you, honey," said Aunt Dilsey.

When the yarn was ready, Aunt Dilsey fastened it in the loom and began
to weave. The threads went over and under, over and under. As Aunt
Dilsey wove, she hummed. Mary stood by and sang this song,

"Over and under and over we go,
Weaving the cotton as white as the snow,
Weaving the cloth for a dress, oh, ho!
As over and under and over we go."

After the cloth had been woven, Aunt Dilsey took it out of the loom.
Then she bleached it until it was as white as snow. Now it was ready to
be made into a dress.

"Mother, do tell me how you are going to make the dress," said Mary.
"Will it have ruffles on it like Sue's? Will it have trimming on it? And
how many buttons will you put on it? Sue's dress has twelve; I know, for
I counted them."

Mother did not answer all these questions; she just smiled as the
scissors went snip, snip into the cloth. But she did cut out ruffles,
and Aunt Maria began to hem them.

[Illustration: Mary with her mother and grandmother]

By and by grandmother came into the room.

"Mary," she said, "here is some lace I got in England. Mother may put it
on your dress."

How happy Mary was! She danced for joy.

Mother put on the lace, and grandmother worked the buttonholes. How many
do you suppose she worked? Why, she worked twelve!

When the dress was finished, it was just like Sue's. Only it was a great
deal finer, for Mary's dress had three ruffles and Sue's had only two!
And, then, there was the lace from England!

THE PLAID DRESS

"I want a warm plaid dress," said a little girl. "The days are colder,
and the frost will soon be here. But how can I get it? Mother says that
she cannot buy one for me."

The old white sheep in the meadow heard her, and he bleated to the
shepherd, "The little girl wants a warm plaid dress. I will give my
wool. Who else will help?"

The kind shepherd said, "I will." Then he led the old white sheep to the
brook and washed its wool. When it was clean and white, he said, "The
little girl wants a warm plaid dress. The sheep has given his wool, and
I have washed it clean and white. Who else will help?"

"We will," said the shearers. "We will bring our shears and cut off the
wool."

The shearers cut the soft wool from the old sheep, and then they called,
"The little girl wants a new dress. The sheep has given his wool. The
shepherd has washed it; and we have sheared it. Who else will help?"

[Illustration: Sh