The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1869-09-28
The New Black silk.

al want you to give me some money
for new dress, James ! must have Il
+ new black silk. Mrs. Smith has an cle-
giant one that she wore last sunday said
Mrs. Mills to her husband.
p "Must, my dear p answered Mr.. Mills.
"You speak as if urged by necessity or
strong sense Of duty,-which is it du-
y?"
always ridcuIing my religion snap
ped Mrs. Mills
because | don't see the religion" was
the firm answer. "Nobody admires true
religion more than do, but you know,
Mary, hate shams. You've oincd the
church, but | don't sec that you are at
all different from the gaycst people out of
. it,"
81 am thankful that you are not my
Judge" proudly retortcd the wife
"But [ am BY their fruits yc shall
know them. Men do not gather grapes
from thorns, nor figs from thisles |
have a right to Judge by the fruits"
"Well, please don't say any more about
it now. but give me the money for the
dress. want it this morning.
GLOW much do you want ?"
Eighty dollars"
For one dress ?'
"Ycs, for one dress
at seems to me that you have dresses
enough, without buying any more just
now. | want all my money in my busi-
ness. Besides | don't see how you can
have the conscience to spend eighty dol
lars for single dress, when thick around
you are people who can't get clothes to
make them comfortable | ask you if it
is Christian-likc to spend 50 much money
on yourself and so little on others ?''
Now, please don't say any more,
James, only let me have the money for
my dress"
The husband counted it out--eighty
dollars. "NNill that be enough ?" he
asked in Il sarcastic tone. as he handed it
to his wife
II think So.
"And you couldn't possibly spare one
dollar of it to buy some stockings for Il
poor child, not even if its feet were freez-
ing? 1t wouldn't be right. Would it ?
You must have new dress, and an eighty
dollar one, too. And you couldn't give a
dollar to send to the perishing heathen
1t wouldn't be your duty"
"IIow you do talk, James"
"Well, | must, and suppose it is my
poor privilege, ifnot my duty. But good
morning now! It's time to 90 down
town to work"
Mrs. Mills arrayed herself in snowy
and expensive garments, and went to buy
the desired dress.
1t was bought and sent home, and the
parcel containing it eagerly opened
4 What a glow on Mrs. Mills face What
a sparkle in her eyes
"Isn't it beautiful ?" She exclaimed,
with such admiration as the angels might
have at the birth of new virtue in a sin
stricken soul. Had she any idea Of the
value of virtue Had she any love for
the souls of her fellow -men-this lover of
dress ?
Mrs. Mills had her new silk. And now
it must be made. She employed poor,
delicate young dressmakcr to make it in
her house. 1t was Friday morning when
the poor girl wcnt-a dark and stormy
morning, and the way was long. The
poor thing had had some trouble about
getting her breakfast and it made her
late She was all Of twenty minutes be-
hind time. Mrs. Mills face was very
cloudy, spite Of the light that shonc up to
it from her new and lustrous dress.
"You arcvcry late" washer salutation
to the drcssmakcr; "did the storm delay
you ?"
The young girl colored. She did not
care to tell the real cause of her delay,
and answered;
Perhaps that hindered me little.
But | can stay after six to make up
time"
"Do you suppose we can get this dress
done to-day?' questioned Mrs, Mills, by
way Of driving.
at will depend somewhat on my get
ting good fit
at must be DONE" said Mrs. Mills,
"for must have it to wear on Sunday"
After a while Mrs. Mills went to her
dining room for lunch, dainty lunch
that the cook provided for her daily. She
ordered none for her dresSmaker she
could wait till dinner-time, Mrs. Mills
said to the servant. "She has no doubt
been used to waiting Mrs Mills SEEM
cd to have no idea that the command,
"Do unto others as ye would that they
should do unto YOU" was spoken to her.
How many are there who do?
Does any one say that the lunch was a
little thing not worth mentioning? 1t
might have been and it might not. No
one knows what is little to another. DR..
johnson says; Nothing it little to him
who feels it with great sensiblity."
At last it was ended, the ten long
hours the latencss of the morning all
made up and Mrs. Mills saw that the
poor, tired girl was expecting soon to 90.
Couldn't she get little more out of her?
as the trimming all bastcd ON ," she
asked. you haven't bastcd in the
sleeves, have you? cant baste ON trim
ming, and won't know whether the
sleeves are in right or wrong, unless you
put them in. You said when you came
that you could stay awhile tonight didn't
you ?"
"Yes,' was the low answer, The girl
could stay, but she knew that she wa,
= wanted at home, that every minute now
would her old mother count as two, while
she waited for her, But she said moth.
ing, only worked as fast as her aching
shoulders and side would let her.
"I'm so tired" groaned Mrs. Mlls. II
spose you're so used to dressmaking day
after day, that you don't mind it, but il
half kills me-
Talk of anyone getting used to pain
AMI grinding labor so as not to mind
f One must have ce sed to be human who