I rolled up the sleeve of my
frock, and squeezed the moisture it contained into my parched mouth.
But when they had broken open the door they found no one within; and as they came back into the house, Ashputtel was lying, as she always did, in her dirty
frock by the ashes, and her dim little lamp was burning in the chimney.
She laughed, and in fragmentary sentences tried to explain about a doll which she produced from the folds of her
frock.
"He'll break my heart, he will, Peggy," she would whimper to her sister-in-law when they were good friends; "sure every one of me
frocks must be taken in-- it's such a skeleton I'm growing." Fat or thin, laughing or melancholy, on horseback or the music-stool, it was all the same to the Major.
``Amen!'' answered the Jester; ``a broadcloth penitent should have a sackcloth confessor, and your
frock may absolve my motley doublet into the bargain.''
The most substantial part consisted of women from the smaller manufacturing towns, who were too elegant to have their
frocks made locally and not sufficiently acquainted with London to discover good dressmakers within their means.
But she has one thing in the drawer which she can venture to wear to-day, because she can hang it on the chain of dark-brown berries which she has been used to wear on grand days, with a tiny flat scent-bottle at the end of it tucked inside her
frock; and she must put on her brown berries-- her neck would look so unfinished without it.
I wiped his eyes with his
frock, told him he was all right and called Sancho to pacify him.
It was gingham, with checks of white and blue; and although the blue was somewhat faded with many washings, it was still a pretty
frock. The girl washed herself carefully, dressed herself in the clean gingham, and tied her pink sunbonnet on her head.
In addition to the distinction of a white
frock, every woman and girl carried in her right hand a peeled willow wand, and in her left a bunch of white flowers.
Frocks were made or altered and washed, seams and flounces were let out, buttons were sewn on, and ribbons got ready.
She said she'd have her
frocks and a lot of other traps took out of her room if they was in Uncle Harvey's way, but he said they warn't.