Percy's Holidays by Lucy Ellen Guernsey

A WEEK of Percy's visit had passed, and yet the "dreadful place" had not come. Percy had thought it just at hand two or three times. Once when Aunt Ackerman left her alone, at a great fancy store, to select wools for a sofa cushion, and to match Flora's dead-leaf greens; and once when she went with Margaret to spend the day at a house where there were two girls of her own age. But the young woman in the worsted shop was very polite and helpful. She assisted Percy in her choice; told her how much of each colour she would need, and, when she had finished, set her a chair and gave her a great heap of patterns to amuse herself with, while she was waiting for her aunt.

Presently Percy gathered courage enough to go to the door and look out for her aunt's carriage; and seeing that it had not come, and that there was a nice bookstore next door, she actually ventured to enter the said bookstore all alone, and there to purchase a book-slate and two pretty note-books, intended as presents for Flora, Blandina, and Jenny; for Miss Devine had given her ten dollars to do what she liked with; and she had already spent it, in her own mind, in presents for everybody she knew.