Underhill, _do_ put white
stockings on the child. Nobody wears colored ones. Unbleached do wear
stronger and answer for real every day."

"They'll be forever in the wash-tub," said the mother grimly.

"Well, when you're in Rome you must do as the Romans do," with emphasis.
"It looks queer to be so out of date. Everybody dresses so much more in
the city. It's natural. There's so much going and coming."

Even then people had begun to discuss and condemn the extravagance of
the day. The old residents of the Bowling Green were sure Bond Street
and the lower part of Fifth Avenue were stupendous follies and would
ruin the city. Foreign artistic upholsterers came over, carpets and
furniture of the most elegant sort were imported, and even then some
people ordered their gowns and cloaks in Paris. Miss Blackfan's best
customer had gone over for the whole summer, otherwise she would not
have the fortnight for Cousin Underhill. She uttered her dictum with a
certain authority from which there was no appeal. And she charged a
dollar and a half a day, while most dressmakers were satisfied with a
dollar.

So the little girl had her hair braided in two tails--they were quite
short, though, and her father liked the curly mop better. Little girls'
dresses were cut off the shoulder, and made with a yoke or band and a
belt. In warm weather they wore short sleeves, though a pair of long
sleeves were made for cool days. There were some tucks in the skirt to
be let down as the child grew.

The little girl was most proud, I think, of her pantalets. There were
some nankin ones made for every day. And she had a real nankin frock
that Margaret embroidered just above the hem. It was used a great deal
for aprons, too. Aprons, let me tell you, were no longer "high-ups" with
a plain armhole. They were sometimes gathered on a belt and had Bertha
capes over the shoulders trimmed with edging or ruffles. And every
well-conditioned little girl had one of black silk.

"She'll have to hem her own ruffles," declared Mother Underhill almost
sharply. "And how they're ever to get ironed----"

"There's hemstitching and fagoting, but I don't know as it's any less
work than ruffling. And all the little girls are knitting lace. I'm
doing some myself, oak-leaf pattern out of seventy cotton, and it's as
handsome as anything you ever see."

"I don't know how any one is going to find time for so much folderol!"

"Oh, pshaw, Cousin Underhill, we did lots of i