Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-05-05

mother got the calico and that pink and
white checked silk on the next page but,
despite the bantering Of the combined FAM
lily, liked the calico the best, always"
There were pages and pages taken up
with lawns and light silks, merinos and
delaines. Then there came one whole page
devoted to blocks of pale blue silk, and on
the opposite page, in the angular hand
writing, the ink faded with age. was the
date and the words: 'Katharine's first
trained dress. The chlld's feet stand now
where maid and woman meet" And I'M
derneath it, in fresher characters. which
recognized as Katharine's; Seventeen beau
tiful years"
Not Given to Flirting.
After this were several pages Of scraps
that I recognized for it was at this time
that our paths met and tor four happy
years ran side by side. We had some good
laughs over some of these. One recalled a
picnic, another a party, and still another a
climb among the White mountains. Several
bits of dresses represented months visit
together in the city, and under each was
the comment, in fresher ink than the date,
which told that Katharine was a prime
favorite. Under one she had written, "Wnl
proposed; declined with thanks; what do 1
know of love?'
Poor VIII! He was such happy -go-lucky
sort of fellow he never loved anybody
very long at time. Under a light green
SILK another declination was noted This
time IN the grandmother's hand, with the
Z, i
flirting"
Poor granny! She always spoke of me as
the child; there were dozen others by
the time got into long dresses, but I was
.ne child to the end. You remember this
don't you. Sara? How proud we were the
day we rode out first with these on"
This happened to be piece Of blue
yelvet and bit Of gold braid laid across it.
vision Of two fair-haired girls in flowing
plue velvet riding habits, with waists giddily
embroidered with gold braid, mounted on
Two white horses! What a sensation such sn
Rotten Row" today! Truly the years creep
on apace! After the riding habit reminis-
cence came scraps OF dresses that 1 remem-
Sered very well indeed. for by that time we
hao become twin souls, and refreshed nv
memory with the comments that Katharine
mad made quite copiously at that period
Ihen came the graduation gowns and the
absurd picture! As Katharine turned this
page over 1 saw that the angular hand
writing had disappeared and only Kathar-
ines dainty chirography was In evidence,
The Old-Time Grandmothe
Grandmother gave the book into NV
Keeping when I came home from school.
Up to that time did not know of its ex-
istence." explained Katharine, as she touch
ed with gentle fingers lock of white hair
tied to page with a white satin ribbon.
The dear old grandmother gave 1t to me
ended her part of ii with one of her own
pretty curls. The streamer of ribbon was
on the cap that she wore a my graduation
Ihere are none OF the old school of grand
mothers left now, 1 think; none like my
grandmother, anyhow. 1t makes me shud.
der. when think that she might have
taken to bangs, hair dye, curling irons and
French novels, instead of making thread
lace and leaving me this loving reminder
or her tender love for me. l was so 6e-
Hsnted with the memory book, and to-
gether we went over 1T, and added the lit
tie touches which you find in my own hand
Not many people ever saw it, 1t is not one
OF the things that one would care to show,
you know"
After the page or two Of somber Grape
and silk that marked the first real sadness
or katharines life and the death of her
mother and grandmother came soft dove
sfays and white. Under one dead-white
sam S,a iustrous and rich, was a faded rose
white. You know" she said. as she
touched the shining fabric, did know that
IL was In this dress that she met the man
TOT love OF whom her after life was desc
late Then there were many white dresses.
SILK and challie and lawn and delaine'
Under them was usually a description of
the fashion in which they were made. Soon
e ee S n nao IN a measure. passed away.
ana pretty browns, blues and greens ap-
peareo. There was one splendid wine-red
satin. The date under this was lust six
months later. than the one under the white
Rose OF the rosebud garden of girls is What
ne called me, and he Is to wear me over"
Memories of Past joys.
AFTER this were scraps Of ball gowns re-
ception toilets, visiting and carriage dresses
without end. almost. Katharine was q
great belle at that time and much sought.
Beside each dress was the fashion. often
the picture Of the way in which It was
EIDE. The comments were a perfect index
well fitted to shine. Sometimes the pages
we're embellished with pen sketches of epi-
sodes or unusual occurrences for Kathartne
was apt with both pen and pencil. Some
there a bit of sea weed told of seaside
trips; sometimes a single fern spoke of
Wild wood rambles.
Four pages had but single date. and no
comments; that page was dated fifteen
years back. The fabrics were Of the rich
est and rarest. On a page by itself was
the dress" White satin again, thick and
creamy, and over it was laid a cuff of
duchesse lace. pair of long white gloves
wrapped in silk paper, just as they came
from the maker, were laid between the
leaves and handsomely engraved we'd
ding card was with them. There was but
enc more leaf and when turned it. there
smiled up at me from the satin-smooth
page the face of a man in splendid prime.
and written across the picture, in firm,
manly characters, was the name-"Julian
walters. Below was newspaper clip
pirg-a paragraph stating that Mr.. Julian
Walters died suddenly at sea while on his
return to the United States to claim his
promised bride. Katharine closed the book
and laid 1t back in the sandal wood box.
1T will never see the light again." she
said, as she turned the key in the lock
1T does the dead no good, and works In
Justice to the living to parade ones grief
forever before them" But as we talked
into the morning hours / knew that the
white ashes of the long burned out fire
were no more lifeless than the joys my
friend once knew.
The Girls Were wild About 1t.
When 1 came home my heart was 80 full
of the pretty sentiment Of the memory book
that I told Dorothy and Elaine about It'll
o. what a tangled web we weave, when we
give girls a chance to work out new fads.
1t was not an hour till every girl in the
set knew all about the idea-of course did
not think 1t necessary to tell the whole
history of what was inside the lids Of
Katharine's book. But told them enough
for them to get an idea Of how to make one
and 1t took like q house afire," In Dicks
expressive words. Such q diminishing
around for scraps you never saw Old
chests and drawers, piecebags and treasure
troves have been forced to yield up their
stores, and there Is no knowing where the
craze will end. From the specimens have
seen in process Of making one might almost
call them "posthumous memory books"
Jennie said very blandly, the other day, that
Of course she had no scraps of her baby
clothes but mamma remernbered all shonf