DRESSING
TO
PLEA
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69
Several days passed away, and still Mr. Carl- ton could see no change in his wife's style of dress, but then he reflected thas it must pro- bebly take some time to get the new suit ready, and he resolved to be patient; he little knew, poor man! how much more he would need to be a second Job, when his wishes were being oxe- cated, than now.
One afternoon, Mr. Carlton entered the draw- ing-room, accompanied by an old friend, of whose coming he had previously informed his wife. Henry felt pleased with the admiration which he saw his wife’s charms invariably called forth, and it was with a feeling of innocent pride that be now hastened to present her. He began,
“Mr. Landon, I will make you acquainted with my—good heavens, Bella! what is the mat- ter?”
Our hero had come from the glaring eun into & partially darkened room, and for a moment he had not noticed the curiosity which presented
itself in the person of his wife; but as she rose to receive her visitor the oddity of her attire broke upon him with overpowering effect. Her hair was put plainly behind her ears and twisted ia a simple knot behind, presenting the appear- ance of having been glued to her head tc keep it from running away; she was perfectly inno- eent of anything of the nature of orinoline, and her calico dress hung almost perpendicularly down from her waist, and finished at about a foot from the ground, thus displaying in full view a pair of heavy morocco boots, which squeaked loud enough to set a nervous person crazy every time she moved; her dress was very high in the neck, and terminated by a scrupu- lously white linen collar; her sleeves were long and tight, and fastened at the wrist. No orne- ment of any description was visible about her; indeed, to judge from her appearance, any one might imagine that she had laid a wager to get up the plainest style of dress that could be con- trived. Handsome as Bella usually was, even her husband, when she was dressed in this style, was obliged to admit that she was moderately plain; he could think of nothing, while looking at her, but a mammoth edition of some little wooden images of Noah's wife aod daughters’ toys, with which he bad played in his child- hood, and which, it always seemed to him, had been dressed in the greatest haste in whatever happened to come to band, and sent into the ark lest the flood should overtake them. At the first glance he had, as we have seen, been thrown of his guard, but he secon saw that her dress had been prepared after his own plan, somewhat
exaggerated.
Mr. Landon was startled by the unexpected riaion, but he was too much of a gentleman to setray his surprise; he saw instantly that some- hing very singular was going on, and he fels nuch puzzled to understand it; he was inte- ested, however, and resolved to watch proceed- ngs and let the story develope itself.
Bella was the only one of the three who was st all self-possessed. Upon being introduced 0 the stranger, she bowed with her usual grace, ind immediately entered into conversation with aim, with an ease which, under tho ciroum- tances, wae really astonishing. Henry colored, idgeted in his chair, and showed himself the nost unessy of mortals. He hed been partieu- arly anxious that bis wife should appear to the yest advantage before Mr. Landon, and now the lisappointment was a bitter one; and yet he sould not complain: ladies’ dresa had been his yet theme ever since his boyhood; he had always onged to have his theory adopted: and here it yas! He could not help owning to himaelf thas sia wife had taken the best means of proving te 1im his folly.
At length he proposed a walk around the grounds; Bella quietly drew.forth a huge straw onnet, with a plain ribbon passed once across t, and, with the most demure look in the world, laced it on her head, thus almobt hiding from riew her face; this, Henry thought, was not much of a loss under the present arrangements. Noticing that Mr. Landon, who now began to ake in the idea, was making a desperate effort st gravity, she turned to him, and in her quiet way remarked,
- Do you not think my bonnet a sensible one?
[t seems 6o very ridiculous in ladies to wear hose little caps which are no shelter at all.”
“I should think that might shelter two or hree of us,” broke in ber husband, good-na- uredly.
‘sBurely you do not consider it too large?” said Bella, in a mock tone of disappointment. Then turning again to her visitor, and walking » little in advance of Mr. Carlton, that he might have the best possible view, she continued, ‘You may, perhaps, consider my style of dress rather peculiar, Mr. Landon; but I wear it to please my husband; this is his idea entirely, he gave me the whole plan of it; you will, of course, per- seive the advantage it has over what is denomi- nated ‘the fashionable atyle'—its convenience and simplicity are very apparent; besides, it is such a saving of time—many ladies occupy so many hours in deciding how they will have a dress made, and manufacturing various little trifies, which are nothing more than ornaments
