The most acceptable act of kindness
she ever did to her god-daughter was when the child was recovering
from an illness, and she asked her to visit her at the seaside.
Madam Liberality had never seen the sea, and the thought of it proved
a better stimulus than the port wine which her doctor ordered so
easily, and her mother got with such difficulty.
When new clothes were bought, or old ones refurbished, Madam
Liberality, as a rule, went to the wall. Not because her mother was
ever guilty of favouritism, but because such occasions afforded an
opportunity of displaying generosity towards her younger sister.
But this time it was otherwise; for whatever could be spared towards
"summer things" for the two little girls was spent upon Madam
Liberality's outfit for the seaside. There was a new dress, and a
jacket "as good as new," for it was cut out of "mother's" cloth cloak
and made up, with the best binding and buttons in the shop, by the
village tailor. And he was bribed, in a secret visit, and with much
coaxing from the little girls, to make real pockets instead of braided
shams. The _second best_ frock was compounded of two which had
hitherto been _very bests_--Madam Liberality's own, eked out by
"Darling's" into a more fashionable fullness, and with a cape to
match.
Pages:
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242