not if she ruined her
eyes, and worked her fingers to the bone. Garments were picked to
pieces, stitch by stitch, to learn how they were made. Dresses were
puzzled over, and pulled this way and that; a little cut off here and a
piece sewed on there to make them fit.

But now was coming the tug of war. In a week would be the examination at
the grammar school to which Nan went, and she had not a thing fit to
wear.

Patty wondered what she should do. She consulted her father.

"Why, buy her a dress," he said.

"But I can not buy one all made."

"Make her one, then," and he laid a crisp bill on the table.

So Patty was left to manage as best she might. Taking Nan with her, she
went first to the shoe store, where she selected a pair of the
daintiest, nicest-fitting boots; then to the dry-goods store, where she
bought a number of yards of some sort of twilled goods of a lovely shade
of blue. With these, a lace bib, and a large blue bow for her hair,
Patty thought Nan would look very pretty.

Purchasing the material had been quite easy; but now came the cutting
and making of the dress. The dresses of other girls were studied,
fashion plates consulted by all the little housekeepers, and at last a
style was decided upon. Then there was a laying on of patterns, and
cutting, and basting, and ripping out, and sewing together, till at last
the dress was completed. It is true that it was a little too long on the
shoulder, and a little too short under the arm, and a little too scant
in the skirt. But it was pretty, and the effect was good.

At length the day before examination came, and everything was ready. The
lace had been basted into the sleeves, and the dress, French kid boots,
bow, and collar were laid away in the best chamber.

But just before dark a lady living in another part of the city sent for
Patty to come and spend the night with her, as she was alone. How could
she go? There was Nan to be dressed in the morning. But then she could
not disappoint her kind friend; so, after giving Katie and Nan many
directions for the morning, she left them, promising to meet them at the
school-house.

The next morning Johnny got the breakfast, and Nan and Katie cleared
away the dishes. Then they went up stairs to dress. Nan had just
finished her hair, having pinned on the blue bow, and was surveying its
effect in the glass, when the sound of music on the street, just in
front of the house, attracted her attention. She rushed