The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1885-04-18

"No better l look now in my blue
delaine, says Annie.
wen see bout that says Luther.
4 don't care how hard times are,
mean to live till | get you black silk
dress
"She laughed m told him he'd make
a peacock of her if he could; but for all
her brave words knew she was down
right fond OF. pretty things. n it really
hurt her to have to wear old, faded
dresses, N bonnets five years behind
the style. But she never said so, N
she'd walk into church Sunday after
Sunday in her old blue delaine n yell
low straw bonnet, lookin' as sweet n
happy as if she'd been dressed like
queen.
"Well, Luther he never came over
here after that without he had some re-
mark to make boutmy black silk, n he
stuck to it that he would give Annie one
like it before he died.
But year after year went by n my
silk was all wore out n I'd got an
other, m still Annie's best dress was q
cheap delaine, m it wasn't often she
could afford to buy even pair of cot
WI gloves W CONtI uCI udluS. InlUSS
hadn't gone better with Luther, n they
had other things, to sorrow for than
losing their best horses m cattle N
their crops. They lost their six chill
dren, one after the other. Three of EN-
died in one week of scarlet fever, N the
other was sickly little things n went
off in slow consumption.
"If it hadn't been that she had to
keep Luther up | believe Annie'd have
give way many time; but for his sake
she didn't show one-half she felt. An
she never lost faith in the Lord. She
said His ways seemed hard, but that He
knew what was best for her.
"Well, time went on, m about five
years ago things seemed to take a turn
for the better with Luther. His wheat
crop turned out well, N he sold it to
good profit, n he got his corn off the
bottom lands before the river rose, m
that was a great help to him. He seemed
real cheerful, N told John that he was
Just beginnin' to enjoy life, N if things
went well he'd soon have the mortgage
cleared off the farm. The weather set
set in cold N stormy just after
ThanksgiVin', n one afternoon | was
out in the chicken yard shellin' corn to
the hens, N all muflied up to my eyes,
when | heard wagon stop at the gate,
n there was Luther a noddin' n beck
Onin' to me. | went down to the gate
to speak to him, N before I'd got
there he was tellin' me how he'd sold
Tom Layton a colt he'd been raisin'.
n was on his way at last to buy Annie
that silk dress. He asked me bout the
number of yards he ought get N where
he'd best 90 to buy, N said he couldn't
hardly wait to get it now he was ready.
He was goin' to give Annie a surprise,
he said; she didn't know what he was
goin' after.
well, the tears was in my eyes as l
watched him drive of, pleased az
child at the idea of surprisin' Annie.
But | never guessed what the black silk
dress was to cost her, poor soul.
ut began to rain soon after Luther
d gone, n poured down for upward of
four hours. | was at the winder when
he went by on his way home, N no.
ticed he didn't have his overcoat on, m
| wondered what he'd done with it, for
| was sure he'd had it on when he
stopped at the gate. Annie told me
afterward that he'd taken the coat of
his back n rolled the black silk up in
it to keep it from gettin' wet. 1t wasn't
even damp when he unrolled it N
showed it to her, but he was wet to the
skin himself, N few days later there
was a doctors buggy at the gate. John
he went over to see what was the mat
ter, N found Luther walkin' the floor
n groanin' with pain. The cold had
settled in his side N the doctor
couldn't give him no relief. But he
said he guessed he'd pull through all
right n there wasn't no need to worry.
Miss Parsons was maxim the silk
up. Luther wasn't satisfied till Annie
had gone to the village N got some one
to work on it, N she thought best to
humor him. He wasn't no better when
the dress came home, m the doctor
was still tending him; but no one
lowed he was anyway dangerous. 1t
was John who brought the dress home
from Miss Parsons n he said Luther
was just too pleased for anything to see
the bundle.
I'm goin' to have Annie dress right
up in it. he says, m you m Jane
must come over after supper N see
how she looks
well, as l heard afterward, John
had hardly gone when Luther began to
tease Annie to put the dress on. She
wanted to get supper first, but he
wouldn't hear to it.
I've been waitin' nearly twenty
years to see you in that dress, he says,
IN | won't wait even an hour longer
well. Annie she made him lie down
for he'd been walkin' the floor
constant nearly all day-'n' she went
into her bedroom to put the dress on.
She'd got the skirt on, m was fastenin'
the waist, when she heard queer sound
from the spare room where Luther was
lynn. She stopped minute to listen,
n then called to him TO know if he
wanted anything. There wasn't no
answer, m she crossed the hall m
hurried into the spare room. Well,
child, she found him dead, his face
turned toward the door as if he'd been
watchin' for her, m the sound she'd
heard was the death rattle in his throat.
when John m got there he d been
dead only few minutes, m | tell you.