Year: 1868

Although it may be very pheasant
thing to see ones own name in print" it is
not allowable to print names, especially
when writing out true story. For this
reason we will have recourse to fictitious
addresses, and introduce our young lady
acquaintance as Miss Clara Clinton, and
her father as Judge Clinton, of Clinton
vile.


They-that Is the people-called the
Judge "the oldest man that ever lived"
If oddity consists of having way of his
own, Judge Clinton was very odd man.
He would insist upon living in a little
brown old-fashioned house, without car
pets upon the floors; and what was more
vexatious, he would not allow sofa or
lounge, or rocking-chair, inside the four
brown walls. As he had an idea that the
whole country was going to rack and ruin
because the men wore broadcloth and the
women wore silks, he declared he would
wear homespun as long as he lived, and
his women folks should be restricted to
calico.


As we have nothing to do with Mrs.
j udge Clinton, we will not allude to the
hearty vexation with which she carried out
the whimsical old Judges domestic rela-
lions. As she could do nothing wiser than
to gulp down her chagrin, she did gulp it
down, and, woman-like, pretended to be-
lieve with her husband, that they could re-
form the world by making themselves con-
spicuously mean and uncomfortable.


Judge Clinton was still in indigo colored
homespun, and Mrs. Judge Clinton in nine
penny calico, when Miss Clara Clinton,
having reached the age Of eighteen, and
having a will of her own (Which her moth
er was careful to tell everybody the child
inherited from her father,) announced her
de- sire and determination to go 10 a board
ing-school.


The Judge himself had been poor boy,
self-educated through his own exertions.
He was proof of his humble birth and the
difficulties he had overcome as Brundery.
He had read Virgil by the aid of pine
knot, and Greek by the aid of a penny
candle, and solved the problems of Euclid
by moonlight. He respected but one de-
sire in the world, and that was thirst for
knowledge. SO when Miss Clara protested
that she must and could and would 90 to a
boarding-school, Judge Clinton cheerfully
cquiesced and expressed himself ready to
leash over"


No sooner was this interesting subject
broached, however, than to Miss Clara's
surprise, her father selected the most ex-
pensive, thorough and aristocratic institu-
ton in the country, paid the yearly ex-
penses in advance, and sent her at once to
complete her education, with twenty-five
cents for spending money, and three calico
gowns for her wardrobe!


1t was bad enough, Miss Clara said, sob
bing all the while as if her beautiful eyes
had really been liquid fountains, to be
obliged TO dress in Calico but to have
three calico gowns all alike, from the self
same piece, so that her companions would
think that she had but one, that was "the
hardest to bear of ALL


But the old Judge was incorrigible. He
had saved two shillings and sixpence by
having them all alike, and he was satisfied
if his daughter was not.


1t was very bright, clear May morning
when Miss Clara bade adieu to the ugly
brown homestead, and her mother who
wiped her tears on her calico apron, and
the sheep that bore the fieeces from which
her fathers homespun was made. She
loved everything about the dun dwelling
now that she looked back upon it from the
coach window. But soon the novelty of
her condition overcame her grief, and she
forgot all petty vexationsi in the new scenes
and strange people around her.


Very weary and travel-soiled she alight-
ed at the end of her journey, and was
shown into the reception room where were
seated several stylish young ladies, ovi-
IDENTITY newly arrived pupils like herself


There was Miss June, with her exquis-
itely fitting gray travelling dress, who
looked her over with quizzical look in
her. dark eyes and Miss Clara felt sure
that the peculiar smile that fingered upon
those sarcastic lips owed its existence to
the fact that she wore "calicor'


Blushing to her very temples, poor Clara
looked away only to encounter the gaze of
Miss Gay, who, reclining upon the sofa in
the most hultless attire seemed absorbed
in studying out the pattern of the print.


Miss Gay and June exchanged glaRces
and smiles. Tears welled up from Clara's
full heart but she was too proud to wipe
them away cne fell, then another, when a
soft voice said:


"You are very tired, l am sure 80 are
weall, but we shall be attended TO soon"


Clara looked her thanks to the gentle
speaker-a girl very plainly dressed, and of
n sweet winsome countenance, who, bring
ing her chair nearer, asked her some trivi-
al questions, and related some amusing ex-
periences Of her own in reaching the insti-
tuition.


Clara felt more at ease, and being natur-
ally vivacious and intelligent, soon made
friends with the kind stranger who invited
her to become her roommate"


The school term soon commenced and
there was little time for Clara to think of
her homely garments. But when Sunday
came round and she took another calico
dress from her wardrobe, exactly like the
one she had worn all the week, her room
mate said: