Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1884-06-06
MISS LAPHARS JAPANESE SILK
A Partly True story.

Partly True story.
ny II. II.
Great hustle and stir pervadod Miss Jones's
dressmaking room. Four now gowns were
to go home that afternoon, all to be worn at
one party. Such a thing had never before
happened since Milly Jones, brave little thing
that she was, had undertaken to keep father,
mother, sister, and two brothers in food and
clothes by the work Of her two slender
hands. Her father was n paralytic, her
mother not overstrong, her sister only fifteen,
and the boys ten and twelve.
1t was big load for Milly to shoulder but
she took it up as gayly as If it had been play,
and bad been carrying it now for four years,
without days rest, or nights either, for
that matter, since there never was q night
that she did not sew till twelve o'clock, and
sometimes long after All she knew Of the
dressmaking art she had learned on the sly,
or on the wing, as it were, in the great Mad
anne Gullall's establishment, where she had
toied and drudged for five years, sometimes
going shopping, sometimes sewing on skirts
Of gowns, sometimes holding the pincushion
for madame while she fitted.
This last was her opportunity, and not
second Of it did she lose. No seam, no pleat,
no trick of the madame's deft fingers es-
capped Milly's eye. She had not been long in
the place before the dream took distinct
shape in her mind. 1t was not such worry
difficult thing, Milly perceived, to fit gown.
She could even improve on some Of tho mad
ame's methods she dared to think. And she
was not mistaken, for the madame was at
best but trained work woman, and Milly
had dash of genius in her nimble brain. So
she plotted and planned, and studied and OBJ
served, oil the while saving every penny that
she could.
She confded her project to her mother,
who, luckily, did not frown on it, and togeth-
or they schemed and economical, until at
last they had money enough in the savings.
bank to keep the family in food and pay the
rent for one year. Until that was assured
Mly would not make her venture.
In one year can get under way, know,
she said. PLENTY of madame's customers
will give me their old gowns to alter over,
because | will do it so cheap. I've many a
time heard them say it was no economy 10
have madame alter for them, for she charged
as much as for new gown. And that way
I'll gradually work in till they'll give me their
new gowns too. If had the French pat.
terms I'd very soon fit as well as madame II
/ had had her experience, l believe I'd fit
better. I've seen her make awful bluuders
sometimes"
So, when the money for one years living
was put away, Milly electrified Madame Gull.
all one day by giving notice that she would
leave at the end of the month. The mad.
anne was dispeased All her customers liked
AIilly; she herself liked her She had no
one in her whole establishment whose eye
was so quick for a shade Of color as Milly's
Many a time. when other shoppers had re-
ported sample as unmRtchable, Miy had
gone out, and in An hour returned with the
right thing. And more than once, when
some accident had happened TO gown, and
a dilemma had arisen, Millys ingenuity had
come to the rescue, aud devised an expedi-
ent which had saved the msdames credit.
No; Milly must not go. She offered to doub-
lie her wages. It was a temptation, but Milly
resisted.
ut might be long before We would have
whole years living ahead again, " she thought;
land I'm getting old" (she was ninoteen)
''If I'm ever going to begin, nows my time.
So, politely thanking Madame Gullall, she
declined her offer, and departed.
1t was surprising how work poured in on
her as soon as it was understood among few
Of Madame Gullalrs customers that Milly had
''set up for herself" No woman living who
cares for dress can resist the temptation of
having pretty dress at half price.
AIlly was q tireless creature, went to her
customers at their own houses to fit them,
carried samples ripped, sponged and pressed
old gowns, and brought them back as good
as new, or better. She smiled to herself
misunderstanding well how much more
work she gave for the money than the fine
ladies had ever got before-to find them in
clined to drive close bargains with her. But
she was working for an end J.; she could af-
ford to bide her time.
''lf live and have my health, you'll SEQ
me ask twenty five dollars for making gown,
the same as the rest of them" she said TO
her mother. "It's worth it, too. Just wish
the ladies would make one their own selves,
from beginning TO end, and see if they don't
think differently after they have done it,"
Before the end of the first year Milly had a
sewing. woman of her own. In six months
more she had two, and at the time of our sto-
ry had four. More than that Milly could not
manage in fact, more than six human be-
ings could not have breathed in the little
basement room where Milly's work must still
be done. 1t was a dark, dismal, cramped
place but Milly did not yet, prosperous as
judging by her own modest criterion, she had
become, dare risk bigger rent. She knew
what she wanted-a sunny, airy house far up
town, Many a Sunday afternoon she spent
walking. with longing eyes, up and down the
streets in which she would like, and hoped
some day TO live. But before she could do
that the boys must have their schooling, and
their father and mother to keep, Milly thought
she and her sister would feel as if they could
afford to live more as they would like. And
so they worked brayely and cheerily on.
It seems to me that there Is nothing in all
the world which ID reckoned by so false
standards as courage To set of on an ex-
ploring expedition to the north pole or into
the heart Of Africa, with rich mems money
aud names blazoning the affair all over the
earth, with the lure of promised fame and
glory beokoning us on, is not, to my mind,
half 30 heroic a thing as to live in dingy
house in a scarcely respectable street, trudge
back and forth in all weathers to fetch and
carry work, sit in dark basement sewing ten
hours at a stretch day in and day out, year
in and year out, and keep cheerful through
it ALL If only one person here and there did
it, the world would see clearer how much
courage and fortitude il takes But there are
20 many hundreds, so many thousands doing
it all around US all the time that we do'not
realize what it is or what it means. When
| we do realize this, better time will dawn for
work people, aud the world will wake up TO
| q consciousness of some Of its unconscious
cruelties.
No such thoughts as these bothered Milly 8
brain, however She went about her work
was sorry when it fell OF, and elated when it
poured in, no moro questioning whether it
were Just for her to have TO work so hard
than sparrows question about flying in search
| of food
Tho four gowns which were to go home
this night were great triumph for Milly.
| Two OF them were for rich and fashionable
young ladies for whom she had never before
made new gowns, the Misses Lapham, who
| lived with their uncle in a superb home near
the Park. They had been among Madame
Gullall's best customers, as Milly very well
knew. It would bo enough to keep Milly's
whole family year II she could earn all that
these two girls had been in the habit OF pay
ing to madame. But that she did not hope
for.
One of the dresses was of a Japanese silk,
a sort of brocade. Milly wondered where II
had been bought She had never seen any
thing like it, 1t had gold and browns, and
puppies so shot and interviewer that the color
was like beech-tree in the autumn-a beech.