sewed until midnight. After I had moved to
Washington street, I bought one of the Ralph charts and perfected
myself in the art of cutting and fitting. I had been but two months
in the new place when one of my roomers got married, to my sorrow, for
that meant another empty room with the two parlors which had never
been rented. My heart sank within me for I was doubtful as to the
outcome of the new departure. My usual courage left me and I was at my
wits' end as to how to continue. As I sat by the machine I realized
the situation and I laid my head on the machine and the pent-up tears
at last came to my relief. While in this state I felt a presence in
the room and on looking up I saw the dear friend of my youth, Mrs. Sue
Bird, standing quietly by me, not knowing what to say. It was the
first time she had ever seen me in tears through the whole distressing
time of the last two or three years. I told her I did not know where
to commence and for once in my life I was discouraged. Before she
departed our plans were laid and the next day her machine came to the
house with a lot of new goods that she wanted to make up for herself
and children. We put a machine on each side of the bay window. I made
some signs during the day and put them in the windows. We decorated
the windows with the new goods, a fish globe, a hanging basket of
ferns, a wire model and placed upon it one of my concert dresses. We
draped the lace curtains back and the window looked stunning and very
businesslike. I arranged my cutting table and had Harper's Bazaar and
other fashion plates and Butterick patterns on the shelves. Our signs
in the window read: "Children's clothing neatly done and made to
order." Our dressmaking parlors were in full swing and in apple-pie
order. All we lacked were the customers, so we sat at the machines and
sewed until the third day, hoping to have some one come, yet dreading
to see them, for fear we would fail in our efforts. We watched people
passing all day long, going and coming and stopping to look at the new
place. At last, on the fifth day, a lady with a bundle came in at the
gate, and my heart beat with excitement. When I opened the door a
gentle little woman asked if I was the dressmaker, and I told her yes
and bade her enter. She unfolded her bundle and told me what she
wanted. I found myself talking and planning as if I had made dresses
for a number of years. It was her wedding dress of dove-colored silk
and she wanted m