I. An Invitation to a Party

“Mother,” said Ruth, coming in from school a few days later, “Mildred Maydole has invited me to her birthday party. She wrote the invitations herself on the prettiest little note paper. Here is mine.”

Mrs. Duwell read:.

Dear Ruth,

It will give my mother and me much pleasure if you will come to my birthday party from three to six o’clock, Saturday afternoon, January twenty-eighth.
Your friend,
Mildred Maydole.

“Oh, mother, please say I may go!” cried Ruth excitedly, jumping up and down on tiptoe. “Mildred wants an answer soon, so that her mother can make her plans.”

“Why, my dear, I think you may go,” said her mother, “if I can get your new dress made by the twenty-eighth. You have grown so fast that I have not been able to keep up with you in sewing.”

“I am so happy with the thought of going,” exclaimed Ruth, “that I can scarcely wait for[135] the day. You know, mother, Mildred is older than I, and it is a great honor to be invited to her party.”

“Yes, indeed, it is,” agreed her mother. “Naturally Mildred could not invite all the children in your grade at school; so if I were you I would not talk about the party before the other children. You see, it might hurt the feelings of some who were not invited.”

“That’s just what Mildred said, mother; she asked us to keep it a secret for that reason.”

“Well, dear, if you do keep it secret, do not make a mystery of it, whispering among the fortunate ones and letting the others wonder why you all say, ‘Hush,’ when they happen to come near.”

“Why, mother! how did you know?” asked Ruth flushing. “Now that I think of it, that is just what we did do.”

“Instead of just telling Mildred that you will come,” said her mother, “I think it would be better to write a note accepting the invitation.”

“I’ll do it right away!” exclaimed Ruth, running to her little desk. “Will you help me with the words?”

“Yes,” said Mrs. Duwell. “How would it do to say this:

[136]

Dear Mildred,

My mother is very much pleased with the kind invitation to your birthday party, and says that I may come on Saturday afternoon.
Your friend,
Ruth Duwell.”

When Ruth had finished writing, she sealed the envelope.

“I shall hand this to Mildred after school is dismissed at noon,” she said. “Thank you for helping me, mother.”
II. A Disappointment

Mrs. Duwell had been unusually busy for several days after the conversation about the party.

One day she said, “Ruth, dear child, I cannot seem to find time to make your new dress. I wonder if Miss Fells could make it before the twenty-eighth. Why not run over and ask her?”

“Yes, mother, why not? I think that is a good idea,” agreed Ruth.

“I do, too,” said her mother. “Here is the material that grandma sent you. Run along, and do not forget to thank Miss Fells if she will agree to make your dress.”

“No, indeed, mother, I won’t,” said Ruth.

[137]
III. At the Dressmaker’s

“Good afternoon, Miss Fells,” said Ruth, when she entered the door of the dressmaker’s house.

“Good afternoon, Ruth,” said Miss Fells, who knew the little girl. Then, noticing the package, she added, “Oh, I hope you are not going to ask me to make you a dress any time soon.”

Ruth’s heart sank. “I was going to, Miss Fells,” she admitted.

“How soon?” asked the dressmaker.

“By January the twenty-eighth.” Then she told about the party and her mother’s disappointment.

“I don’t see how I can do it—” began Miss Fells. Then seeing the tears in Ruth’s eyes, she said, “But let me look at the goods, Ruth.”

The little girl spread the material out on the table.

“Isn’t it pretty!” exclaimed Miss Fells. “Perhaps I can get some extra help. Come for a fitting to-morrow at four o’clock, and we’ll see what can be done.”

“Oh, thank you, thank you, Miss Fells!” Ruth exclaimed.

Then she ran all the way home to tell the good news.
Ruth talking to dressmaker
What is Ruth asking the dressmaker?
outline of shirt pattern with photgraphs inside; butterflies in background
The “butterflies” on this page are the moths of two of our american silkworms.
In olden days, spinning was done at home. Today we have great spinning and weaving machines, and much o............