The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1899-08-02
| TlG Fore HaIdGdleSS
Of Selma Bates.
BY CAROLINE FRANCES LITTLE.

1t was on Selina's eventeenth birth
day, and while she was washing the
breakfast dishes, that her mother said
to her (:
"Now, Selma, it's about time you
began to make your clothes; my
mother began hers at 16 and / did the
same, everything in dozens with night
caps to match, and all the sheets and
pillow cases in pairs. / told your pa
and he has ordered piece of sheeting
and another of cotton cloth of lighter
weight, and it's our birthday present
to you, for we want you to have a
good setting out"
Selma looked surprised, for there
was no prospect of her marrying, but
she said:
"Thank you, ma, but guess there
amt no great hurry"
''No one knows, replied Mrs. Bates,
as she moulded her loaves of bread
and placed them in the pans; ''it's
alters best to be forehanded, but 1 do
wish you didn't favor you pa; it's well
enough for man to have red hair,
but it looks kinder bold in woman.
Selma cut out the first garment for
her trousseau that very day, and as
the weeks went by she found certain
pleasure in it. When each garment
or sheet was finished she laid it away
in her mothers, wedding trunk, plac-
ing sprig of lavender between the
folds.
There was great deal to be done
in the farmhouse, so that Selma did
not find as much time for her new
work rs she wished, but then, as she
often said, "There amt no great
hurry, ma"
When she was 10 man came to the
village and opened singing class in
the schoolhouse; the term was to con-
sist of twelve lessons. Seliua and
her friends all joined, but. as she had
the best voice the teacher soon be-
gan to show signs OF interest in her,
and during the last few weeks OF the
term he called for her and escorted
her home from the class; on Sunday
evenings he frequently dropped in,
ITO take dish of tea," as Mrs. Bates
expressed it, and go to meeting with
Selma. The happy girl worked all
the time that she could spare from her
duties upon her mysterious white gar
ments.
The last night of the singing school
came, and as he walked home with her
her heart beat fast.
''Seline," he said, 81 have been n
wanting to tell you something, but
al II 30
Her cheeks grew as red as her hair
as he continued:
'I'm going to be married in the
spring"
"You don't say" she calculated,
with little nervous giggle. She
wished that she had begun her "set-
ting out" when she was 16 rs her
grandmother and mother had done.
"Yes," said he, ''she and | have
been keeping company for long spell
back. She's right pretty, with brown
hair, but her voice amt as strong as
yours; she works in the cotton mills
up to Lowell, and guess that's bad
for her throat"
So that romance ended, but still
Selma sewed ON, for it takes a long
time to make everything in sets OF
dozens with nightcaps to match.
When she was 27 her mother died,
and her last injunction was:
''Don't wear any of them garments;
your unbleached is good enough, and
add to your stock as you get time.
It's alters best to be forehanded.
When she was 81 her father died,
and the farm was hers; but oh! the
loneliness of her life. Hiram, "the
hired help" whom her father had en-
ployed, carried ON the farm for her.
The years came and went until at
last her 37th birthday dawned. She
went up to the trunk that day (she al.
ways aired the contents of 1t twice O
year, and renewed the sprigs oil
lavender).
''Twenty years ago today, "she said
rather bitterly, as she unfolded the
garments, II cut out the first one,
and they are all done, and have been
for years, with caps to matchl Twenty
years. But as mother said, Its
sIlsrs best to be forehanded, and I'm
that II amt nothing else"
When she was washing the few tea
dishes that night she heard knock
at the kitchen door. Drying hei
hand@ on the roller she opened it.and