went rustling on, to her great admiration, for she considered Polly
a beauty.
“Well, no, I think it will probably be a lecture,” answered Polly,
laughing, for Jenny’s grateful service and affectionate eyes
confirmed the purpose which Miss Mills’ little homily had
suggested.
As she entered the Shaws’ parlor an hour or two later, an appalling
array of well-dressed girls appeared, each provided with a dainty
reticule, basket, or bag, and each tongue going a good deal faster
than the needle, while the white fingers stitched sleeves in upside
down, put flannel jackets together hind part before, or gobbled
button-holes with the best intentions in life.
“You are a dear to come so early. Here ‘s a nice place for you
between Belle and Miss Perkins, and here ‘s a sweet little dress to
make, unless you like something else better,” said Fanny, receiving
her friend with warmth and placing her where she thought she
would enjoy herself.
“Thank you, I ‘ll take an unbleached cotton shirt if you have such a
thing, for it is likely to be needed before a cambric frock,” replied
Polly, subsiding into her comer as quickly as possible, for at least
six eye-glasses were up, and she did n’t enjoy being stared at.
Miss Perkins, a grave, cold-looking young lady, with an
aristocratic nose, bowed politely, and then went on with her work,
which displayed two diamond rings to great advantage. Belle,
being of the demonstrative sort, smiled and nodded, drew up her
chair, and began a whispered account of Trix’s last quarrel with
Tom. Polly listened with interest while she sewed diligently,
occasionally permitting her eyes to study the elegant intricacies of
Miss Perkins’ dress, for that young lady sat like a statue, quirking
her delicate fingers, and accomplishing about two stitches a
minute.
In the midst of Belle’s story, a more exciting bit of gossip caught
her ear, and she plunged into the conversation going on across the
table, leaving Polly free to listen and admire the wit, wisdom, and
charitable spirit of the accomplished young ladies about her. There
was a perfect Babel of tongues, but out of the confusion Polly
gathered scraps of fashionable intelligence which somewhat
lessened her respect for the dwellers in high places. One fair
creature asserted that Joe Somebody took so much champagne at
the last German, that he had to be got away, and sent home with
two servants. Another divulged the awful fact that Carrie P.’s
wedding presents were half of them hired for the occasion. A third
circulated a whisper to the effect that though Mrs. Buckminster
wore a thousand-dollar cloak, her boys were not allowed but one
sheet to their beds. And a fourth young gossip assured the
company that a certain person never had offered himself to a
certain other person, though the report was industriously spread by
interested parties. This latter remark caused such a clamor that
Fanny called the meeting to order in a most unparliamentary
fashion.
“Girls! girls! you really must talk less and sew more, or our society
will be disgraced. Do you know our branch sent in less work than
any of the others. last month, and Mrs. Fitz George said, she did n’t
see how fifteen young ladies could manage to do so little?”
“We don’t talk a bit more than the old ladies do. I just wish you
could have heard them go on, last time. The way they get so much
done, is, they take work home, and make their seamstresses do it,
and then they take credit for vast industry,” said Belle, who always
spoke her mind with charming candor.
“That reminds me that mamma says they want as many things as
we can make, for it ‘s a hard winter, and the poor are suffering very
much. Do any of you wish to take articles home, to do at odd
times?” said Fan, who was president of this energetic Dorcas
Society.
“Mercy, no! It takes all my leisure time to mend my gloves and
refresh my dresses,” answered Belle.
“I think if we meet once a week, it is all that should be expected of
us, with our other engagements. Poor people always complain that