COSTUMES.
The farmer has a plain brown suit, over which he throws a loose robe of Turkey red cloth, trimmed with ermine. This ermine is made of white cotton flannel, with black marks drawn upon it with charcoal. He also wears a crown made of gilt paper. His money bag has a black linen thread fastened to the top, one end of which is in the hand of the boy concealed in the chimney.
The farmer's wife has a plain black dress with white kerchief, and a high cap on which a neat front of white tow or yarn is fastened in the centre, so that the ends can be pulled out quickly when she assumes her second part. For this she wears a red skirt under the black, and ties a long red cloak over her shoulders, the cape of which she draws over her cap.
Polly wears a long-sleeved checked apron, which covers her next dress. This is made of bright cretonne tucked over a gay skirt. The waist is long and pointed, with a high ruff of white.
Mabel wears a dark skirt and loose white waist, under which is a pretty silk dress with long train, and a square-necked waist trimmed with wax beads. She changes the black dress for a ragged loose robe, and when first transformed to Cinderella sits in the chimney-corner while the thread is hooked on to the robe by which it can be drawn up chimney.
Margaret has a bright skirt and loose waist over her Bopeep dress, which is composed of a skirt of blue cambric with a red waist, the flaps of which are cut in squares, which as well as the skirt are trimmed with yellow braid. Under the work which lies in her lap is a straw hat trimmed with flowers.
Isabel may wear the most showy dress which can be found.
Willie has a black dress-coat, which can easily be made by sewing tails on a jacket. He can have white pantaloons, and ruffles of white paper on his shirt, a showy neck-tie, and white hat. Both he and Isabel for their next dress have long robes, which may be water-proof cloaks covered with rags of every color.
Robin wears a long farmer's frock over his Prince's dress, which may be made of satteen for less than one dollar by an ingenious girl. It consists of a loose pink body, and blue trunks, or knee-breeches, with a cape of blue from the shoulders, each garment trimmed with long points of the opposite color. Pink stockings, and lace collar and cuffs, and pink and white bows on the shoes complete the costume. He has a small slipper covered with glass beads for Cinderella.
Jack and Tom appear in shabby boy's dress at first, and their next dresses are put on over them. The hen is made of a long garment like a shirt, one half of brown cambric, the other half of yellow, and the sleeves of large size are sewed up at the ends. It is drawn over the boy's head so that the brown part covers his back, his feet go into the sleeves, and then his hands also, with which he grasps his knees. A cap of brown cambric, with a red comb, and marked with eyes, is drawn over the head and pinned to the robe, and the ends are tied in a bunch opposite.
The spider has a suit of snuff-brown cambric, the feet and arms of which are sewed up like bags; on his back is fastened a pointed stuffed bag, and a false leg cut from brown pasteboard is fastened to each side; he runs on all fours at first, and shakes his head, which is enveloped in a cambric bag ornamented with two curved horns, and points of yellow cloth are sewed upon the back and around the legs. He hides under the table until it is time to appear.
The fairy is dressed in white tarlatan, trimmed with tinsel, over which she has a long cloak with a hood, into which white hair is sewed. She has a cane, and bends forward.