Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1912-09-13
49,.
Wicked
Grandmother


think you'd better go to your own
room for a while.
She's such queer child" she
went on after Harriet had disappeared
with gulp of despair. "She simply
determined that she won't wear her
new dress to the party tomorrow. She
wants to wear her old ONE"
Grandmother Hilton, to whom the
remark was addressed, passed over
this unnatural state of mind without
comment. "Why doesn't she want to
wear the new one?" she asked.
"She says 1t makes her look funny"
moaned Harriet's mother. "She says
it's not like the other girls dresses.
Well, didn't want it to be like the
other girls dresses. l tried so hard
to make it have little individuality"
"Oh!" said Grandmother Hilton. cot
course you're right, DEAR" she said,
after a moments reflection, "but since
it makes her so unhappy don't you
think it would be better to let her
wear the old one?"
when she has perfectly new
one?" cried Mr.. Martin, desperately.
At this moment Harriet's tear STAIN
ed face appeared in the doorway.
"Then can / not go to the party.
mother?" she hiccoughed.
Harriet" said her mother, sternly,
you will go to that party and you will
wear the very pretty and unusual
looking dress that 1 got for you. Not
another word. please"
Harriet gave vent to her feelings In
sudden loud howl "Oh!" she walled.
"How can you be SO mean to me? l
don't mind a bit staying at home II
you will let me, but 1t will just kill
me to wear that dress. There isn't
another girl in the world that has one
like it. can't bear to wear It."
Mrs. Martin looked at her own
mother. Did you ever hear anything
like It? It's ridiculous!" she exclaim-
ed, forlornly.
The atmosphere of the household
was fraught with gloom during the
rest of the day. Harriet's swollen
eyes and general air of desolation
gave the place the effect of a tomb.
When Harriet's father-who went up
on the general principle that Harriet
should be allowed to do exactly as she
pleased so long as it would do her no
bodily injury-came home and learned
the cause of his daughters deep de-
preston, he laughed.
"Well, for goodness sake, why don't
you let the kid wear the old one? he
inquired.
Then he observed the firm line
made by his wife's- lips and he knew
there was no use in discussing the
matter further. A new silver dollar
bestowed on Harriet helped to relieve
the tension, but the watery little smile
which he received was far cry from
the joyous peal of laughter that he
had hoped for. Consequently he, too,
was depressed and silent.
After Harriet had gone to school
the next morning Mrs. Martin, with
the air of a defiant culprit, took the
bone of contention into her mothers
room. "Now, isn't it pretty dress?
she asked, belligerently.
Indeed it Is" said Grandmother
Hilton with enthusiasm. tits just as
pretty as it can be, but it Is rather
different from the way most of the
girls dresses are made, isn't it?"
"I wanted it to be different" said
Mrs. Martin, obstinately. ut is so
much prettier than the way dresses
are made now and I want Harriet to
have a little independence"
Grandmother Hilton smoothed out
the soft folds gently. There was no
hint of guile in her tone, nor was
there in her sweet face when she
spoke again.
Don't you think 1t needs pressing,
Genevieve?" she asked. Suppose
you let me run down to the kitchen
and smooth 1t out little"
ooh, will you, mother?" said Mrs.
Martin gladly. "It does need pressing
and I'm so rushed this morning that
don't see how I'll get time to do it."
Grandmother Hilton's face was still!
as innocent as that Of a newborn
babe when she began gently to run
the iron over the delicate little frock
1t was surely no fault Of hers that
she was suddenly the victim of an at
tack of sneezing. 1t was not until she
had sneezed three times rather de-
liberately that she remembered she
had left the hot iron resting on the
filmy frock. When she lifted 1t the
imprint of the whole iron showed
plainly. In one place the material
was burned quite through! Mutely
she gathered up the dress and meekly
she laid the evidence of her evil do
ings before her daughter.
I'm afraid I'm getting very care
less and forgetful, DEAR" she said
contritely. ut was unforgivable."
Mrs. Martins feelings were too deep
for words.
It was a very happy, gay Harriet
who danced out of the house that
afternoon on her way to the party,
wearing her beloved little old frock
that was "just like the other girls"
Her mother and her grandmother
watched her lovingly until she had
trotted around the corner. Then Mrs
Martins expression became slightly
cynical.
"What fortunate accident that was
for Harriet" she said as she turned