The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1866-06-29
THE BROWN SILK DRESS.

THE BROWN SILK DRESS
y seWhy, Eliza! what strange choice
for q wedding dress! Your other
dresses are in very good style, and
you have q plenty of them, consider
ing the changes in fashion; but q
= brown silk to be married in! who
ever heard of such fancy in a girl of
eighteen?'
"Tis true, aunt, that my choice
may seem somewhat .sombre, but you
know very well that I am about to
become the wife of poor mechanic,
who depends on his daily labor for
support AS the wife of such man,
Imust necessarily Limit my expendi-
lures to my circumstances, and I have
thought it better to purchase some
thing which would be useful for some
time to come, than to consult my ap-
pearance as o splendid bride for one
short evening-especially as am to
see no strangers.
seThere IS something in that. There
is my Maria's wedding dress. She
will never wear it again in the world.
She had white satin, with a lace
dress over it. Oh, she did look beau
tifully! I do admire to see hand
some bride"
eyes, it is very well for those who
can afford it. But it would be quite
absurd for me to purchase an expen-
sive dress for one, or even for few
evenings, when, by the expenditure
of half the money, I can procure that
inb Il
years. But come, put on your bon
net, and step over to our new house
1t is all furnished-at least, all that is
finished; I value it more highly than
I should if it was not SO near my mo-
theirs" )"
''There, William has left this small
parlor, this sitting room, and three
chambers, to finish at his leisure,
when he is out of employment. See
how everything is arranged; so handy
for my work.
You don't say you are going to do
your own work?"
Certainly do. There is only one
apprentice, and I should think it
strange if I could not do it all with
ease.
''My heart, what strange fancies
you havel TO be sure, it is we'll
enough II you can bring your mind
to it, but then folks do so differently
nowadays. There is my Maria
she has moved into an elegant house,
all furnished from top to bottom.
She keeps great girl to do the work,
and little one to wait and tend.
Oh, things do go on beautifully, /
promise YOU.
"Her husband is young lawyer,
is he not? Is he wealthy?"
'Ohl he is very we'll OFF. He does
not get much practice yet, but I dare
say he will, in time. He has thou
sand dollars at interest. Besides,
Maria never would have married a
mechanic; their hands get so hard
and black, and their compilations, es-
pecially if they are exposed, get so
brown. L would not wish to hurt
your feelings, but L do think that, for
pride sake, for the sake Of the fami-
ly, you might have made little diff
ferent choice.
''Oh, aunt, excuse my laughing-I
have yet to learn that "a mans honest
occupation, whether it produces hard
hands OF white soft hands, whether it
gives the cheek a brown or pale hue,
IS any disparagement 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
drive his bronzed skin quite out of
your head. But come, you don't say
anything about my furniture-and
you must see my nice closets"
ooh! your furniture is well enough.
The less you have, the less you viii
have to take care Of, you know
''Yes, we could not get much furpi-
ture. insisted upon William taking
the money, which my grand-mothe
lett me, to pay off few hundred dol
lars, which he owed for this place, in
order to enable US to begin even in
the world We both have such a
horror of debt, that we are determined
never to incur any, if we can possibly