The Dawson journal., 1883-04-26
THE OLD TRUNK.

The old trunk was open. AWAY
down in the mysterious recesses
Mrs Arp was searching for some
thing. and as sat III the other cor
ner with my little table and pen |
watched her as she laid the ancient
relics on chair and unfolded first
one thing and then another, and
looked at them and folded them up
again 'What are you hunting for
my dear? said [ oh, nothing,
much, said she; was Just looking
over these little dresses to see if
there was anything that would do
for the little grandchildren. Here
is pretty dress. This dress cost
me many careful stitch All these
plaits were made by hand, my own
hand.
There is very little such work done
now, for we had no sewing machines
then and it took long, long time.
This embroidery was beautiful then
and it is pretty yet. Do you remem-
ber when the first daguerrean came
to our town TO take pictures Well
Hattie wore this dress when her
picture was taken, and 1 thought she
was the sweetest little thing i'll the
world, and so did you, and she was.
Since then we have had ambrotypes
and photographs and porcelain pic
lures, and don't know what all !;
but that little daguerreotype gave
me more pleasure than anything
since, and it IS pretty now. Let me
see-that was twenty-five years ago
and now this same dress would
look right pretty on Hattie's child
And here is one that our first bov
was christenrd in, and there is no
machine work about that either.
That was more than thirty wears
ago, and now there are four grand
children at his house, and three more
at another ones house, and | don't
know what will become of all the
poor little things but I reckon the
Lord will. provide tor them. And
here is little garment that Jennie
made. Poor Jennie she had trou-
bled life but she Is in Heaven now
and III save this tor Pet, She will
prize it because her mot her made it.
And here is a piece Of my wedding
dress-lo you remember itf
know you said then that l looked
like an angel in it but my wings have
dropped off long ago and now am
only poor old woman, faded flow
er, an over-worked mother, ten liv-
ing children and three up vonder,
AMI | will be there too, hope before
long, tor [ am getting tired, and it
seems to me would like to be
nnrsed, by my mother, aud petted
like she used to pet me in the long
ago. And here is q pair of little ba-
by shoes, and the little darling who
Wore them is in the grave, but he is
better off now, aud | wouldn't call
him back if [ could. Sometimes [
want to feel sad, and I rummage
over these old things There is not
- much here now, for every little while
L have to get out something to mend
with or patch or make over again
l wish You Would go and see what
Carl and Jessie are doing. down at
the branch reckon, and feet all wet,
aud they have both got dreadful
coils. [ can't keep them away from
that branch.
Didn't you play in the branch, my
dear when you were a child said l.
Yes, said she mohrnfully, but moth
ing couldent hhrt me then: we were
not raised so delicate in those DAYS,
You know used to ride to the plan
tatlon, twelve miles, aud back again
In day and bring bag of fruit on
the horn OF the saddle, but the GIRLS
couldn't do it now They can 90 to
a,party in buggy and dance half
the night, but that is all excitement,
and they are not fit for anything the
next day. We dident have any dam
ces-hardly ever-we went to the
country weddings sometimes. Yor
remember we went to James Dun
laps wedding, when he married Re-
oecca oammOns. That was big
trollc-an old fashioned froliu. Ev-
erybody was there from all the ma
borhood, and there were more tur-
Keys and roast pig and cake than [
ever saw, andw played every thing
we could think of. Rebecca was
mighty pretty then, but poor woman
she has thousand children, too,
lust like myself, and [ reckon she is
faded too, and tired. But Jim Dun
lap hasn faded, said I. I see him
when l 60 to Atlanta, and he is big
and fat and merry-looks a little
like old David Davis.
Oh, yes, of course he does, said
Mrs Arp. The men don't know anv-
Thing about care aud anxiety and
sleepIess nights. 1t is a wonder to
me that they die at all But 1 have
helped you AL could my dear, said
], and .you see its telling on Inc.
Look at these silver iairs and these
wrinkles and crows feet aud my back
hurts ever aud anon and this rainy,
bad weather gives me tie rheuna-
llSn, but you haYeu i gray hair aud
hardly II seam on your forehead.
Why; you will outlast me aud out
live me too, and maybe there will be
u rich ~idower stepping around
mere IN my shoes and you will have
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