ing of the demonstrative
sort, smiled and nodded, drew up her chair, and began a whispered
account of Trix's last quarrel with Tom. Polly listened with interest
while she sewed diligently, occasionally permitting her eyes to study
the elegant intricacies of Miss Perkins' dress, for that young lady sat
like a statue, quirking her delicate fingers, and accomplishing about
two stitches a minute.

In the midst of Belle's story, a more exciting bit of gossip caught her
ear, and she plunged into the conversation going on across the table,
leaving Polly free to listen and admire the wit, wisdom, and charitable
spirit of the accomplished young ladies about her. There was a perfect
Babel of tongues, but out of the confusion Polly gathered scraps of
fashionable intelligence which somewhat lessened her respect for the
dwellers in high places. One fair creature asserted that Joe Somebody
took so much champagne at the last German, that he had to be got away,
and sent home with two servants. Another divulged the awful fact that
Carrie P.'s wedding presents were half of them hired for the occasion.
A third circulated a whisper to the effect that though Mrs. Buckminster
wore a thousand-dollar cloak, her boys were not allowed but one sheet to
their beds. And a fourth young gossip assured the company that a certain
person never had offered himself to a certain other person, though
the report was industriously spread by interested parties. This latter
remark caused such a clamor that Fanny called the meeting to order in a
most unparliamentary fashion.

"Girls! girls! you really must talk less and sew more, or our society
will be disgraced. Do you know our branch sent in less work than any of
the others last month, and Mrs. Fitz George said, she did n't see how
fifteen young ladies could manage to do so little?"

"We don't talk a bit more than the old ladies do. I just wish you could
have heard them go on, last time. The way they get so much done, is,
they take work home, and make their seamstresses do it, and then they
take credit for vast industry," said Belle, who always spoke her mind
with charming candor.

"That reminds me that mamma says they want as many things as we can
make, for it 's a hard winter, and the poor are suffering very much. Do
any of you wish to take articles home, to do at odd times?" said Fan,
who was president of this energetic Dorcas Society.

"Mercy, no! It takes all my leisure time to mend my gloves and ref