The Newtown bee., 1904-08-12
THE HOME CIRCLE.
WHAT SHALL LITTLE MINDS
 WEAR TO DANCING SCHOOL.
BY CORA HAwEs HEWITT.


 BY CORA HAwEs HEWITT.
 ''Mamma, if all the other girls wear their silk dresses, want to wear mine to dancing school"
 "Dear who are all the girls?" asked mamma quietly. "Why, Mamie, Hattie, Jennie and Lottie, ' faltered, Margarete, as she realized her ''all" numbered only four.
 Mamma could not quite conceal a smile, then she called Margarete to her. Little daughter" she said, as she took her upon her lap, "Mamie, Hattie, Jennie and Lottie could wear silk dresses to every dance if they chose, but they would not like to keep all the other members of the class away by doing so. Do you think they would?" "Of course not," exclaimed Margarete, in surprise, Eve couldn't dance and there would be no fun in dressing up just for five girls, but how would they keep the other children away, mamma?" "If you had only a bright green calico dress to wear this afternoon, and I made you wear it, what would you say and what would the other children do?" "Oh mamma, I'd never go to dancing school again, and" "But if all the girls wore green calicoes," interrupted mamma. "Why, I should not care at all," and then Margarete seeing the quizzical look on her mamma $ face said: "Oh, see what you mean, mamma, guess will wear worsted dress. Are you coming to-day?" "Yes, dearie, I will be ready as soon as you are." When they entered the assembly room, Mar garete's face clouded for several of the girls were dressed in gay, pretty silks, but the majority wore cloth suits, like herself. "Why didn't you wear your blue silk?" whispered Lottie to Mar garete as she took her seat next to her.
 II didn't wish to-" was the reply. "Move away, you muss my dress" was the impatient remark Lottie made to the little friend on the other side, a sweet faced, delicate, little girl, who flushed then silently made space be- tween them. She was dressed daintily but not richly, simply and tastefully as child should be. The silk dresses flounced and whirled and were much in evidence. At the close of the ses- sion the teacher, who had been observ- ing not only the new dresses but the new manners they seemed to have de- velOped, said to the children, "Next week, want all my pupils to wear new clothes. was surprised to see how meanly dressed some of you were." The wearers of the silk dress es smiled with satisfaction and were more important than ever. The oth- CTS looked half-ashamed and half amazed at Miss Towards words, while rising indignation was plainly visible on the faces of the parents and cha perons. "Yes," continued the teach CT, but not clothes that rustic and muss and declare, How much nicer they are than anyone else'.' The ex- pressions began to change-"But clothes to keep the little hearts warm and the little ways sweet and unself- ish." "What does she mean?" whis- pered the children to one another. Margarete partly understood. She glanced toward her mamma and saw that she smilingly approved. When they returned home Margarete asked, Mamma, did Miss Howard mean for us to be more kind and polite?" *'Dearie, am not going to explain for you must use your own little brain and think it out for yourself" Through the week the girls at school conferred with one another and pon- dered and puzzled as to the meaning of their teachers words, but their parents told them, as Margarete s mamma did, ITO think it out for themselves" At the next dancing lesson the silk dresses did not appear, but a new scholar did, dressed quite simply. She was shy and timid but a beautiful child. In the Lancers, she made several blunders but no one no- ticed it, and once, while practlcing the 1.-two step", she was way behind the others and stood all alone for a moment but, before she had chance to feel embarrassed, Margarete had quietly taken her hand and danced off with her. One of the other girls sent hnr nartnAf to her. aS he HaS one of