PURPLE AND FINE LINEN
When Mrs. St. Clair's purchases were sent home from New York and spread out
on view, Patty could scarcely believe her own eyes.
Were all those fine clothes really meant for her?
The materials included silks, satins and velvets in bright colorings and
somewhat conspicuous patterns.
Some of the dresses were already made up, and these were befrilled and
beflounced, with lace and embroidery. As Patty had always worn delicate
shades of material, and her dresses had been very simply made, she couldn't
help protesting at all this bewildering array of finery. But her aunt said:
"Nonsense, child, you don't know what you're talking about. You are the
guest of the St. Clairs, and your appearance must do us credit. I am not
giving you these things, you know; your father wrote me to buy for you
whatever was necessary or desirable. I have a lot of new clothes for
Ethelyn, too, and I want you to look as well as she does. While you are
with us you must be suitably dressed, else I shall feel ashamed of your
appearance."
Poor Patty began to wonder whether it was so very nice after all, to have
fine clothes if she could have no voice in their selection.
But she thought, what is the use of objecting? Aunt Isabel will do as she
pleases anyway, and while I'm staying with her, I ought to agree to what
she wants.
Then two dressmakers came to stay a fortnight. Ethelyn and Patty were given
a holiday from lessons, the schoolroom was turned into a sewing-room, and
Miss Morton and Reginald betook themselves to the library.
Patty was rather sorry to miss her school hours, for the history lessons
had become interesting, but she soon found that Aunt Isabel's word was law.
It was a law often broken by her own children, but Patty was not of a
mutinous heart, and she amiably obeyed Mrs. St. Clair's commands. But she
had her own opinion of the household, and she did not hesitate to express
it plainly in her letters to her father.
"I begin to see," she wrote to him one day, "what you meant when you
explained to me about proportion. In this house, money, and fine clothes,
and making a great show, are out of all proportion to everything else. They
never think of reading books, or doing charity work, or anything but
showing off. And if a thing costs a lot, it's all right, but if it's simple
and not expensive, it's no good at all. I can tell you, Mr. Papa, that when
we have our home, we'll have less fuss and feathers, and more comfort and
common sense. And it isn't only that the things cost so much, but they're
always talking about it, and telling how expensive they are. Why, Uncle
Robert has told me half-a-dozen times how much his horses and carriages
cost, and now he says he's going to get an automobile, so I don't know what
he'll do with his horses. Ethelyn is very nice in some ways, but she is
affected and rude, and I don't like her as well as Clara Hayden, if she
_is_ my cousin. Reginald is a nice boy, but he's sort of pompous and
conceited, and thinks he's better than any one else in the world. Little
Florelle is a dear, but she cries so easily that I can't have much fun with
her. But there, now I've told you all the bads, I'll tell you some of the
goods. Miss Morton, the governess, is a lovely lady, and when Ethelyn is so
cross I can't stand her, I go to Miss Morton, and we have a walk or a drive
together, and have nice, pleasant talks. And then I am taking singing
lessons twice a week. Aunt Isabel says I have a pretty good voice, and I
love to sing, and Reginald takes me skating, and that is splendid. I don't
know how yet, but he says I am learning pretty well. Aunt Isabel gave an
afternoon tea for me, and next week we are going to have a big party, and I
think that will be nice. I like parties and dancing-school, only the girls
and boys all act so grown up. They are about my age and even younger, and
they act as if they were ladies and gentlemen. That isn't good proportion,
is it? But I am pretty happy, except that I am often homesick for you. Then
I look at your picture, and at the beautiful picture of dear mamma and it
helps some. And your letters help me too, so write just as often as you
can, won't you?
"From your loving daughter,
"PATRICIA FAIRFIELD."
The party, as Patty had feared, was a very grown-up affair. For several
days beforehand the servants were getting the house ready for it, and all
was bustle and confusion.
The furniture and bric-a-brac were all removed from the hall and
drawing-room and library, and carried up to the third floor to be out of
the way. The portieres were taken down from the doorways, and on the day of
the party they were replaced by simulated curtains of smilax and flowering
vines.
As it was near the Christmas season, the decorations included evergreens,
holly and mistletoe, but besides these, quantities of roses and rare
flowers of all sorts were used. The florists came early and worked all day,
and they transformed the house into a fairy bower.
Patty was delighted with this, and walked through the luxurious rooms,
quite lost in admiration of their floral beauty.
Carpenters had enclosed the great veranda which was then hung with red
satin and decorated with ropes and wreaths of holly, and, like the rest of
the house, was fairly ablaze with electric lights.
The party was to be from eight to twelve, and when Patty went down stairs
at a little before eight, she found her uncle berating the musicians, who
were a little late in arriving.
"I want you to understand," Mr. St. Clair was saying, "that when _I_ send
for you, you are to come when I bid you. Don't tell me you couldn't help
it,--if there is danger of detention on the road, you should start earlier.
_I_ am accustomed to having _my_ orders obeyed, and all who are employed at
Villa Rosa must fully understand that. Go on with your music, and next
time, see to it that you arrive more promptly."
Uncle Robert strutted away with such a pompous air, that Patty was almost
afraid of him herself. But when he saw her, he beamed kindly, and said:
"Come here, my dear, and tell me what you think of all this."
"I think the house looks beautiful, uncle, just like Fairyland, with all
the flowers and lights. And I think you are very kind to give this party
for me."
"Well, well, child, we have to invite our friends occasionally, you know.
Have a good time, and I shall feel amply repaid for my outlay. Those
American Beauties are fine, aren't they?"
"Indeed they are," said Patty, sniffing at one that reached its rich
redness temptingly towards her.
"Oh, don't do that! You'll spoil them. Those roses cost six dollars a
dozen. But how fine you look in your new gew-gaws. Turn round, little one.
Ah, we have no reason to feel ashamed of our Southern maid to-night."
Patty was glad her uncle was pleased, for she herself felt rather
uncomfortable. Her dress, which was made with low neck and short sleeves,
was of red silk gauze, with multifold short skirts, accordion-plaited, and
edged with thick, full ruches. Great golden butterflies were embroidered at
intervals all over the dress, while ribbons and flowers were attached
wherever a place could be found for them.
Ethelyn had coaxed Patty to have her hair dressed high on her head, so
Elise had arranged a marvelous _coiffure_ which displayed jeweled pins and
combs of many sorts, and a necklace and bracelets rivaled them in glitter.
Red silk stockings, and red satin slippers with gilt butterflies on them
completed this gorgeous costume, and when Patty saw herself in the long
mirrors, she thought she looked like one of the paper fairies which she
used to hang on her Christmas trees.
When the party began, she stood beside her aunt and Ethelyn and received
the guests as they arrived.
About fifty boys and girls came, and to Patty they all seemed like
overdressed and artificial little puppets.
The girls put on grown-up airs, walked with mincing steps and giggled
behind their fans, while the boys were affected and absurdly formal.
Patty had thought there would be games or amusements of some youthful sort,
but dancing and promenading alternated throughout the evening.
However, she was fond of dancing, and as she was quickly becoming a general
favorite, her card was soon filled with the names of the nicest boys in the
room.
It was all very pleasant for a short time, but soon Patty grew very tired
and secretly longed for supper to be announced.
At last this came to pass, and the children marched out to the dining-room
where another beautiful sight awaited them.
The caterers had been as skilful as the decorators, and the table was
filled with marvelous confections of rich foods.
Patty had never seen such wonderful things, and she almost thought the
pheasants were alive; and the big salmon looked as if it had just been
taken from the water. Then there were salads and croquettes, and funny
little paper dishes filled with strange, delicious mixtures, and after all
these, came creams and jellies and ices, and cakes and bonbons in all sorts
of odd shapes and colors.
Patty thought these things were too pretty to be eaten, but they were
quickly demolished by the young people, who were hearty, hungry boys and
girls, in spite of their affected manners.
After supper the dancing and promenading began again, and was kept up until
midnight, and Patty was a very tired little girl after she had said
good-night to all the guests and the last carriage had rolled away from
Villa Rosa.
Ethelyn was tired too, and decidedly cross.
"I didn't have a very good time," she said; "that horrid old Gladys Mahoney
had a prettier dress than mine; and I broke my new fan, and my slippers are
so tight, they hurt me awfully." "Pooh, I know what makes you cross," said
Reginald, "just 'cause Bob Burton didn't dance with you as much as he did
with Mabel Miller."
"I'm not cross," retorted Ethelyn, "and I didn't want to dance with Bob
Burton. If I were you, I'd try to learn some manners; Lou Smith says you're
the rudest boy she ever saw."
"I don't care what Lou Smith says, little, freckle-faced thing! I don't see
why she was invited here, anyway."
"Stop quarreling, children," said Mrs. St. Clair, "and go to bed at once.
Patricia, I hope you enjoyed the party; I'm sure I tried to have it nice,
but everything seemed to go wrong, the salad wasn't fit to eat and the ice
cream was half melted."
"Why, Aunt Isabel," said Patty, "I think everything was lovely. I never saw
such a supper-table in my life, and the decorations were exquisite."
"Well, I didn't think so. It does seem a shame to pay out so much money,
and then not have things to your liking."
"Oh, the party was good enough," said Mr. St. Clair, "you're too fussy
about trifles, Isabel. Come, children, scurry off to bed, you'll get no
beauty sleep to-night, I fear."
Patty went to her room, and taking her mother's picture, sat down to talk
to it, as she did nearly every night.
"Motherdy," she said, "if you had lived to take care of me, I don't believe
you'd have liked the party we had to-night. The grown-upness of it was all
out of proportion for children, I think, and,--as usual in this house, the
expense was out of proportion to everything else. Why, Uncle Robert must
have spent a thousand dollars for it,--maybe more,--he'll probably tell us
to-morrow just how much everything cost. I liked some of the party,--the
supper was lovely, but,--well, I reckon I ate out of proportion too. You
see, little mother, it's very hard always to do just right. Now I'm going
to bed, and I'm so sleepy, I don't know as I'll wake up before to-morrow
afternoon."
She kissed the beautiful face, and putting the picture back where it
belonged, she hopped into bed and was soon fast asleep.