THE NEW DRESS

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4313, 23 March 1901, Page 4 (Supplement)

THE NEW DRESS

It wm tea time in ihe.cdsy little fiat. liSfp Qqlem arv and, her Rimmed (laughter sat near the'fire Hewing. , . Auroha' hurried intp the. room, cleared! <rff the. tea tray, laid oat her. Butte riokypatterns on the. table, and in. fammprt haste began to cut out a'skirt. All this took place; ifi jailence except fctf! frrt y *i' y... ''i x^r. f “Aurelia, •deac,. did -you change; thh fcoolcsia't.the: libraryfor,,true?’.’ from Mrs Qr.lnma.n- <1 have. nothing ,to read toedgEt.”. /i:, 4 Wd^. : ifl6tiiior,“dcyri’t -bo unreasonable! Tou know It’s my TOmimsgioT going to »ee my poorfaintlies;* amir I never allow anything to interfere with my duty to “ &^u-CP*ti.STo4dt‘&s(to* rule* in. difel alw»yd tovhelp' others' leaS fortunate thafl. myiblfton show rtbeih 1 - sympathy - and kindness, -iro ; 1 matter- 'whuit .self-sacrifice ft iuVWvee;" Jhi • ■ • “Whb6© self-saccrifioe P said the brother;- Who' 'entered at-’ this moment. “Where's the sewing machine?” said Aurelia ‘briefly". " - - i r “Behind the ohair -trader the table in the ' corner,” wax' the, reply from Mrs Coleman. "■ Tho' marniii! daughter glanced - at-heir, ' but : she waf J 9ufite : uninttintiofiolly hum--mods, so Mrs Stevenson' continued her wort-In''silVhhO. *; . •' 1 ‘ " “Tou pigi '-Alin,” ‘ said Aurelia,' “you might “liayr got' fl>r m&. ' But l don't want it 'dko''rt ) eaG' r oaf" ‘VoUhT' V<fo, 1 l&Ve ’ two ideats w at''thp^ ; back'" You y.:' .i’ ■ C'.i ,i . Presently ehei etOppeci. workingand. gazed at them all. “Would it bo very extravagant of me if I got a new frock,this autumn?” Thomas looked up from his tea. “When did you order it?" “You know* I was'at-Bond-street this morning and I saw it. It gave me an idea, so I really couldn’t help just going in : to Prescott and, tilling her., it extravagant of me?!'. “Yes-”. . This was. from the married sister, w., ... ....

“Well, I wanted .'one— badly. I only had my dark blue serge dress and, that grey cashmere lord two .Prescott’s making, and the one I’ve gpt on. and the one Ihn jmalnng and a dark' satin one for parties and —” ■■■■,• ■• ■ • "Couldn’t look/worse in‘any/’ ohaerv. ed . pulling ,1116 chair near the fire. ,■

“Andl the old-black one-I really wanted it.;; Anyway/ it’s, ordered now. Now, what colour of a blouse ought this to hare P; I' thought of —” ; “Green,”" said the'mstrried sister, to draw her l .out- V • • “Toil know green, makes me look’ like parchment 1 No, I thought of Oh I that reminds me/ noW dress is a hoautiful-Warm “Just .the thing .to-eat.every particle of What colons 1 you, have got —” "And- it’s to have a bolero andsomething ruffled up d'own the front.” “Ruffled up? You’d hot find that in any. —” ■ ' • ■ u-u'./-;,'.*;,-. - - 'Wery likely not, in your pot Johnson Thomas/’ •'

Thomas 1 smiled at the .fire and drew forth, his'evening edition, of the "Globe.” “Yos,” pursued Aurelia., “what do you think? i thought tucked white,' tiny tucks 1 all the way down to the waist.’ Anri, then Oh, at tho pla«r yesterday I saW .sudU r .a lovely girl with such a pretty frock 1 .It was .pink, with lovely real; old! laoe. all fulled! up round'its neck, out . rather .low. : It had bare anus ' v-; '

“TbftflT it wouhhA "dor-for; yon,. Ausaid 1 ThOmaa.’He polled his chair pearer the fire;’' “You’re too skinny,”’ ho finished brutally. ■ “Oh, hut mine’s to have long laoe —” “Good Lord!” .... “She was jmch a pretty girl! I went down" afterwards to apeak to her. She remembered td» : ~r” , “Beally! . You ihowi :you’ye. changed very much,'Amelia,” remarked the married sister. . . Aurelia ‘glanced at her sharply, but Iwr feihe was blank except for away hack in her;,eye was a;’ gleam.' of ‘something Aurelia did not catch.

“Yod, pigj- ’ishe observed again, “we •had a long talk.’ We.were at Lea Fontaines, together.,. »ne asked .me. to ..go and (Mo/herj; I. said! I would, but I’m ■' ' ’ , ; ... ■ You know, -dmt'J <<—” paid Mrs Coleman.:: . ; ;... .'.O. 1

“It’ll 'bo such a pretty , frock—all’ brown, and-the- bolero —oh. I forgot to, tell you "befdfei “Ipi ‘ Begjent-street I saw ' Some 1 sweet-’ enamel buttons—simply sweet ! I - couldn’t- -resisif them. Just one 'dhubhy little pink I ,'Chpid;'on- each.’.’ Nothing.' else. ■ " I got eight. ■’ But,” doubtfully, “it was- a little dear. They were 'seven shillings.’’’ “What 1” * the r lot incthired ’ Thomas.'. “N—ri—o. "Each.'' But .they’re.-got now; anyway.' . It” wasn’t so, very. extravagant of me, was it,,. Thomas,”' she appealed; “what do t think .

“I ? ■ jl think you.’xe a blithering miss--ing .link,"'ie responded.grimly. I Aurelia: took this in. stupefied silence. After; a; pause she began again. ■ “Yes,: it must bo full-in front. And 1 of Thomas arose and went out and shut' the door softly behind him. “Thomas is most unsympathetic, that I must say,-remarked! Aurelia'.—“Westminster Bridget.”' ■ -■ • -