Perth Amboy evening news., 1919-08-29
JULIA'S GOWN
BY CHARLOTTE T. SMITH.

mencement gown first began to trou-
BILE Julia King
Fine gowns were not plentiful In
the King family. Possibly the fact
that Julia was the Oldest Of eight chill
dren may explain why her clothing
had always been of inferior quality.
Often Mrs. King sat up late at night
finishing of some garment; while the
best clothes were usually adorned with
a touch Of embroidery done wSgder-
fully well by Julia herself.
On the juniors devolved the task Of
decorating the town hall for the great
occasion.
y Then, too. who but the juniors were
to be escort for the graduatesI And
this meant much talk of gowns, shoes,
ribbons and gloves.
Julia knew very well there could be
no costly finery for her and sometimes
she went to sleep with a wet handker-
chief under her pillow, after spend
fng the evening helping her mother
make the little pink gown of 15-cent
muslin.
1t was during one Of these evenings
when Julia had been telling her moth
ler of the wonderful gowns the seniors
were having made that she suddenly
asked wfstfully:
DO you suppose I can have a silk
dress when I graduate, mother7"
"Dearle," said Mrs. King sharply, as
though something had hurt her-in
fact, Julia thought she must have
pricked her finger@"T only wish l
might promise it to you, but l can't
Julia was silent. Her mother sewed
steadily for a little while, then threw
her work aside and impulsively drew
the girls dark head to her shoulder.
"Do you think I don't realize how
much you want It'll Why, girliel the
dream Of my foolish old head for years
has been to possess a lustrous dark
blue taffeta. You didn't know your
mother a such a goose, did you?
There, run along to bed"
A few days later she went into the
kitchen where Mrs. King. her tired
ace flushed with heat, was busily
aiming rhubarb. A sudden thought
,pped into Julia's mind.
Mother /" she exclaimed. "You
know Aunt Bee said yesterday we
might have all the wild berries we
were willing to pick. There are straw
berries, blueberrfes and blackberries
In those old pastures. Oh, mother!
do you suppose you could spare me
part of the time to go out there to
pick some to sell? Seems to me l
might get enough to buy--that is, to
have-oh, I do want to have a nice
dress when I graduatei"
Mrs. King snapped a cover onto an
other can. "Spare your Yes. ma'am,"
she said briefly. "And Julia. I heard
Doctor Dustin's wife say yesterday
she would pay a girl well to stay with
the children evenings, for she likes to
ride with the doctor"
That very afternoon Julia, say Mrs.
Dustin and made arrangements to be
Der helper four evenings a week
Through July and August.
Then began a busy time for the
girl.
So the months sped by until 1t was
really time to purchase the material
kor the dreamed=of gown.
81 wish you were going to have a
new dress, marmee," said Julia Inn
pulsively one day, as Mrs. King was
Intending a little rent In the wellworn
but spotless gray dress.
sob, well, dear" responded her
mother brightly. "this old gown with
y fresh collar will do very nicely"
But to JuIia's horror as he passed
her mothers door quietly a half-hour
later, she saw Mrs. King hold the old
gray dress at arms length for a sec
Dnd, then fling it on the bed and wipe
The running tears from her face.
Two hours later Julia bounced into
the house laden with several mysteri-
Dus bundles and ran lightly up to her
room.
Mother" she called In a queer
voice. II wish you would come up =
minute. I've just bought my dress
and l never was so happy over any
thing in my lifef"
A. rather displeased lady walked up
stairs at this bidding.
"Julia," she demonstrated, "you
ought to have had an older person
with you," but stopped suddenly when
she saw the material Julia was unroll-
tng.
just a white wolfe, sheer and dam
~, to be sure, but plain white wolfe.
isn't it pretty" cooed Julia, her
dark eyes beaming with mischief.
AZ don't understand" began Mrs.
King In a dazed way.
"Do you understand thisf" yelled
her daughter suddenly as she threw a
perfect swirl of lustrous dark blue tat
fefa round the slender figure before
her.
'@Do you know, you marmee, that
you are going to have a commence
ment gown for your own sweet 81 :,
and that you are going to gradu. e
from sacrificing everything to a selfish
daughter? And here is lace to trim 1t
with" she raced on reckiessly, and
sewing silk and hooks and eyes, and
white kid gloves. And my dress Is to
be a dream, for I am going to en-
broider 1T until 1t will stand alone for
very pride. And oh, you blessed wom-
an" to the dazed mother, who had
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