Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1885-07-15
THE SILK DRESS.
What 1t Cost, After Twenty Years
Of Waiting.

There's Annie Beldonr' said Aunt
Jane, looking up Nom her knitting as
she heard the sound of footsteps on the
plank walk which lay along the front
fence. poor soul! / never see her
that l don't think of that verse in the
Bible which says that 'from him that
hath not shall be taken even that which
he hath" and she sighed deeply.
looked from the window just in time
to see Annie Beldon before she turned
the corner of the next street. She was
faded, careworn looking woman, a
little past middle age, with dark brown
hair thickly sprinkled with gray. Her
dress was rusty black cashmere, her
black shawl was decidedly shabby, and
her Grape bonnet was shabbier still.
She looked neither attractive nor inter-
esting, and | turned from the window
and took up my crocheting again, re-
marking only that "she looked as if she
had had her share of sorrow"
sometimes l think she has had n
good deal more than her share" said
Aunt Jane. Il know dozens of women
would have sunk into the grave under
only half as much. And the best of it
is, she don't never complain. She's the
cheerfulest soul that ever breathed."
''Does she live near herep" / asked,
more out of politeness than from any
real interest in the subject.
mo! but she was my neXt-door neigh
Dor for twenty-five years when this was
farmhouse. The town lay two miles
of then, and we never looked to see it
grow up right TO our very doors. An
ME wouldn't be wearin' such shabby
clothes if there hadn't been mortgage
on their place. She could have sold
every acre at a good profit lift had been
Free
Tell me about her, Aunt Jane" l
said, as the old lady paused. you'll
have plenty of time before supper"
Dear me, child, there isn't much to
tell, N maybe the little there is wouldn't
prove very interestin' to you. / know
Annie looks shabby, n old, m gray
now, m not much like she did thirty
years ago. We was girls together, m
she was the prettiest an liveliest little
thing | ever saw. Her eyes was black
as Goals, N her hair hung in long curls
to her waist. She had laugh m q
good word for everybody, m more
beaus than she could tend to. There
was only two of 'em, though, that she
favored at all. One was Tom Lay
ton"
"The owner of the Layton Mills?" I
interrupted.
Yes; but he didn't own the mills
then. He was only superintendent
there, n though he was a savin', in
dustrious young man, no one looked to
see him get to be millionaire. But he
had a good salary, m his father was
well-to-do, m he was rcckoned a good
match for Annie. For awhile folks
thought she'd marry him; but he warn't
professor, m Annie set deal by her
church. She allowed that if she mar
ried man who never went inside of
one she'd be false to her principles, for
the Bible says the righteous shall not be
yoked to the unrighteous, you know
Tom took it real hard ut first, but he
didn't bear Annie no i'll will, m when
she married Luther Beldon he sent her
n handsome present. Luther he was a
real steady young man, but somehow or
other he didn't have no luck. He had
good farm, but, work as he might, he
never made nothin' off it more'n bare
Twin, m Annie had to pinch m screw
to keep clothes to their backs. She was
master hand at managin', m she
worked like horse, but year after year
went by N they didn't get no better Off
Drouth N early frost, m too much
rain, KEEP 'em alters behindhand, m
jest when they was thinkin' they was
goin' to do better there'd come some
thing that would put 'em back again.
''Luther he got discouraged, but Annie
she never lost heart. Leastways she
never seemed to. When they'd come
over here N Luther he'd get to tellin'
how crossways things alters went for
him, she'd alters have something cheer
full to say. She'd tell about it was a
long lane that had no turnin', n it was
alters darkest jest before the day, m
there was alters q silver linin' to every
cloud, till Luther he'd get pleasant
again n ready to laugh with her over
their troubles.
"'Ain't got treasure in my wife?'
he'd say. Long rs frosts m mildew
n floods don't take her away from me,
l guess 1 can get along
''They was over here to take dinner the
day was thirty. 1 was wearin' for the
first time new black silk dress which
John had given me for birthday pres
ent. 1t was thick m soft m mighty
handsome, m Luther he didn't seem
able to keep his eyes off it.
81 wonder when I'll be able to give
you black silk, AnnieP' he said, put
ting his arm round her as she stood by
his chair. We've been married seven
years n L amt been able to get you
nothin' better'n Calico
"I don't need silk, says Annie.
I've got all the dresses l can use now.'
''Luther looked at her real steady n
minute. Then he says, sorter slow N
quiet, For all that, 1 mean to get you
one, Annie. want to see how you'd
look in it,.
mo better'n I look now in my blue
delaine,' says Annie.
"'We'll see bout that says Luther.
i don't care how hard times are.
mean to live till 1 get you a black silk
dress
''She laughed m told him he'd make
peacock of her if he could; but for all
her brave words l knew she was down.
right fond of pretty things, m it really
hurt her to have to wear old, faded
dresses, m bonnets five years behind
the style. But she never said so, m
she'd walk into church Sunday after
Sunday in her old blue delaine m yell
low straw bonnet, loobin' as sweet m
happy as If she'd been dressed like a
queen.
"Well, Luther he never came over
here after that without he had some re-
mark to make bout my black silk, N he
stuck to IL 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, N still Annie's best dress was
cheap delaine, N il wasn't often she
could afford to buy even pair of cot
ton gloves TO cover her hands. Things