there are mothers who see their children go from
the house corpses, not brides, I ought to be
ashamed of myself. Come! à l'œuvre. Ah,
here is something." And she produced a white
China crape shawl. " Oh, how sweet," said
Julia; " why have you never worn it?"

"Dear me, child, what use would things be
to those I love, if I went and wore them?"

The next article she laid her hand on was a roll
of white poplin, and drew an exclamation from
Mrs. Dodd herself: "If I had not forgotten
this, and it is the very thing. Your dear papa
bought me this in London, and I remonstrated
with him well for buying me such a delicate
thing, only once wear. I kissed it and put it
away, and forgot it. They say if you keep a
thing seven years. It is just seven years since
he gave it me. Really the dear boy is a witch:
this is your wedding dress, my precious
precious." She unrolled a few yards on the bed to
show it; and asked the gloating Sarah with a
great appearance of consideration whether they
were not detaining her from her occupations?

"Oh no, mum. This glass have got so dull;
I'm just polishing of it a bit. I shan't be a
minute now, mum."

From silver tissue paper Mrs. Dodd evolved
a dress (unmade) of white crape embroidered in
true-lovers'-knots of violet silk, and ears of wheat
in gold. Then there was a scream at the glass,
and Sarah seen in it with ten claws in the air
very wide apart: she had slyly turned the mirror
and was devouring the reflexion of the finery,
and this last Indian fabric overpowered her.
Her exclamation was instantly followed by much
polishing; but Mrs. Dodd replied to it after the
manner of her sex: " Well, it is lovely," said she
to Julia: " but where is the one with beetle
wings? Oh here."

"Real beetles' wings, mamma?" inquired
Julia."

"Yes, love."

"So they are, and how wicked! and what a
lovely green! I will never wear them: they
are prismatic: now, if ever I am to be a Christian,
I had better begin: everything has a
beginning. Oh vanity of women, you stick at
nothing. A thousand innocent lives stolen to
make one dress!" And she put one hand before
her eyes, and with the other ordered the dress
back into the wardrobe with genuine agitation.

"My dear, what expressions! And you need
not wear it; indeed neither of them is fit for
that purpose. But you must have a pretty thing
or two about you. I have hoarded these a good
many years; now it is your turn to have them
by you. And let me see: you want a travelling
cloak, but the dear boy will not let us; so
choose a warm shawl."

A rich but modest one was soon found, and
Julia tried it on, arching her supple neck, and
looking down over her shoulder to see the effect
behind, in which attitude oh for an immortal
brush to paint her, or anything half as bright,
supple, graceful, and every inch a woman. At
this moment Mrs. Dodd threw a lovely blue
Indian shawl on the bed, galvanising Sarah so
that up went her hands again, and the door
opened softly and a handsome head in a paper
cap peeped on the scene, inquiring with mock
timidity "May 'The British Workman' come
in?" He was invited warmly; Julia whipped
his cap off, and tore it in two, reddening, and
Mrs. Dodd, intending to compliment his
foresight, showed him the bed laden with the
treasures they had disinterred from vanity's
mahogany tomb.

"Well, mother," said he, " you were right,
and I was wrong: they are inappropriate
enough, the whole lot."

The ladies looked at one another, and Sarah
permitted herself a species of snort.

"Do we want Sarah?" he asked quietly. She
retired bridling.

"Inappropriate?" exclaimed Mrs. Dodd.
"There is nothing here unfit for a bride's
trousseau."

"Good Heavens! Would you trick her out
like a Princess?"

"We must. We are too poor to dress her
like a lady."

"Cinderella; at your service," observed Julia
complacently, and pirouetted before him in her
new shawl.

Ideas, rejected peremptorily at the time, often
rankle, and bear fruit by-and-by. Mrs. Dodd
took up the blue shawl, and said she would
make Julia a peignoir of it; and the border,
being narrowish, would do for the bottom.
"That was a good notion of yours, darling,"
said she, bestowing a sweet smile on Edward.
He grunted. Then she took out a bundle of
lace: " Oh for pity's sake no more," cried the
"British Workman."

"Now, dearest, you have interfered once in
feminine affairs, and we submitted. But, if you
say another word, I will trim her poplin with
Honiton two feet deep."

"Quarter! quarter!" cried Edward. " I'm
dumb; grant me but this; have nothing made
up for her out of the house: you know there is
no dressmaker in Barkington can cut like you:
and then that will put some limit to our
inconsistency." Mrs. Dodd agreed; but she must
have a woman in to sew.

Edward grunted at this, and said: " I wish I
could turn you these gowns with my lathe;
what a deal of time and bother it would save.
However, if you want any stuffing, come to me;
I'll lend you lots of shavings; make the silk
rustle. Oh here is my governor's contribution."
And he produced 7l.10s.

"Now, look there," said Julia sorrowfully,
"it is money. And I thought you were going
to bring me the very bonnet yourself. Then I
should have valued it."

"Oh yes," replied the young gentleman ironically;
"can I choose a bonnet to satisfy such
swells as you and mamma? I'll tell you what
I'll do; I'll go with you and look as wise as
Solomon, all the time you are choosing it."

"A capital plan," said Julia.

Edward then shook his fist at the finery:
and retired to work again for his Governor: