ind of a black silk or satin gown, made very scant, and trimmed
all round with some brownish-looking lace--black it had been once, but
it isn't now--then she had a grey cloak, of silk material, that you
certainly would have said came out of the Ark, if it hadn't been for a
little cape, of a different colour, that she wore outside of it, and
which must have been dated a generation further back. Her bonnet! Oh
dear! it was twice as big as anybody's else, and she had a figured lace
veil thrown over one side, that reached nearly to her feet. But her
goggles crowned all; such immense horrid-looking things I never saw. She
had a work-bag made of black silk, with pieces of cloth of all the
colours in the rainbow sewed on to it, zigzag: then her
pocket-handkerchief was pinned to her bag, and a great feather fan--at
this season of the year!--that was pinned on somewhere--by a string, I
suppose--and a bundle-handkerchief, and a newspaper! Oh, gracious! I
can't think of half the things; but they were all pinned together with
great brass pins, and hung in a body on her left arm. Her dress, though,
wasn't the strangest thing about her. What made it funny was her way of
walking: she looked quite old and infirm, and it was evident she could
hardly keep her footing on the ice; and yet she walked with such a
consequential little air! Oh, Gerty, it's lucky you didn't see her!
you'd have laughed from then till this time."

"Some poor, crazy crittur, wasn't she?" asked True.

"Oh, no!" said Willie, "I don't think she was; though queer enough, but
not crazy. Just as she got opposite the shop door her feet slipped, and
she fell flat on the pavement. I rushed out, for I thought the fall
might have killed the poor little thing; and Mr. Bray, and a gentleman
whom he was waiting upon, followed me. She did appear stunned at first;
but we carried her into the shop and she came to her senses in a minute
or two. Crazy you asked if she were, Uncle True! No, not she! She's as
bright as you are! As soon as she opened her eyes, and seemed to know
what she was about, she felt for her work-bag and all its appendages;
counted them up, to see if the number were right, and then nodded her
head very satisfactorily. Mr. Bray poured out a glass of cordial and
offered it to her. By this time she had got her airs and graces back
again; so when he recommended her to swallow the cordial, she retreated
with a little old-fashioned curtsey, and put up both her hands t