Year: 1879

1
match. Had not Mrs. Jupe already remark
ed itH And was not the maroon turned to
purple by the proximity of the silk, as any
one could see ?


4 should have thought that you would
have bought American silk. They usually
offer it at Morton a. Brier's to make up with
these heavy goods. 1t wears so much better
and costs less, you know by a good deal !;
being so much wider, too, it cuts to better
advantage


1T came from New York. said poor, crest.
fallen Mrs Fay. But there was no pride in
her voice.


Miss Nudge was measuring it off from her
nose to the ends of her fingers. Eight
yards That will never do--not if you take
off three quarters for bonnet and face the
skirt. 1t will not trim it Handsomely


Il thought it large pattern faltered
Mrs. Fay.


We'll, yes-of American silk But a cou.
pie of yards more will do and you had bet
ter send for it at once. Perhaps you may
as well say three while you are about it. A
scrap over is never out of place. This is
very pretty basket cloth, she went on, d.
Dramatically, for Mrs. Fay's face revealed
her chagrin. Il saw the same at Mortons !;
two dollars and half, was it not p


Two dollars and a half 1t was three.
| And it cannot be the same. sent to New
York for this Mrs. Fay could have cried
with vexation.


You sent TO New York p The dress
makers sharp eyes measured Mrs. Fay and
the plainly furnished bed from where the
cutting was going on with one keen, calcu-
lating glance. But she said nothing more.
And Mrs. Fay sent TO New York for three
additional yards of silk. Her heart sank as
she broke her last ten dollar bill to pay for
this and the necessary Innings and facings,
buttons and cord, without which no feminine
garment can be brought into existence And
| Aunt Maria's cloak shrank more in its pro-
portions until it entirely passed out of
sight.
shall do the rest myself she said to
Susan james, as the latter laid by her work
at the end of her third day.
DO you think you can p There was dis
| appointment in Susan's faded eyes That
blind stitch is hard to do nicely if one is not
used to it.


Poor Susan Even one more day would
be something. 1t would earn the price of a
New York dinner. Work was not easily
found in these days, and she had depended
upon at least week here.


Il am sorry and know it isn't easy to
do The tea j were in Mrs. Fsy's eyes,
Was she not worn out with it already But
indeed, Susan. must do it.
So Susan folded the waist neatly and laid
it with lingering hand beside the skirt on
Mrs. Fay's own bed, then donned her old,
worn cloak and went away.


When the dress was at last finished and
put on for Johns inspection, the night be-
fore New Year, not even the warm bright
hue could bring a trace of color to the pale,
worn face of its wearer But John did not
notice it.


Yes he said absently it is very pretty
dear, and I'm glad if you enjoy it-but it
has cost me more than can well afford.


A shiver ran all the way down little Mrs
Fay's spine. She could not ask what he
meant. Was it Susan Jane ? Was it


Il suppose you told somebody that you got
it in New York. At any rate, Morton &
Brier heard that my wife had been buying
fifty-douar dress in New York, and Morton
said that two could play at that game. So
he went down to Hartford and bought the
steam heater he had been looking at for the
store, and Brier ordered another for his
house


1T was that dressmaker She must have
told it. l always thought she looked like a
spiteful thing, and didn't ask her TO our
table, gasped Mrs. Fay, growing whittier still


Very likely, only know have lost their
trade, which is a good deal in these times.
But don't lei it distress you, dear He was
frightened at the expression of his wife's
face. 1t is too late to mend it, Let us think
of something else.' And be drew her down
upon his knee. What have you got for
Aunt Maria


Il have got her-I have made her. Mrs.
Fay began Historically, %; John-I have
got her ginger jar !


"A ginger jar No wonder Fay stared.
| Don't laugh. And Mrs. Fay proceeded
to further astonsh her husband by bursting
into tears. 1T is decorated, you know, and
and looks like Kioto, Mrs. Jupe says.
can't tell you, ohn-but-everything cost
so much, and!the silk was too narrow, and
had to get more, and-and there wasn't any
money left for the cloak


Il see how it is said kind John, who
knew more than she dreamed. He gather
ed her up in his arms and essayed to sooths
the frightful sobs. we have learned good
lesson, though hard one, haven't we little
woman ? We will patronize home institu
tions-at least until we can draw our income
from abroad


) The next day John Fay took his old over
coat quietly to the talor's and had it re-
bound, countermanding his order for new
) one, and Aunt Maria had her new cloak af
ter all and happening to meet Morton OF
the street, who gave him the cold should
er, he stopped him and told him the Who'll,
transaction, since it was too late to benef
himself by the story. The result of whicl
was that it was not too late at all. Th,
truth had been only halt told. The Hart
ford order had been threatened, not carrie,
out, and the steam heaters were bought 0
John Fay himself.


Susan Jane was surprised by an invitation
; to dinner on New Years day. OF cours
she came, and she contrived to take fe,
needful stitches upon the new dress. Tha
blind stitch had been indeed very trying t
the unskilled fingers. And the dinner wa
happy affair-John even proposinp a toas