Year: 1874

THE DOVE-CoLORED SILK.


By kind of thoughtful arrangement
on the part of their employers, every
domestic in the house of Sir John Day
ton, baronet and banker, received his
or her salary one week before Christ
mas day.


Very bright and tempting looked the
tiny pile of sovereigns that Lottie
Warde, Miss Dayton's own maid, car
ried away to her chamber, and sat med
itating over, with cloud on her pretty
face such as it seldom wore. Last
Christmas the spending of her money
had cost her no trouble, except quick
" stified regret that she could not do
more with it for those dear ones, whose
kisses and joyful thanks had been such
pleasant requital of her generosity.
Although she was as dutiful and low
ing a daughter and as kind sister as
of yore, there had been an event in
Lottie's life since the year began that
was clc sely connected with the impa-
tient sigh she gave, as she sat gazing at
her gold, and abstractedly turning it
over and over in her palm. She had
met, at the house of an old friend of her
late father, young man so well con-
nected that many wondered he should
think of wedding a girl who was &c in
service" Mr.. Charles Morrison, they
argued, with his good prospects and ex-
cellent situation in the Office of Smith
son Brothers, ought to look higher for
wife than Lottie Warde, whose father
had died bankrupt, and whose mothers
sole dependence was the annuity some
of Mr.. Warde's compassionate creditors
had purchased for her. But if Charlie
Morrison heard these things limited, he
laughed and forgot them. He loved
IIottie for heEself-her sweet temper,
her good principles; and the pretty face
and figure, that were always set off by
the perfect neatness and propriety with
which she dressed.


IIottie, however, ha ] taken to heart
many of the remarks made in her pres
ence or told by ill-natured friends, and
had rather hastily decided in her own
mind that the relatives of her afianced
husband looked down upon her be-
cause of her position. This fancy-for
it was no more-had made her shy of
meeting them, and unwilling to accept
the invitations SO kindly sent to her.
But Charlie had made point of her
acceding to his parents wish that she
should join the family party they al
ways gathered round them at their
handsome house at Clapham on the eve
of the great festival; and as Miss Day
ton had cheerfally consented to spare
her, she had not been able to excuse
hers elf.


Naturally timid and shrinking from
strangers, Lottie looked forward to the
visit as an ordeal rather than pleas
ure. She was to be introduced to Char
lies married sister from Manchester
and to the Vitality uncle from whom
he had expectations; and her anxiety
that they should think well of her cul-
minated in the inquiry, "What shall
wear"


1t was no use discussing the question
with her betrothed. She knew he
would say that nothing could be in bet
ter taste than the well-ftting dark me-
rino that had been her best dress since
the commencement of the autumn.
But Lottie had her share of girlish van
ity, and as she raised her eyes to her
looking-glass vision rose before her
of a certain dove-colored silk IN mer-
GERS window near st. Paul's that would
become her admirably. 1t was true
that such an expensive purchase would
absorb every farthing in her possession,
bat she chose to ignore this. So strong
grew the temptation that when Lolita
went that evening to visit her mother
she fingered long at the mercer's
window, and decided that on the NOR
row the dove-colered silk should be her
own.


The children threw down their DO ok
aud toys when Lottie entered, for they
loved her dearly, and Mrs. Warde,
though she had been wearing very
anxious face, as she stitched busily at
some childish garment, contrived to
smile at her eldest daughter, who, how
ever, was not easily deceived.


Something has gone wrong, mother
I am sure of it BY your books. What
is it?"


Nothing you can altar, dear moth
ing, in fact, that ought to dwell upon.
I heard, by chance, that the man
through whose roguery your father
failed has returned to England, and is
in prosperous circumstances and it
worried me for little while to think
that my excellent, upright husband
went to his grave In sorrow and power
ty, while this dishonest man holds up
his head and grows r,ch but it was
only for minute, child :" and Mrs.
Warde smiled now with less effort. ST
know to whom I have committed nv
cause, and viii not murmur at any
thing He Wills"


Lottie kissed tie placid speaker
affectionately, but she was not as sym
pathetic as usual Her little sisters
hung about her, wondering whether
they sbouid have Christmas pudding,
and one OF them blurted out a fact hith-