The Jennings daily record., 1902-07-07
AIiCe'S
Graduating Dress

+ 's''''s''s' 's''s's*'*-'
What is the matter with my little
daughter?" asked Mrs. Black. as she
tenderly placed her hand on Alice's
bent head, and with loving fingers
lifted the long, heavy braid of shin
ing brown hair that hung far down
over the chair back
Nothing, mother, dear" answered
Alice, raising her head quickly and
smiling into her mothers anxious
face, II was only thinking-thinking
hard. and you could never guess what
about, but will tell you, SO you need
not begin to pucker up your forehead
into those naughty wrinkles and wear
your dear self out trying to guess. y
was thinking about my graduation
dress"
But. Alice, you will not graduate
for three years. Isn't it rather too
soon to be planning about your dress
and worrying. too, l should say, from
your sober face?"
Yes, know l am little previous
as Tom would say. but I have been
wondering lately if l could not do
something myself about getting my
dress if began in time. Father seems
SO worried nowadays about money
matters. and l hate to have him put
to extra expense for me, and l have
heard some of the girls in this years
graduating class say, that besides the
dress each one has to pay her share
towards the cost of the reception;
there's the hall, invitations, refresh
ments and all that, so that graduating
really costs quite lot.'
"Of course l want pretty dress like
the other girls. Our class colors are
white and pale green, and the dresses
will be white with lovely, soft, pale
green Liberty silk sashes, and we Will
each carry big bunch Of white pinks
and fine green leaves, and white riD-
bons on the bouquets"
Are they going to be muslin dress
es?" questioned her mother One
would not cost very much, and | could
make it for YOU" glancing a little
doubtfully at her stained, toil-wovn
fingers.
But that is just what don't want"
cried Alice. 81 want not only to earn
enough money for my dress and all
the fxings.' but also enough to pay
Miss Burns for making it. / don't
want you and father to have bit of
trouble or thought about it. l think
l have found way to do it, too, but
l am not going 70 tell you about that
now" and jumping up she threw her
arms around her mothers neck, Civ
ing her sounding kiss on the thin
cheek, and whispered, This is real
secret until tomorrow. mother, dear"
and ran gaily off to school.
Mrs. Black sighed and thought.
Dear child. she is always so full of
hope and courage, l do hope she will
succeed, but l cannot think what she
ran find to do; she knows. however.
how her father and I feel about her
staying out of doors all the time She
possibly can out of school, so she is
no. planning any indoor work l trust
it will be something we can heartily
approve of, so she will have nothing to
dampen her enthusiasm"
The next day was Saturday. and
while Alice was helping her mother
with the breakfast dishes. she conf
ded her all important secret with
many smiles and joyous exclamations
81 have talked with father" she
cried, "and he says ! can try it, but
he hasn't much faith in it, and says
he thinks he will have to come to the
rescue when it is time for graduating,
and he trusts by that time his long ex-
pected ship will surely have come in"
Il have been looking over some Of
fathers farming papers lately and one
woman wrote how she had made mon
ey with currants, and that is what |
am going to try. Isn't that a fine
scheme, mother? l shall be having
outdoor exercise, too, that you and
father are always talking about"
But the bushes are all swarded in
with grass, and then every year the
currant worms eat off the leaves SO
the currants dry, up. I don't see how
you can do much with raising cur
rants. Isn't, there something else you
could do better with? All the papers
say one can make money with hens,
though l have never been able 'tor do
So said Mrs. Black signing.
mo hens for me, they are much too
contrary TO suit me, tiresome crea-
lures, ! am going to give the cur
rants d trial anyway. The very first
warm DAY | am going to hire Jerry
Neal to spade up all-the grass about
the bushes and then every minute out
of school am going to pull up the
sod and shake Off all dirt. and pick
out all the grass I can between the
bushes, then will cut out some of
the old wood. Father saidsit might be
a good thing, to put wood ashes ON
the bushes, think he said pint for
each bush would be about right.
willrvear some old gloves SO you will