fayette, and set round with beautiful pearls, one of Miss
Cynthia's precious belongings also.

When Margaret looked at herself in her mother's tall glass, she was so
mystified that she felt for a moment as if she was Miss Lois come back.
For when the gown fitted her, she must have been tall and slim and
young.

Hanny had begged to ask in all the girls, and was delighted to have
Daisy Jasper and her mother.

But when Dr. Hoffman came in Continental costume, with buff
small-clothes and black velvet coat, great buckles of brilliants at his
knees and lace ruffles at his wrists and shirt front, and his hair
powdered, they all exclaimed. He carried his three-cornered hat under
his arm as he bowed to the ladies.

John Underhill declared laughingly that he felt honoured by being the
footman to such a grand couple, as he helped them into the carriage.

"Why don't people dress as beautifully now?" said Daisy Jasper, with a
sigh. "Everything looks so plain."

Then the elders began to talk of past fashions. Miss Cynthia said her
mother's wedding gown was made with a full straight skirt six yards
around, and had one little hoop at the hips to hold it out. When Miss
Cynthia's elder sisters were grown, she cut it up and made them each a
frock, with skirts two and a quarter yards wide, short full waists, and
puffed sleeves. Big poke bonnets were worn with great bunches of flowers
inside, and an immense bow at the top, where the strings were really
tied. If you wanted to be very coquettish, you had the bow rather on one
side. The skirts barely reached the ankles, and black satin slippers
were to be worn on fine occasions; white or sometimes pale colours to
parties.

"And now we have come back to wide full skirts," said Miss Cynthia.
"We're putting stiffening in to hold them out. And there's talk of
hoops."

Another odd custom was coming into vogue. It was considered much more
genteel to say "dress." Frock had a sort of common country sound,
because the farmers wore tow frocks at their work. The little girl had
been laughed at for saying it, and she was trying very hard to always
call the garment a "dress." Gown was considered rather reprehensible, as
it savoured of old ladies' bed-gowns. Now we have gone back to frocks
and gowns.

"The Continental fashions were extremely picturesque," said Mrs. Jasper.
"And the men were strong and earnest, and equal to the emergencies of
the day, if they did indulge in adornments considered