The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1886-01-05

uO "oN W"e tut'Ns WdS wearing wi
the FIRST time new blat k 81 h Dire 3 which
John bad given ne irr birthday pres
ent 1t was thick ard soft and mighty
handsome and Luther he didn't seem
able to keep his eyes efi it.
Il WI ndar when Ill be able to give
YOU black silk, Annie p be SAID. put,
ting his arm around her as 81 e stood hy
his chair. We've been married seven
wears and / amt heen able to get you
nothing hetier'n calico
".I don't need q silk saws Annie.
I have got all the dresses l can use
now
'Lrber looked at her real steady 8
minute. Then he says slow and qniet,
For all that mean to get you one, An.
ME. I4want to see how you'd look IN
it,
"'No better'n look now in my blue
delaine.' says Annie
"'We'll see about that. says tnther.
Il don't care how hard times are, mean
to live till get you black slk dress
She laughed and 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. and it really
hur, her to hsveto weat old faded dress
es and bonuets five years behind the
style. But she never said so, and she'd
walk into church Sunday after Sun lay in
her old blue dela;ne and yellow straw
bonnet, looking as sweet and happy as il
she'd heen dressed like queen.
"But year after year went by and ny
silk was all wore::out and I'd got another
and still Annie's dress was cheap de-
laine, and wasn't often she could afford
to buy even pair of cotton gloves to
cover her hsnds Things hahn't gone
better with Luther and they had other
;hings to sorrow for than losing their
hest horses and cattle and their crops.
They lost their Six children. one after
the o!her. Three of 'em died In one
week of scarlet fever and the others was
sickly little things and went eff in slow
consumption.
"If it hadn't been that she had to keep
Luther up, believe Annie'd have given
away manv time; hut for bis cake she
didn't show one-half she felt. And she
never lost faith in the Lord She said
His ways seemed hard, but that He kne W
what was best for her.
"Welf, time went on, and about FIVE
years ago things seemed 10 take turn
TOR tue better with Luther His wheat
crop turned out well, and he sold it to
good profit and he got his corn of the
hottom lands before the river rose, and
that was great help to him. He seem
ed real cheerful, and told John that he
was just beginnin,' to erj,y life, and il
things went we'll he'd soon have the
mortgage cleared of the farm. The
weather set in collin stormy just after
Thanksgiving. and one afternoon | was
out in the chicken yard shellin' corn TO
the hens. and all mt III ID up 10 my eyes.
when heard wagon stop at the gate
and there was Luther a noddin' and
beckonin' to me- went down to the
gate to spe k TO him. and before I'd got
there he was tellin' me how he'd sold
Tom Layton a colt he'd been raisin and
was on. his way at las, TO buy Annie that
silk dress. He asked me about The num-
her o: yards he ought to get and where
he'd best 60 TO buy, and said he couldn't
hardly wait to get II nov be was ready.
He was goin' to give Annie a surprise,
he said she didn't know what he was
goin' after.
"Well. :he tears was in nv eyes as |
watched him drive { # pie ased as child
at the idea Of suprisin' Annie. But
never guessed what the black ELK dress
was to cost her, poor soul!
at began to rain soon after Luther
bad gone, and poured down for upward
of four hours 1. was at the winder
when be went 5v on his way home, and
| noticed he diin't have his overcoat on.
and I wondered what he'd done with it,
for was sure he'd had it on when he
s o2ped at the gate Annie told noe af.
terward that he'd taken the coat off his
hack and rolled the black silk up init 10
keep it from gettin' wet. 1t wasn't even
damp when he unrolled it and showed i.
to her, but be was wet to the skin him.
self, and a few days later there was a
doctors buggy at the gate John he
went over to see what was the matter
and found Luther walking the floor and
eroanire with pain. The cold had set
tied in his side and the doctor couldn't
give him no relief But he said be
guessed he'd pull through all right and
there wasn't no need to worry.
miss Parsons was making the silk
up. Luther wasn't satisfied Till Annie
had gone to the village and got some
one TO work on it, and she thought best
to humor him. He wasn't no better
when the dress came home, and the doc.
tor was stu attending him; hut no one
flowed he vas anyway dangerous. II
was John who brought the dress home
from Miss Parsons, and he said L1ther
was just too pleased for anything to see
the bundle.
'..rm going 10 have Annie dress right
up in it," be says, land you and Jane
must come oveI after supper and see
how she looks"
"Well, as | heard afterward, John had
hardly gone when Luther began 10 tease
Annie TO put the dress on. She wanted
to get supper first, but be wouldn't hear
to it
"'I've been waiting nearly twenty
years TO see you IN that Dress says he.
and I won't wait even an hour longer.
"Well. Annie she made him lie down
for he'd been walking the floor con
slant nearly all day and she went into
her bedroom to put the dress on Sle'd
got the skirt on, and was fastening the
waist, when she heard q eer sound
from the spare room where L1ther was
lying. she stopped minute TO ls'en
and then called to him TO know if he
wanted ANYTHING. There wasn't no ans
wer, and she crossed The hall and bur-
ried into the spare room. Well, child.
she found him dead. his face turned to-
ward the door as if he'd been watching
for her, and the sound she'd heard was
the death rattle in bis throat.
"When John and got there he'd been
dead only few minutes, and tell you.
child, it was q sad sight to see her kneel-
inc down bv that low he'd In her new