est in the eyes of--. What wonderful weather for the time of year!--
Your friend, Cornelia.

"_PS_--There's quite a gale blowing round this corner!..."

"It _is_ sweet of her, but I mustn't, I can't, I really _couldn't_!" was
Elma's comment as she flushed with surprise and embarrassment. It was
quite certain that she could not accept the gift, but there was no harm
in just looking to see what the box contained! She crossed the room,
cut the string, and unfolded the brown papers which covered the
cardboard box; lifted fold after fold of tissue papers, and gasped in
admiration of each treasure as it was revealed.

The daintiest of white lawn morning blouses, with skirt to match; a
skirt and bodice of cream net marvellously rucked with ribbons; a blue
muslin, afoam with flounces. All were fresh from the maker's hands,
and, as Elma divined, had been selected from Cornelia's storehouse of
garments, with careful regard to her own requirements. The "waists"
would fit easily enough; the skirts--she shook out the muslin and held
it against her own dress. Just a trifle short, perhaps, but not
sufficiently so to spoil the effect. It was a _lovely_ skirt! Elma
edged away from the glass with a little jerk of the figure calculated to
send the flounces in a swirl round her feet. For three-and-twenty years
she had gone through life wearing plain hems, and as Cornelia predicted,
the flounces went to her brain. After all, would it not be ungracious
to reject so kindly a gift? Her real birthday fell in the middle of
July, and Cornelia, being rich and generous, would naturally offer a
gift on the occasion. To keep the blue muslin would be only
anticipating the remembrance.

Yes! she _would_ keep it, and return the other dresses, explaining that
she really could not accept so much. But on second thoughts Cornelia
had specially desired her to wear the net with the ruckings. ... Elma
dropped the muslin on the bed, lifted the net blouse carefully from its
wrappings, and held it before her to view the effect. Had mortal hands
fashioned it, or had it dropped down ready-made from a fairyland where
good spirits gathered pieces of cloud and sea-foam, and blew them
together for the benefit of happy girlhood! Elma looked at herself in
the glass; looked back at the blue glace silk and black surah on the
bed, and thanked Heaven for Cornelia Briskett! Indeed and indeed she
would wear the "rucked net to-night, and look her best in