, 1885-04-05
THE SILK DRESS.


sound Of footsteps ON the plank walk which
lay along the front fence. ~Poor soul, l
never see her that ! don't hin Of that verso
in the Bible which says that from him that
hath not shall be taken even that which hs
hath, y and she sighed deeply.
1 looked from the window Just in time 10
see Annie Beldon before she turned the
corner OF the next street She was a faded.
care-worn looking woman, a little
past middle age, with dark-brown hair
thickly sprinkled with gray. Her
dress was a rusty black cashmere, her black
shawl was decidedly shabby. and her Grape
bonnet was shabbier still She looked
neither attractive nor Interesting, and |
turned from the window and took up my
crocheting again, remarking only that SHE
looked as II she had had her share Of sorrow"
@Sometimes Think she has had a good deal
more than her SHARE" said Aunt Jane II
know dozens OF women would AVE sunk into
the grave under only half as much. And
the best Of IL is, she don't never complain.
Shes tho cheerfullest soul that ever
breathed
docs she live near herefT l asked, more
out OF politeness than from any real interest
in the subject.
MOI but she was my nsxt-door neighbor
for twenty Eve years when this was a farm
house. The town lay two miles of then, and
we never looked TO see it grow up right to
our very doors. Annie wouldn't be wearin'
such shabby clothes IL there hadn't been a
mortgage on their place. She could have
sold every acre at a good profit II II had
been free"
Tell me about her, Aunt Jane, / said, as
the old lady paused you'll have plenty Of
time before supper
Dear mo, child, there isn't much to tell,
N maybe the little there Is wouldn't prove
very interestin' to you. know Annie looks
shabby m old, m gray now, m not much like
she did thirty years ago. We was girls to-
gether, m she was the prettiest an ~iiveliest
little { ing ! ever saw. Her eyes was black
as Goals, m her hair hung in long curls TO
her waist She had a laugh m a good word
for everybody, m more beaus than she could
'tcnd to. There was only two OF 'em. though,
that she favored at all. One was Tom lay
ton"
THE owner OF the Layton millsf7 l inter-
rupted.
"Yes; but be didn't own the mills thon.
He was only superintendent there, m though
he was n sayin'. industrious young man, no
one looked to soc him get TO be a millionaire.
But he had a good salary, m his father was
welLto-do, M no was reckoned a good match
for Annie For q while folks thought she'd
AAHAII nAlno VI hL kAAhN n IAOAt u
Annie set a deal by her church. She allowed
that II sho married a man who never
went inside OF one she'd be false
TO her principles, for the Bible says tho
righteous shall not DO yoked to the upright
eous. you know. Tom took IL real hard at
first, but he didn't bear Annie no III will, m
whom shi married Luther Beldon he sent her
a handsome present Luther, he was a real
steady young man, but somehow or other he
didn't have no luck. He had a good farm,
but work as he might, he never made nothin'
of IL more'n a bare Twin, m Annie had to
pinch m screw to keep clothes to their backs.
She was a master hand at managin', m she
worked like a horse, but year after year
went by m they didn't got no better off.
Drought m early frost m too much rain,
KEEP EN- alters ~behindhand. m jest when
they was thinkin' they was goin' to do better
there'd come something that would put EN-
back again.
Luther he got discouraged, but Annie she
never lost heart. Leastways she never
seemed to. When they'd come OVER herein
Luther he'd get to tellln' how crossways
things alters went for him, she'd alters havs
something cheerful to say. She'd tell about
It was a long lane that had no turnin'; M II
was alters darkest Jest before the day M
there was alters silver linin' to every cloud,
till Luther he'd got pleasant again m ready
to laugh with her over their troubles.
"'Ain't | got a treasure in my wifef he'd
say. Long as frosts m mildew m foods
don't take her away from me, l guess ! can
get along
They was over here to take dinner the
day l was 30. l was wearin' for the first
time a new black silk dress which John had
given me for n birthday present IL was
thick n soft m mighty handsome, m Lnther
he didn't seem able to keep his eyes off It.
al wonder when III be able to give you a
black silk, Annie, he said, putting his arm
round her as she stood by his chair. We've
been married seven years m 1 amt been
able to get you nothin' better N n calico
" Il don't need a silk, says Annie I've got
all the dresses ! can use now
Luther looked at her real steady a minuts.
Then he says sorter slow ~ quiet: For all
that mean to get you one, Annie. l want
to Zee how you'd look In IT.
No betier'n / look now in my blue de-
laine,' says Annie.
Wen see Dol that says Luther. L
don't care how hard times are, l mean to
live till | got you a black silk dress
"She laughed m told him he'd make a pea
Geek OF her II he could; but for all her brave
words | know she was downright fond Of
pEtlty Ahlhknf IL Iculll nuIb ntf 10 nave
to wear old faded dresses. m bonnets five
years behind the style. But she never said
10, m she'd walk into church Sunday after
Sunday in her old blue delaine m yellow
straw bonnet, lookin' as sweet m happy as
II she'd been dressed like q queen.
well, Luther he never came over here
after that without he had some remark to
make bout my black silk, m he stuck 10 it
that he would give Annie one like 1t before
he died.
"But year after year went by m my silk
was all wore out N I'd got another, m still
Armies best dress was a cheap delaine, IN II
wasn't often she could afford TO buy even a
pair OF cotton gloves TO cover her hands
Things hadn't gone better with Luther, m
they had other things TO sorrow for than los
ing their bost horses m cattle m their crops
They lost their six children, one after the
other Three Of 'em died In one week OF
scarlet fever m and the others was sickly
little things, m went off In slow consump-
ton.
III It hadn't been hat she had TO keep
Luther up, l believe Annie a have give way
many a time; but for his sake she didn't show
one half she felt. An she never lost faith
in the Lord. She aid His ways seemed hard
but that He knew what was best for her.
swell. time went on. m about ave years
ago things seems to take n turn for the better
with Luther. His Wheat crop turned out
well n no sold It to good profit, N he got his
corn OF tho bottom lands before the river
rose, m that was n great help TO him. He
seemed real cheerful. m told John that he
was Just b~eginnin' 10 enjoy life, m IL things
went well he'd soon have the mortage cleared
of tho farm The weather set In cold M
stormy just after T~hanksgivin', m one
afternoon ] was out In the chicken yard
Shellin' corn TO the hens m all mufied up to
my eyes, when ! heerd a wagon stop at the
gate, m there wal Luther o noddin' m
heckonin' TO ma I vent down 70 tho cato
TO speak TO him. M before I'D got thsrs b.
Don't freeze. when you can telephone