to let you go, of course," answered Mr. Dayton.

"Why," quickly returned Lucy, "you cannot think of keeping us at home.
It is only distant a few rods, and we will wrap up well."

"I have no objections to your going," replied Mr. Dayton, "provided
you dress suitably for such a night."

"Oh, father," said Lucy, "you cannot be capricious enough to wish us
to be bundled up in bags."

"I care but little what dress you wear," answered Mr. Dayton, "if it
has what I consider necessary appendages, viz., sleeves and waist."

The tears glittered in Lucy's bright eyes as she said, "Our party
dresses are at Miss Carson's, and she is to send them home this
morning."

"Wear them, then," answered Mr. Dayton, "provided they possess the
qualities I spoke of, for without those you cannot go out on such a
night as this will be."

Lucy knew that her dress was minus the sleeves, and that her father
would consider the waist a mere apology for one, so she burst into
tears and said, rather angrily, "I had rather stay at home than go
rigged out as you would like to have me."

"Very well; you can stay at home," was Mr. Dayton's quiet reply.

In a few moments he left the room, and then Lucy's wrath burst forth
unrestrainedly. She called her father all sorts of names, such as "an
old granny--an old fidget," and finished up her list with what she
thought the most odious appellation of all, "an old maid."

In the midst of her tirade the door bell rang. It was the boy from
Miss Carson's, and he brought the party dresses. Lucy's thoughts now
took another channel, and while admiring her beautiful embroidered
muslin and rich white satin skirt, she forgot that she could not wear
it. Grandma was certainly unfortunate in her choice of words, this
morning, for when Lucy for the twentieth time asked if her dress were
not a perfect beauty, the old Quakeress answered:

"Why, it looks very decent, but it can do thee no good, for thy pa has
said thee cannot wear it; besides, the holy writ reads, 'Let your
adorning--'"

Here Lucy stopped her ears, exclaiming, "I do believe, grandma, you
were manufactured from a chapter in the Bible, for you throw your holy
writ into my face on all occasions."

The good lady adjusted her spectacles, and replied, "How thee talks! I
never thought of throwing my Bible at thee, Lucy!"

Grandma had understood her literally.

Nothing more was said of the party until dinner time, although there
was a determined look in