The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-11-24


big fire and one tallow candle, and those
were very happy, hopeful hours that I
spent in the old kitchen, stitching slow
ly at its seems, long after the family
were all in bed.
well, the last stitch was set at
length, and the dress was hung carefully
away, with its da 'nty linen lace ruff1cs
that I had spun and knitted myself. 1t
lacked only one week to Thanksgiving,
the time set to wear the blue bombazine,
and / was to go home the next day.
81 ought to have said that the squire
was one of the oversees of the poor in
our town, and as there was no almshouse,
once year the towns poor were set up
and bid of to board by the people at
town meeting. Those who would board
them cheapest got the paupers.
"We!l, there was one boy--Davy
Whitney-that no one would bid for
Everybody knew him, and nobody would
have him at any price; so Squire Hobson
was obliged to take him into his own
family He was poor halfwit-sly,
mischicvous and revengeful.
"From the fir he seemed to have a
spite against me, and would watch me
at work, from behind door, with eyes
that had mischief in them. Once he
waited his opportunity, and shut me
down cellar, when the whole family were
away, and wouldn't let me up, with all
my coaxings and entreat:es. Then he
began to fill the great fireplace with
wood and brush-he always had a great
passion for tires-and I was nearly dis
tractcd down there in the dark, from
hearing him dancing and whooping over
my head, and the fire cracking and roar
ing in the chimney. I was sure he would
burn the house down.
"He did come pretty near it, too, for
when the S9uirt's folk got home, heap
of birch bark and brush which Davy
had brought into the kitchen and thrown
down near the hearth, had caught fire
and was all in blaze.
"He tormented the Squirrels wife, too,
beyond all endurance, sucking the hens
eggs: eating the cream off the crooks of
milk, and digging great holes into her
cheeses.
"Well, Davy kept mis- eyes on my bonn
bazine dress, whenevcr.hc saw me work
ing on it, and would sit in the chimney
corner ncnr me, smoothing his hands
over its soft, shining folds ard talking
to it in his broken way, as he had habit
of doing to anything that pleased him
greatly. 1t did not occur to me that he
meant mischief; but when I went to get
the dress the next day, when I was going
home, it was gone.
"Well, girls, can never tell you how
disappointed I was. 1t makes me feel
sad even now, after all these years. 1t
ca &c into my mind at once that Davy
had had hand in it's disar pearancc, bnt
when he was called up before the squire
he seemed to know nothing about it. The
house was searched, high and low, and
even the barn and granary, but not a
threa of The bombazinc could be found.
",Nothing more could be done, and l
went home dreadfully own-hearted, you
may be sure. TO think that had drudged
n. arly all summer for this one gown, to
have it snatched from me at the very last
moment, was too much, and l am afraid
hated the poor simple m nded boy with
a bitterness that took me many month
to get over. Some of the superstitious
folks looked upon this as second warn
ing against my marrying your grandpa
that year, telling me that ill-luck would
be sure 10 follow us: and others thought
it was the work o! Providence, humbling
my giddy vanity in trying to outshinc
the neighbors' girls.
"Howcvcr, there was nothing else to
do but to swallow my pride, as best l
could, and get out the old hand-cards
and wheel and 60 to work."
What. Did you give it up, after all'"
cried Susie.
"Give it up" said grandma. "B les
you no, child. Your grandma had a
good deal of spirit in those days. l had
no time to waste in mourning over the
loss of nv gown, but went to work to
make another. And had to begin with
the wool as it was shorn, too. First it
had to be cardcd, then spun, and then
colorcd. before it could be woven. 1t
was discouraging work, and l will own
that Il good many tears fell into the warp
and w1of of that homespun dress.
"But you must understand that it did
not take so much to make gowns then as
now, for they were very plain and
straight. If it had. my task would have
been hopeless one indeed.
$50, by means of hard work and sit
ting up nights, mo her and l finished
making the gown. 1t was pressed of,
shining and smooth, with the squire's
wife's big goose. the night before Thanks
giving"
''Bravo, grandmam cried her auditors,
in chorus, cheering the old lady hilari-
ously. "And the wedding came OFF,"
"Ccrtainly, my dears."
"But where was the unfortunate bonn
bazine al this time?" inquired Kate.
"Nell, nothing was seen of it that
winter, nor the next summer. In the
fall Squire Hobson's boys Were out one
night in the woods about the clearing,
hunting for 'coons, that were doing a
good deal of damage to the corn that
fall, and they chased big one into a
dead beech and saw him pop into hole
up among the limbs.
"Hurrying for an axe, they felled the
tree, and there, stored snugly away with
the coon at the bottom of the hole, was
my bombazine gown"
'sBut the coon didn't carry it up
therem cried fIctty, in astonishmcnt.
"Oh, dear no." said grandma. 1--WE
supposed that Davy stole into my chamber
and carried it off while was getting
breokfast that last morning. and after
ward forgot where he had hid it. 1t was
nearly spoiled with mildcw, AMI was
CO cred with dirt and smut from the