been
freshly washed and dyed again. 7
couldn't find any green only in a new
kind the last time went to the city,
and this kind has to be boiled"
I'm 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 l 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
its 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
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-ereen to deep olive.
"Oh, Ur PHYS sake" calculated the
girl. "lr's ruined now. And at least
it was whole, and l 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
and boil it out white and
start again"
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
sympathetically. 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 yell
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
tDu HeT eyes DIiSHt, but llSN ShohC
brighter yet as Mrs. Merritt lifted from
the hot suds the wet, clinging folds
If a dainty blue gown-the soft dull
blue of old rugs and tapestries.
"Why, mother, how did you do it?"
'ried Lucille, and did you ever"
,urst from Mrs. Merritt.
"Why. it's a real pastel shade" ex-
llted Lucille who had caught the
light through single thickness, which,
Is everyone knows, shows the shade
he goods will be when dry.
"Take 1t out, quick, before 1t turns
InythIng else"
at will be lovely"
"No one would ever guess"
"With my lace fichu-"
sand some flowers"