Witch Hazel; or, The Secret of the Locket — page 61: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

you conld not fif a dress to save your life,” expostu- lated Mrs, Gerard, looking blank at the mere sugges- tion. “Granted, mamma; but you know that Madame Draper used to tell me that she would give more for my ideas and suggestions regarding costumes than for all the fashion books published. My plan is to engaze Mary Walker, who is a superb fitter, and who jis thrown entirely out of employment now, go to New York, furnish some rooms handsomely in a good locality, and advertise myself as a fashionable modisle. I have originality; give me material, and I ean plan any kind of a costume; Mary shall fit, sew- ing girls shall do the making, and we will get an honest living; you shall lack for nothing, and our little May shall be cared for as tenderly as if she was my own dear Florence.” “But, Emelie, I believe that something will be saved out of the wreck of our fortunes; the land on which the buildings stood will still be ours, at all events.” “Yes, and doubtless by and by we shall realize some- thing handsome from it, and it shall all be settled upon you for your individual use; meantime we must live, and I am determined to put my own shoul- der to fortune’s wheel, and see what its revolutions will bring me.” So it was decided, and the early apring found “Madame Emelie Graham” located in