CHAPTER XXVI.
THE RIVAL BONNETS.
I HAVE a pleasant story to relate of a couple of fashionables of our city, which will serve to diversify these "Confessions," and amuse the reader.

To the incidents, true in the main, I have taken the liberty of adding some slight variations of my own.
A lady of some note in society, named Mrs.Claudine, received a very beautiful bonnet from New York, a little in advance of others, and being one of the rival leaders in the fashionable world, felt some self-complacency at the thought of appearing abroad in the elegant head-gear, and thereby getting the reputation of leading the fashion.
Notwithstanding Mrs.Claudine's efforts to keep the matter a secret, and thus be able to create a surprise when she appeared at church on the next Sunday, the fact that she had received the bonnet leaked out, and there was some excitement about it.

Among those who heard of the new bonnet, was a Mrs.Ballman, who had written to a friend to get for her the very article obtained first by Mrs.Claudine.
From some cause or other a delay had occurred, and to her chagrin she learned that a rival had the new fashion, and would get the _eclat_ that she so much coveted.

The disappointment, to one whose pleasures in life are so circumscribed as those of a real fashionable lady, was severe indeed.

She did not sleep more than a few hours on the night after she received the mortifying intelligence.
The year before, Mrs.Claudine had led the fashion in some article of dress, and to see her carry off the palm in bonnets on this occasion, when she had striven so hard to be in advance, was more than Mrs.Bellman could endure.