Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1903-12-15
AliCe's
Graduating Dress

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What is the matter with my lit.le
aaugates?" asked Mrs. Ecck. as sac
tendecly placed her hand oa 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 ner head quickly AID
smiling into her mothers anxioIs
face, Il was only thinking thinking
hard and you could never guess what
about, but l will tel you so you need
not begin % pucker UP your forehead
into those naughty wrinkles and wear
your dear self out trying to guess. :
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
ana worrying, too. should say, froa
your sober face?"
Yes, know am little previous,
as Tom would say. but I have been
wondering lat& # l could not do
something myself about getting my
dress If began in time. Fati-er seems
50 worried nowadays about money
matters. and hate 20 have him put
70 extra expense for ne, AID I have
hard some OF the girls in this years
.sz e.ass y. : a. besides the
dress each one has to pay her sAare
towards the cost OF the recer on;
there's the hall, Invitations, rei.esh-
HleFts al thai, s. that graduating
really &c. 5 quite lot
"0f course want pretty dress Ike
the other girls Our class colors are
white and nale green. aaG the dresses
Will be wn4te witt lovely. soft, pale
green Liberty silk sashes. and we will
each carry a big bunch OF white pinks
a. IiIe :. ~ leaves. and VIE rib
ions on tire bouquets
Are they going to De muslin dress
esp questioned tcr c-0the~ "Cne
w 3u!d rot cost very much and I cor'd
make it for you. gIancing l'.,e
drU5tfai.y at Aes stained, to.i-worn
facats
~, q Is just MIA: I don't W. :"
cried Alice. q want not only to earn
enough money for my dress and all
tie fxines,' but also enough TO pay
" g Burns for making it. I dot
want you and father TO have a bit OF
trouble or thought about it. l thiak
7 a Tn
an rot going to ten you about that
now and jumping I'D she threw her
arms around her mothers neck, Civ
ing her sounding kiss on the thin
cheek, and whispered, This is a rea.
secret until to-norroW, mother. dear,
aad ran gaily of to schcol.
Mrs. Black sighed and THOUGHT,
Lear child. she is a.ways so fun of
hope and courage, do hope she will
succeed, but l caI..o; think what she
ran find to Go. she knows. however,
how her father and l feel about her
staying out Of doors al the time she
possibly can out CO school. so she is
no: planning any indoor work trust
1t will be something We can heartily
approve OF, so she will have nothing to
dampen her enthusiasm"
me next day vas Saturday, anl
while Alice was helping her mothe,
with the breakfast dishes. she conf
ded her all important secret with
many smiles and joyous exclamat' ons
Il have talked with father" she
cried "and he says I can Try it, but
he hasn't much faith in 1t. and says
he thinks he will have 10 come to the
rescue when II is time for graduating,
and be trusts by that time his long ex-
lected 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. ISa't ;Aat fina
scheme, mother? shall BE having
outdoor exercise, tee, that you and
father are always talking about"
put the bushes are all Hr.ted In
with grass. and then every year tbs
currant worms eat of the leaves SC
the eurrants dry up. don't see how
you can do much with raising cur
rants. Isn't there something else voi
could do better with? All the papers
say one can make money with hens.
though l have never been able to dc
30" said Mrs. Black sighing.
No hens for me, they are much too
contrary to suit me, tiresome crea-
lures, I am going to give the cur
rants a trial anywa.. The very first
warm day I am going to hire Jerry
Neal to spade up all the grass about
the bushes and then every minute out
Of school l am going to pull up the
sod and shake off all dirt, and pick
out all the grass can between the
bushes, then l will cut out some OF
the old wood. Father said 1t might be
. good thing TO put wood ashes on
the bushes, l think he said a pint for
each bush would be about right.
will wear some Old gloves so you will
not feel bad abou. my hands. and II
feel tired OF my bargain, I will keep