The most intimate friends in unwonted gala attire are always something of a revelation to one another.

Butterflies, meeting for the first time after their release from chrysalis, might well have the same awe and confusion of old memories.
On the night of the party, when they were dressed and had come down-stairs, Jerome, who had seen his sister every day of his life, looked at her as if for the first time, and she looked in the same way at him.

Elmira's Aunt Belinda Lamb had given her, some time before, a white muslin gown of her girlhood.
"I 'ain't got any daughter to make it over for," said she, "an' you might as well have it." Belinda Lamb had looked regretfully at its voluminous folds, as she passed it over to Elmira.

Privately she could not see why she should not wear it still, but she knew that she would not dare face Paulina Maria when attired in it.
Elmira, after much discussion with her mother, had decided upon refurbishing this old white muslin, and wearing that instead of her new green silk to the party.
"It will look more airy for an evenin' company," said Mrs.Edwards, "an' the skirt is so full you can take out some of the breadths an' make ruffles." Elmira and her mother had toiled hard to make those ruffles and finish their daily stent on shoes, but the dress was in readiness and Elmira arrayed in it before eight o'clock on Thursday night.

Her dress had a fan waist cut low, with short puffs for sleeves.