Middletown transcript., 1908-02-22

I had. Isaid ! thought needed
! new dress before / could go.
The speech was intended for.
fathers ear, for, honestly, never
thought Of mother giving up the
only good dress she owned.
don't mind telling you what prob
ably you already know, that if
he would only think so, father
could let US have everything we
wanted, but somehow he never
thinks a woman should have
more than one dress at a time.
Well, do you know. when
mother told mewhat sheintended
to do, | never tried to per-
sude her to keep it, but accept
ed it quite as a matter Of course.
After that talk with you things
looked much different to me. You
know lam naturally handy with
a needle, and that night after
1 left you, | made up my mind
that not only should mother keep
her dress, but she should be the
one to go to Bertha's. Well, as
luck would have it, Aunt Polly
Barrett was sick and had sent for
mother to come up that evening.
I'm sorry, mother said, for | had
expected to get Alice's dress
started.
! said, Never mind, you run
along to Aunt Polly's. She
seemed a good deal relieved be-
took it so, well and went
off. Then if didn't rummage
all my fixings and some
OF Bertha's old finery, and | man
aged to make mothers dress look
quite presentable. While / was
working father came in, and see.
ing me working on mothers
dress seemed to provoke him, for
he said he should think 1 had
clothes enough without robbing
my mother of hers.
told him | was going to per-
suade mother to go to Bertha's
in my place and I was fixing up
the dress for her. | only wish
she could have new cloak or
cape, I added. can manage the
hat, and | know she has good
gloves, but can'tsee any way of
getting a cape for her. did not
dare TO look up, but knew father
was scratching his bald head, a
sure sign that he was thinking,
and finally he said Well, if you
are anxious enough about your
mothers going to give up a visit
and a new dress, ] guess can
help you out on the cape busi-
ness, and he handed me the if
teen dollars ! Maybe wasn't de-
lighted ! l jumped up and gave
him a bear-hug, the like of which
he has not received in many
days.
The next morning when mother
came home, she said Now guess
you will have to do all the house
work for couple of days, Alice,
or shall not get your dress fin
ished in time. Not knowing
what else to do, ! told her that
she was to go and l was to stay
at home. OF course she said that
she could not go-she had no
cape or hat to wear. Then ex-
planned about what father had
done. and she broke down and
cried, but I made her get ready
and we went down town and ac-
tually managed a cape aud hat
with that fifteen dollars.
/ heard mother ask father if
be could spare the money all
her way. She
never seems to think he might
give us more. Father smiled and
said he got full value for it last
night. That made me laugh, for
never knew one of my kisses
was worth fifteen dollars to
father. I smiled first, and then
the thought came to me that per-
maps had blamed father too
much and had not shown him all
5he love and respect I,should.
Well, mother went Saturday
with orders TO stay two whole
so ! have all the work on
my hands. I'm afraid father will
think | am poor housekeeper if
be comes home and finds supper
S not ready; but | don't believe
he would say anything now, for
someway he seems different.
Mind, all this came of your fixing
lp your mother, and I telryou it
las been worth more than a
lozen new dresses to me. / wish
Ill the girls would try for just
,nce to fix up their mothers in
'tead of taking everything for
Ihonealunc &c I have bnan IN tlao