568 
for UHunni. 
CONDUCTED BY MISC KAY CLARK, 
THE DRESS MY MOTHER MADE. 
Yes, there are some costly dresses In my wardrobe 
hung to-day, 
But the one of all most precious I will show you, If 
I may. 
Here it ts-all safely folded! Ah, you smile, and look 
surprised: 
Well, no wonder, since the garment I myself once so 
despised. 
For a longed for picnic party ’twas Intended years 
ago, 
When the woodlands were resplendent in the sum¬ 
mer’s golden glow. 
Oh, the sun was shining brightly when my mother 
proud and fond. 
Put the last stitch to the collar, and this old dress 
first 1 donn'd. 
Need I tell you what I answered when she kissed me 
"Will it, do?” 
Though it yens hut French merino, 1 ivas young and 
it was new. 
But the pleasure died within me when the others 
came attired 
In their puffs, and frills, and flounces, which were 
then so much admired; 
When my sober French merino with its homely 
make and style 
Was not noticed but with pity or a whispered word 
and smile. 
And when Maud Clanwlllls Joined us, so provoking, 
cool, and fair, 
In her robe of tulle, rosetlnted, It was more than I 
could bear; 
What excuses I invented I could never clearly tell, 
But I know they went without me to the “Witches’ 
Wishing Well.” 
And the madness that possessed me its reproachful 
shadow cast. 
O'er the brightest, happiest moments of the years 
that since have passed. 
Oh, the gleaming silks and velvets! I would gladly 
give them all 
If the words I said to mother on that day I could 
recall. 
But, too late, for she is sleeping In the graveyard’s 
quiet shade, 
And the dress I scorned and scoffed at was the last, 
last thing she made. 
Can you wonder that I fold It reverentially away? 
That the tears are sadly falling on Its faded seams 
to-day? eva smith. 
A TRUE LADY. 
EMMA C. STOUT. 
II. 
“Good morning, Miss Beverly,” called a 
tremulous voice, and our country Rose looked 
down from the woodbine trellis over the front 
gate upou the flushed face of pretty Margaret 
Moore. She quickly descended the step lad¬ 
der and held the gate open for her friend to 
pass through. 
“No, thank you, I haven’t time to come in. 
Can you come home with me for a half hour?” 
was Margaret’s hurried reply to the kiud in¬ 
vitation to enter. 
“Certainly. I usually spend an hour over 
these ref/actory viues, but my task has been 
very light this morning and 1 shall enjoy a 
little walk with you,” replied Rose. “Is Mrs. 
Moore not so well to day V 1 
•’No—no—ma’am, yes, she is better—that is 
—she—” said Margaret, stammering. 
“1 only asked so that if she bad sufl'ered a 
relapse I might tell grandma,” answered Rose 
quietly, apparently not noticing her compan¬ 
ion’s embarrassment. “I am glad you called 
for me to take this walk, it will put me in 
good trim for getting dinner-,” continued 
Rose. 
“Perhaps uot after you have done a half 
hour’s work at the end of it. How rudely I 
am treating you. I did want you for my 
friend, and now I am afraid you will despise 
me, Miss Beverly.” 
“Call me Rose, please, and tell me what you 
have for me to do. You talk in riddles. I 
am only too glad to be thought able to assist 
you in any way,” was the earnest reply. 
“It is that—that you are to prepare toast 
and tea for mother,” said Margaret, with 
downcast eyes, while the buruiug h'ushes 
swept over her fair face, “i never spent such 
a morning lu my life as this and at last I con 
eluded to come to you in my trouble. Some¬ 
thing in your face yesterday told me that you 
would he a good friend in need. Father had 
to take the one servant home to-day to visit 
her sick sister, and as he started away he 
said; ‘Be sure ami get mother a good dinner 
and remember 1 shall he hungry as a bear 
when I return from this twenty-mile ride.' 
What does that mean anyway! I eau hardly 
understand father’s funny way of saying 
things, but 1 have translated it that he will 
have an extra keen appetite.” 
Rose nodded an affirmative and Margaret 
regaining her composure laughingly said: 
“ ‘But I cannot knit a stocking, and 1 cannot 
make a y»ie,’ so what shall I do? Aunt Kate 
never allowed me to go to the kitchen, and 
some way she gave me the impression that it 
THE RURAL WEW-YORKER. 
was papa’s wish that I should not, but there 
must have been some mistake, for this morn¬ 
ing he said that he was impatient to test her 
teaching in the housekeeping line. I suppose 
he thinks I am perfect in culinary art, when 
really 1 know nothing of fruits, meats, graius 
or vegetables, except as they appear on the 
tableaud as I have studied them in books. 
About 10 o’clock this morning mother said 
she would sleep an hour, and would like to 
have when she wakened a piece of hroiled 
steak, some toast aud tea. She told me where 
to find the articles and a big kitchen apron, 
but I did not know whether to nsea teaspoou- 
ful or a teacupful of tea. What did Aunt 
Kate mean? What does all my science, music, 
writing aud painting amount to by the side 
of such ignorance as this!” 
“You are not to blame, my dear girl,” said 
Rose with a motherly ring in her voice, “it is 
no disgrace, I am sure, for you not to know 
how to do these things, when you have been 
given no opportunity to learn. 1 am so glad 
that you came right to me. I think l know 
how you feel, and I waut to help you.” 
“Thank you, thank you,” returned Marga¬ 
ret warmly, while the tears sparkled in her blue 
eyes, “and you will not laugh at me or tell— 
tell anyone—will you ?” 
“No, indeed ! Why should I herald one 
point you have failed to learn when you can 
“Will it be asking too much of you to have 
supper ready for father and Nora when they 
get home?” asked Mrs. Moore, as Margaret 
rose to go to the kitchen to try the mystery of 
washing dishes. 
“Papa hinted as much when he started away 
this morning,” answered Margaret; “so what 
shall I get?” 
“Well, some sliced beef, if Nora has left 
any of yesterday’s roast in the spring bouse; 
some rice, fresh apple-sauce, butter, milk, and 
cottage cheese,” enumerated Mrs Moore. 
Margaret wrote the bill of fare in her note¬ 
book, and, though she was well versed in Ger¬ 
man, French, and Italian, she stood appalled 
before the term cottage cheese. But Rose was 
coming, and she need uot be dismayed. 
At four o’clock Margaret went, to search for 
the June apple tree. She had just filled her 
basket with the red fruit when she saw Rose 
walking along. She went to meet her, and, 
with a pitiful attempt at. a smile, showed he” 
the page of mystic words. Ruse laughed 
gleefully at her rueful face, and told her that 
they might talk a half hour before beginning 
such a simple meal as that. Then she told 
Margaret a story of her babyhood which her 
“ladyship” had never heard before, 
“Is it not a pleasant coincidence that I 
should meet you first as a friend on my return 
here? I think we shall say we are old friends 
Fancy Key Basket. 
see a hundred in my education f You have 
had so many more advantages than I, how 
could I laugh at you because 1 happen to know 
something of housework.” answered Rose. 
The two girls had entered Farmer Moore’s 
large kitchen. Rose lights the lire and ties ou 
a big apron, saying; “Now, watch me, Mar¬ 
garet, and you will uever need to ask again 
how to make toast and tea’” 
She moved quickly about, measuring tea, 
cuttiug slices of bread from the white loaf, 
and preparing the meat for broiling. Margar¬ 
et watched her with all the earuestuess which 
she had formerly bestowed upon scientific pro¬ 
fessors, and it was soon proved that the road 
by example is short and easy. For when Rose 
had completed a tempting meal for one, she 
asked Margaret to [dace that in the oven for 
herself aud try her owu skill for Mrs. Moore. 
With very few additional instructions she was 
so successful that her cup of tea was just as 
fragrant, her toast as delicately brown, her 
slice of steak as tender and juicy as those pre¬ 
pared by Rose. Just then Mrs. Moore's call- 
hell rang, and Rose, whispering a few words 
of commendation, and that she would he back 
at five o’clock, hastened homeward. 
Margaret arranged the repast very prettily 
upon the tray, aud placing a spray of white 
roses and sweet pinks by the side of the plate, 
carried it to her mother’s room. 
“An artist has been working for me while 
I slept!” exclaimed Mrs, Moore, as she gazed 
upon the tray with child like pleasure. “I 
have been sitting up 15 minutes, have bathed 
my face aud hands and now the sight of that 
tempting dinner makes me really hungry. 
What a treasure is our newly-found daughter. 
How can we ever let you go back to Aunt 
Kate?” she continued as she guze I fondly 
upon the lovely girl who sat trembling and 
blushing just opposite the small table, “Why, 
your very presence makes me stronger. This 
tea is just to my taste, and this delicious toast 
and rneut tempt me to eat all, perhaps more 
than I should. How these flowers tell me 
that it is Summer, downstairs, oufc-of doors. 
The woods were just beginning to grow green 
when 1 was taken sick. Nora never has time 
to bring me flowers, aud I hardly knew when 
the first roses came and now they will soon be 
gone. There, have 1 not paid quite a com¬ 
pliment to your dinner?” she asked pushing 
aside the empty plate. 
Margaret felt like acknowledging at once 
her ignoraucq, hut concluded uot to worry 
her iuvalid mother with the story now, hut 
wait until she had learned something of cook¬ 
ing and then the chapter would he more 
entertaining. 
since we played together in babyhood.” 
Then Margaret gave a story of her college 
days and her home life, which was followed by 
Rose’s recital of the great disappointment of 
her girlhood—her school days shortened by 
household cares, her music neglected for lack 
of time and a suitable teacher iu such a re¬ 
mote country place. 
“Ob, let me teach you; it will be a pleasure!” 
exclaimed Margaret, “let’s exchange lessons 
in music and cooking. I shall come over 
often aud read to you while you sew, and thus 
give you more time to practice. How happy 
I shall he here! And just think, Aunt Kate 
is expecting me home any day; she said I 
could not live a week iu the country!” 
They walked to the house, swinging the 
basket of apples between them, and together 
they prepared the evening meal. 
“How Aunt Kate’s friends would laugh to 
see me at work iu a kitchen! I shall surprise 
her some day by preparing a uice dish for her, 
and then tell her that she omitted one clause 
of papa’s definition of a lady. I am glad you 
told me about that message to Aunt Kate,” 
said Margaret. “I am anxious to see the dear, 
old lady who carried me to my city home.” 
“Aud she can hardly wait to see you. Come 
over to-morrow,” was the good bye invitation 
of Rose. 
Soon after, Mr. Moore and Nora returned, 
aud the latter was much surprised as they en¬ 
tered the cool diuing-room to behold the table 
neatly laid for three She was very glad, 
though, for she was hot, tired and hungry. 
“You could not have pleased your father 
better if you had studied his taste for years,” 
said Nora as Margaret entered lieariugaplate 
of snowy cream biscuit, and to her mother’s 
bill of fare she bad added a pretty glass dish 
of red and yellow raspberries. 
When Mr. Moore arose from the table he 
took Margaret’s face between liisbrowu hands, 
and kissing her white forehead, said: “Yes, 
my girl, Aunt Kate has made you a true lady. 
You can he the singing bird or busy bee. Come, 
go to the parlor now and pluy us one of your 
prettiest pieces while 1 sit with wife a half 
hour.” 
The friendship between Rose aud Margaret 
grew stronger daily, uud all the country peo¬ 
ple around learned to love the gentle city girl. 
She treated every one so kindly as to put 
them at once at tbeir ease, and her social tuct 
was so perfect that the rustic boys and girls 
fancied that she had adopted their ways for 
life. But the elimux of all the various com¬ 
pliments showered upon her was: 
i “And la ! would you believe it ? She knows 
all about housework ! But, to see her rigged 
Afi§ 22 
out in her silk and jewels and hear her talk 
and sing, you’d imagine she didn’t even know 
how to make a cup o’ tea.” 
-»■» • 
SIGHT SEEING IN A NEW COUNTRY. 
Seated in our chairs outside of the house 
in the cool, bracing, evening air, the almost 
boundless prairie stretching on every side, 
dotted here aud there with wild flowers, the 
Clouds overhead so wouderfully grouped and 
shaded, how like enchanted laud is this 
Dakota! 
Even watching the passing vehicles becomes 
an interesting subject of comment. With 
keen enjoyment we scrutinize them all. Here 
along the winding, unfenced road, comes a 
substantial lumber wagon, with a grasshop¬ 
per seat, so called because its long, elevated 
springs suggest that uimble insect. Seated 
therein is a man clothed rather coarsely, but 
who, in spite of a marked air of rusticity, has 
a countenance denoting intelligence aud good 
feeling. His wife, who sits beside him, hold¬ 
ing a child on her lap, is a true mate for him 
in appearance. She wears on her head a 
coarse, straw hat, heavily decorated with 
artificial flowers, whose species would puzzle 
the most enthusiastic botanist. A gay striped, 
cottou shawl partially covers a gay calico 
dress, while her calf skin shoes seem made for 
use and not for ornament. They were laugh¬ 
ing and chatting aud apparently enjoying 
their ride home very much, and the news¬ 
papers peeping from the driver's pocket spoke 
of literary tastes to be thereafter gratified. 
They are a couple who came from the crowd¬ 
ed East with a determination, as they ex¬ 
pressed it, “to have something of their own.” 
They settled on a homestead about two miles 
further on, where they have already “proved 
up,” aud the fertile soil that has been turned 
over and planted to corn, and the variety aud 
luxuriance of their garden vegetables, give 
promise of future subsistence. The small 
shanty has its sides neatly thatched with 
straw, to protect its inmates from the piercing 
winds of Winter, and has a cozy, comfortable 
look. The little nursery of fruit and forest 
trees growing thriftily speak of the taste and 
forethought of the owner, and it is easy for 
the experienced eye to see in the not very far 
distant future a beautiful home, the reward 
of persevering, well directed effort made in 
the first years of married life. 
Here comes a covered carriage with an old, 
gentle horse ambling along. Its occupants 
are a fresh looking young man and an elderly 
lady, evidently something of an iuvalid, per¬ 
haps seeking health on the wild frontier. 
They tell me it was partly for that reason, 
but chiefly that as a devoted mother she left 
the haunts of her early days to help au only 
sou make a start in a new country—to keep 
^flvcrti.sing, 
It is very annoy¬ 
ing when in the 
bath to drop the 
soap and have to 
feel for it. 1 he 
Ivory Soap floats , 
and is without ex¬ 
ception the most 
luxurious Soap lor 
bathing, it lathers 
freely, and is easi¬ 
ly rinsed off, leav¬ 
ing a sense of 
cleanliness and 
comfort attainable 
by no other means. 
Free of charge. A full size cake of Ivory ■ < lil ) 
will be sent to any one who nan not get H oi tin ir 
grocer, /f six two-eent stamps, to pay postage, ure 
sent to Procter & Gamble, Cincinnati. * 
mention his paper. 
