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!