“Best friend, indeed!” exclaimed Rose, before Anne could answer. “Why, mother! Had it not been for that Amanda, Anne never would have run away.”
“But Anne wants to take her a present,” said Mrs. Freeman.
A little flush crept into Anne’s brown cheeks. “I guess Amanda didn’t mean to,” she said.
The clerk was waiting patiently, and Mrs. Freeman now begged his pardon for so long delaying her purchases, and ordered enough dimity for Anne’s dress. It was a light blue with a tiny white sprig, and Anne thought it the prettiest pattern that any one could imagine.
“I have plenty of nainsook in the house for your underwear, so we will not purchase that,” said Mrs. Freeman, “but we will buy some good white cotton yarn so that I can make up some stockings for you. It will make work for you at odd times.” For in those days children were taught that useful occupation brought as much pleasure as play, and every girl had “pieced a quilt” before she was ten years of age, worked a sampler, and usually knit all her own stockings and mittens.
“Can’t Anne have some thread gloves like mine?” Rose asked, and Anne drew a quick breath of delight. “White thread gloves,” she thought to herself, would be more than she could hope for, but Mrs. Freeman seemed to think it a very reasonable request, and told Rose to go with Anne to a shop on Queen Street and select a pair of gloves.
“I must go home now,” she added, “for it is Saturday, and I have much to do. After you have purchased the gloves you girls can walk up to the Common if you wish; but be sure and be home in good season for dinner.”
The girls both promised, and Mrs. Freeman left them, with a word of caution to be careful in crossing Long-acre Street, where there were always many teams, carriages and horsemen going back and forth.
“You are almost a young lady, aren’t you, Rose?” Anne said admiringly, as she looked up at her friend.
“I suppose so,” Rose replied laughingly. “See, my skirts come to my ankles, and Aunt Hetty said I must twist my braids around my head now. And I think it does become me better,” and Rose put up her white-gloved hand to be quite sure that the braids were smoothly fastened.