The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1884-06-19
THE STORY OF ADDRESS
Mrs. Mills Self-Denial and How II
Was Rewarded.

Nlil have spring SUIT; IT, hl2h une' Too,
aud ] mean to have il made by Furbelow.
Once in my life l want a dress that viii fit
like 4 glove aud look stylish Im dead tired
Of being dowdy, and running about IN ready
made gowns that hang on me like a bag, and
Iavel apart If one looks nc them. j think
win have gray Henrietta-cloth and gray
velvet saw one at an opening that was
too lovely for anything-5ut a wedding. I'm
so sick Of black cashmere and black silk; IL
seems 10 nc Ike never worn anything else.
To be sure, black IS more economical; your next
neislhor can't be certain whether you had
youI black gown this spring or last, ana its
becoming and iady-iike ! shouldn't care TO
have Mrs. Brown say, There goes Mrs. Mills
ia her everlasting gray gown: when shat we
see the last OF it, Perhaps ] should get 20 be
known as the woman IN gray: and then gray
spots 50 easily. and benzine isn't al that fancy
painted it. To be sure, il would dye-and
shrink Brown is a durable color and not so
prctentions. I could never wear gray eo~n
except on fcte days; still that gray gown has
haunted my imagination; its like poem Ike
the first sight OF the silver catkins, the first
sound Of the robin. However, I'll 90 in town,
and Get patterns. and see Iurbclow.
So Mrs Mills went IN to town, and obtained
patterns al the best shop; patterns Of velvet, OF
Heurictta-c,oth, OF cashmere, OF armurc, OF
bou-ette, OF bison-clsth and what nos, patterns
Of gray, Of London smoke, OF ashes of roses, Of
clover red. Then She proceeded 10 turbelow S,
and looked 4; fashion plates, and asked ques-
tons. " Here's gray we have just finished
for Mrs. HEsou. of Mount Vernon Street: II
thought 10 be very CHE said the assistant.
cur price for making is forty-fiye dollars
only" Mrs. Mills sighed. il was plain she
could rot iiaye a gown made by furbelow, 1T
her never Sc wisely. Her check was but Tor
Fifty dollars. When she reached home with
her patterns, in rather a pleasant frame OF
a
kind of shopping which exhilarates the felni-
nine heart, more or less-she found Mrs ARA
strong waiting for her.
You Sec exclaimed Mrs. Armstrong, "wc
are getting mp a testimonial for dear Mr.
Giacose-his thirfieth anniyersary-and we
knew uou would wish to add something All OF
our best people have given Miss Clapn gave
fifty dollars; nobody has given less than five ex-
cept old Mrs. Blunt. and You know how stlngy
she IS. She gave dollar
Mrs. Mills gave five dollars. "She couldn't
do less" said Mrs. Armstrong afterward.
was determined sic shouldn't get OF with
dollar"
That rather cuts into my spring suit, said
she: bat ] can have il made without the
velvet, suppose.
She returned to her patterns next day, and
medifated upon them it was SO hard 10 decide.
If gray shouldn't happen TO become her. Brown
might look oid-womanish. Black was the
safer, Of course She consulted with her friends
and with several Of her feminine relatives.
She made up her mind ia favor Of gray or Mon
day. and chose browa on Tuesday. She found
her attention wandering in church from the
preachers text TO the parishioners tollettes.
The woman who hesitetes is lost, we are told,
and Nm. Mills was still debating the subject
when letter arrived from her dearest friend.
You wiz be glad TO hear" she wrote g that
my wedding day is set for the 18th You
must come and stop here. Ii viii be a quiet
affair without much dress Malcolm's partner
has sent me such lovely necklace. In haste,
NELLIE"
That means a wedding present" thought
hrs. Mills. She gave me such 3 beautiful vinai-
grette when J was married :; and ten dollars is
al j can spare Well, / suppose can get nay
gown ior thirty-fiye, and have 4 dressmaker
come TO the house; that VIII be cheaper. Of
course il went fit like Furbelow's" And she
went tD look mp . wedding present for ten dol
lars: and Is she ceHidn't find anything fer just
ten dollars that suited the circumstances of her
friend, and rs she had the money IN hand, she
paid ffbeea Tor the loveliest piece Of bric-a-
brae that had just been marked down from
rweaty-doilars. /" needn't give SO much for
the material for my gown, she reflected as she
counted her remaining ducats
Have yon decided about your spring suit
yct2 asked friend, later. Is 1t 10 be gray
or brown"
- don't know" answered Mrs. Mills
have been obliged 10 spend some Of my money,
and that makes il difficult 10 decide"
Il WIS q few days afIerRaTG, when she had
happened ia * q neighD0rs in the evening for
game at whist, that the conversation fell
upon the Cincinnati sufferers. Everybody ex-
pressed great COMMUNICATION Yes" said
Mr.. Salem. one Of the guests present" We are
ali very sorry, but il doesn't keep us awake
nights and We don't Ike to abridge our own
material com Forts for their sake: we are sorry
in a paeticai. immaferial way. Now. who OF
us would give our personal adornments for
their benefit mean to pass round the hat,
and see who is in earnest about this business.
Here goes my seal ring, my lntagiio for an
example; il came from Rome and WAS blessed
by The Pope"
And here 20 my earrings" said a lady
present: " ! always dislikCd them"
And here's NY loclzet,R cried the hostess:
'sockets have gone out Of fashion"
. haye 80 ornaments 10 give" said Ms
Mills
You have tiny gold chain around your
neck, Mrs. Mills whispered her nejghbOr.
DO you wear ii fora charm9o
Mrs Mills has charms enough without IT, y
said Mr. Longworthy. aside, at her elbow.
Hnshi" returned Mrs Mills ] have my
pockct-book. Perhaps ten dollars viii answer
quite as well: X is the smallest bill in IT,"
"Oh. give him the chain-he only asked FOR
ornaments-4nd save yonr money" advised q
friend
But Mrs Mills only replied with fash, and
threw "a the teI-doiiar biz, mentally calcu-
lating TIC shr5nlage Of her spring suit perhaps
Twenty dollars is rather a small amount
fos 3 spring suit" she rejected, later. Let
Ile see, ten yards at dollar yard-it's DC
use to buy cheaper, Cor the elbows VIII be out
in 10 time II ] do: that leaves ten dollars foi
tie dressrnaker linings, buttons, and extras
1ll ask how much Miss Slasher has day.
Three dollars day is my price madame
reported Siashcr: and / might have it done
ia three days, II you are Ia 4 hurry. / supposC
y0u have a gnaehIneG"
"NoD
u could bring mine, but that's dollar
extra"
And nothing left for Innings and extras. .
thought MrE. Mills ] must give up Slashel
toe" She went home lost ia thought. Hel
spring suit was problem which would have
vcxcd Aewto2's ingenuity TO solve: the laws O
grsyitaiion were trifling IL comparison: and
while she worked over lis solution an acquaint
sDce who had seen better days rang her bell
Y0u cant guess what came for" She said
celorine luFIoasly, and unfolding lace fichu
You know / got into debt when the children
had the measles, and just now 1 want ten dol
lars desperately. Now here's this tichu-wha
earthly good is il to me, a poor widow dom;
her OHD bouse-worl ] haven't worn it for tei
years. see they're coming in again, and
thought maybe you could give me ten dollar
1oT il, and not feel cheated"
Inl. Mrs Knowles its worth fifty at least