River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1885-05-07
TIE SILK DRESS.

that don't tnlnk OF lIIat verse IN the
/ Bible which says that "from him that
hath not shall be taken even that which
he hath, " aud she sighed deeply.
Hooked from the window Just in time
to see Annie Beldon before she turned
i the corner of the next street. She was
faded, careworn looking woman, lit
tie 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 | think she has had
good deal more than her SHARE" said
Aunt Jane. 81 know dozens of women
who have sunk into the grave under
only half as much. And the best of it
is, she don't never complain. She is the
| cheerfulest soul that ever breathed."
docs she live near here?" | asked,
more ont of politeness than from any
real interest in the subject.
"Nol but she was my next door neigh
Dor for twenty-five years when this was
| a farmhouse. The town lay two miles
off then, and we never looked to see it
| grow right up to our very doors. An
nie 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 if it had
been free"
"Tell me all about her, Aunt Jane"
| / 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 interesting to you.
/ know Annie looks shabby, m old, N
gray now, N not much like she did
thirty years ago. Wewas girls togeth-
er, N she was the prettiest n liveliest
little thing [ ever saw. Her eyes was
as black as Goals, n her hair hung in
long curls to her waist. She had a
laugh n a good word for everybody, N
more beaus than she could tend to.
There was only two of 'em. though,
that she favored at all. One was Tom
Layton"
1.-THE owner of the Layton Mills ?" I
interrupted.
Eyes; but he didn't own the mills
then. He was only superintendent
then, n though he was q saving indus
trious young man, no one looked to see
him get to be a millionaire. But he
had good salary, n his father was well
to do, m he was reckoned a good
match for Annie. For a while folks
thought she'd marry him; but he warn't
a professor, n 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 at first, but he
didn't bear Annie no i'll will, n when
she 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
q good farm, but. work as he might he
never made nothin' moren bare hyin,
N Annie had to pinch n screw to keep
clothes on their back. She was a mas
ter hand at managin,' n she worked
like horse, but year after year went
by n they didn't get no bet
ter off Drought N early frost n
too much rain, KEEP 'em alters be-
midland, n Jest when they was thinkin'
they was goin' to do better there'd
come something 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
telIin' how crossways things alters went
for him, she'd alters have something
cheerful to say. She'd tell about it
was a long lane that had no turnin', N
it was alters darkest jest before the day,
N there was alters a 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 as frost n mildew n
floods don't take her away from me, l
guess | can get along
dav / was 30. | was wearin' for the
first time new black silk which John
had given me for q birthday present.
Il was thick n soft n mighty hand
some, N Luther he didn't seem able to
keep his eyes off it.
II wonder when I'll be able to give
you black silk, Annie? he said, put
ting his arm around 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.
al don't need silk says Annie.
I've got all the dresses / can use now
Luther looked at ner real steady a
minute. Then he says, sorter slow n
quiet, For all that, mean to get you
one. Annie I want to see how you'd
look in it,
"'No better'n I'd look in my blue de-
laine, says Annie.
well see bout that, says Luther.
I don't care how hard times are, mean
to live till l get you black silk dress.
"She laughed N told him he'd make
peacock OF her if he could; but for all
her brave words knew she was down
right fond of pretty things, n it really
QutJ neF TO nave 10 wear OlO, iduSu
dresses, m 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' II 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 bout my 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 worn out n I'd got anoth-
er, N still Annie's best dress was but
cheap delaine n it wasn't often she
could afford to buy even pair of cot
ton gloves to cover her hands. Things
hadn't gone better with Luther'n N
they had other things to sorrow for
than losing their best horses n cattle r
their crops. They lost their six chill
dren, one after the other. Three of 'em
died in one week of scarlet fever n the
others was sickly little things, N went
off in slow consumption.
"If it hadn't been that she had to
keep Luther up, 1 believe Annie'd have
give away 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.