Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1858-10-21
THE BROWN SILK DRESS.

| LIE DnUWN OlLA UnEOO'
"Why, Eliza. what strange choice fol
a wedding dress! Your other dresses are
in very good style, and you have plenty Of
them, considering the changes in fashion,
but brown silk dress to be married in =
what fancy in girl of eighteen!"
''Tis true, my aunt, that my choice may
seem somewhat so,nber, but you know very
well am about to become the wife of a
poor mechanic, who depends on his daily
labor for support. AS the wife of such a
man, must necessarily limit my expendi-
lures to my circumstances, and have tho't
it better to purchase something which would
be useful for sometime to come, than to
consult my appearance as bride for one
short evening especially as see no stran-
gers.
"There is something in that. There is
my Maria's wedding dress. She will nev-
er wear it again in the world. She had a
white satin, with lace dress over it. Oh,
she did look beautiful l DO admire to
see handsome bride"
"Yes, it is very well for those who can
afford it. But it would be quite absurd
for me to purchase an expensive dress for
one or even few evenings, when by the
expenditure of half the money, can pro-
cure that which will be serviceabe for years.
But come, put on your bonnet, and step
over to our new house. Il is all furnished,
| value it more highly than should if it
were not SO near my mothers"
"There, William has left this small par
lor, this sitting room, and three chambers,
to finish at his leisure, when he is out of
employment. See how everything is ar
ranged-so handy for my work"
"You don't say you are going to do
your own work p
"Certainly do! There Is but one ap-
prentice, and think it strange if could
not do it with ease"
"My heart, what strange fancies you have! !!
To be sure, it is well enough if you can
bring your mind to it, but bu, then folks
do so different now-a- days. There is my
Maria; she moved into an elegant house
ali furnished from top to bottom. She
keeps a great girl to do the work, and a
little one to wait and tend. Oh, things do
go on so beautifully, promise you"
'.Her husband is young lawyer, is he
not s-is he wealthy!'
"Oh. he is very well off. He does not
get much practice yet, but l dare say he
will IN rnne. He has interest; besl'es,
Maria would never have married mechan-
c-their hands get SO hard and black,
and their complexion, especially If they
are exposed, gets so brown. | would not
wish TO hurt your feelings, but | do think
that for pride's sake, for the sake of the
family you might have made different
choice"
"Oh, aunt,-excuse my laughing
have yet to learn that a mans honest oc-
cupa,ion, whether it produces hard hands,
whether it gives the cheek brown or a
pale hue, is any disparagerhent to him.
You must get acquainted with William,
and hear him converse. You will not
think of his hard hands, and his animated,
intelligent countenance will driv5 his bron
zed skin quite out ofyour head. But come,
you doI't say any thing about my furni-
ture-and you must sec my nice closets"
"Oh, your furniture is well enough. The
less you have, the less you will have 10
take care of, you know"
ayes, we could not get much furniture.
| insisted upon William taking the money
which my grandfather left me, to pay off a
few hundred dollars which he-owed for
this place, in order to enable US to being
even in the world. We have both such
horror of debt, that we are determined nev-
er to incur any if we can hell it. See what
nice precs for bed clothes this is!''
"Why, what quantity of bed and table
linnen! it is really nice, too. You have
more than my Maria has, declare"
"Yes, | always want an abundance of
such things. This drawer is filled with
towels-this is my ironing sheet and blan-
ket, and this closet contains my tin and
wooden ware"
81 declare, Eliza you are strange,
thoughtful child. l must tell you one
thing about Maria that made us have a
good hearty laugh. The Monday morn
ing after she was married, the girl came
to ask her where the tubs were, and don't
you think the child had actually forgotten
to buy tub, clothes line, or pins She
said it never popped into her head. But
la it wasn't strange-she had never been
used to do anything of the kind
IL believe, aunt, l have shown you all,
now. We will go if you please. l hope
you will not let my brown dress, or Will
liam's brown hands, frighten you away this
evening"
"Oh, no! But as l must take the stage
for Maria's early in the morning, you must
allow me to retire early"
| X X
"What fellows these Yankeess are for
combining elegance and usefulness" said a
southern gentlemen to himself as he stood
on the piazza of the hotel in the town of
= "Sir," said he, addressing himself
to a venerable looking man near him, "cau
you tell me who resides in that elegant