Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1875-02-27

said Miss Bryant. "What are the girls
going to make this afternoon when they
come here?"
"Dress dolls. There's a great deal
made on dolls if you understand it. If
you dress them cheaply and showily, and
sew on the CLOTHES, you more than
quadruple the cost in the profit. Don't
you see q
81 understand. I was sacrificed to
such dolls in my childhood. Flimsy
tarlatan and spangles, and to cut a stitch
was to sacrifice q whole wardrobe. And
the doll had on nothing to speak of dur
ing the rest of her natural existence. Do
these young ladies propose to immo-
late the Juveniles also on the altar of
economy"
What queer girl you are don't
know what you mean OF course they
want to make all they can forthe bazaar.
But here come the first of them,
while we are talking, and here is Mrs.
Johnson's man with the dolls in a
clothes-basket ~
In truth, it was pretty, kindly
sight to see the girls gathered together
in Mrs Aliens pretty rooms. Girls are
so pretty in themselves that it don't mat
ter what they do; they are always the
incest of all things to look at. But to-
day they meant business. There were
bright, experienced ones who cut, and
industrious ones who sewed, and ignor-
ant ones who botched, and idle ones who
shirked, and busybodies who inspected
but did not work, as always in such af,
fairs.
Miss Bryant came in while they were
the busiest, with her walking dress on,
and the brightest of smiles on her face.
"Well, girls, how many have got to
dress?"
"Just as many as you please. There's
hundred here, and each of us can dress
one nicely this afternoon" said one
pretty girl.
"That's only twenty. Well, I'll dress
fifty"
"Fifty dolls Oh, Miss Bryant, you
are too good" And buzz of approba-
ton ran through the circle.
"No, I'm not. Fifty dolls isn't much
to dress for ones bleeding country.
Select fifty of the prettiest and largest.
Put them into the basket, and I'll call
for them in an hour or so" And Miss
Bryant walked off.
The carriage was at the door, and Miss
Bryant drove away in it. She drove a
long way up Washington street, and got
out at droll little shop, kept by an old
lady in her front parlor-a funny little
old lady in full-bordered cap.
It would have done your heart good
to have seen Miss Bryant tumble over
the droI little piles of goods that had
lain on the shelves SO long, some of
them, that they were quite shelf-worn.
But there were remnants of silks of
bright colors, of bobbinet lace, illusions,
edgin4s summer silks in little checks,
and small remnants of lining silks
bright merinos and wool delaines, balls
of narrow ribbons odds and ends of all
sorts and kinds. The shelves looked
quite bare when Miss Bryant paid the
bill, and the face of the little old lady
grew lovely to behold.
"How comes on the winter, Mrs.
Hazard?" asked Miss Bryant.
"Pretty bad, pretty bad. You see,
I'd rented my upper room to Nelly
Moore and her mother. And now she's
out of work, owing to Mrs. Jones dis
missing her extra help on account of
hard times, and expect they'll have to
move, and then what I'll do to pay the
rent puzzles me-
"I'll just step up there" said Miss
Bryant, just as if that was not what she
intended to do.
$50, Nelly" said Miss Bryant, you
are not going to be as busy as formerly
for while. Tn ever so glad, for it
helps me out of an embarrassment. I've
got fifty dolls to dress for the bazaar.
Of course I'm not SO silly as to do Tiny
self. Here's the material to dress them.
Can you do it?'
"In two weeks-yes, if mother will
help on the plain things. It's all hand
work mostly, and takes time"
"Well, they are of all sizes; some of
them very handsome; some small and
easy to dress. Now they must be honest
ly dressed, at least all the larger ones,
with the clothes to come off and put on,
just as little girls love them best; and if
you cannot do it all, tell me. Let
Catharine Waters do up the clothes that
need it-she is out of work too-and tell
her to send me the bill
"Well, it's hard enough on her," said
Nelly; "but Mrs. Rochester says that
, they cannot afford a laundress this win
ter, and keep their cook too"
" Humphl" said Miss Bryant. "I'n
: bring you around the dolls before dark. u
r When Miss Bryant came back she fell
0 for moment as if she had missed hel
way, and got into beehive, there was
: such a busy hum.
8 "I'm sure try to be economical,
, said one young lady, teacher of music
81 save a dollar week washing hand
IS kerchiefs and collars, and that's what Tn
going to give to the bazaar. I feel q,
d if had earned it almost.
And the bazaar is to help the poor p
a said Miss Bryant, with that odd smil