The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1900-01-18
ways and means of providing the
lrn he L. Ia Il III INT on

ways and means of providing the
heather with the garb of civilization.
All the time that gray taffeta silk
with the pink rosebuds existed as an
unchanging background against which
we're outlined all the events of the day.
Even the girls gowns aroused only
half-hearted attention. At the COM
mittee meeting she barely escaped for
ever losing caste with her fellow-com-
mittee women by voting that so many
yards of taffeta silk with pink figures
be bought for garments for the heather,
/ instead Of the unbleached muslin com
monty appropriated for that purpose.
Aud at the neighborhood sociable
that evening Mrs. Vining was present
in body only. Even when talking with
the rector, or looking over photo
graph album with the doctors wife.
she was. in fancy, walking up and down
the old entrance hall of the Avery
! homesl ad. arm in arm with her favor
ite cousin. or she was sitting at the
head of the long dinner table in the
dear old paneled dining-room; or read
! ing a poem to a hushed audience in the
red rawing-room-and always she was
! clad in, a rustling gray gown dotted
with tiny pink rosebuds. made up in
he latest style.
Perhaps it was because of the en-
croachment Of these waking visions
upon Mrs. Winnings usual hours of slum-
Der that she for once oversight the
next morning. AT any rate, it was
long after nine when she finished her
solitary breakfast, crept up to the at
tic storeroom and threw back the lid
of the Noah's Ark trunk.
81 hope | didn't muss it, putting it
away in such a hurry" she said, feeling
down into one corner. Then, mo-
ment later: "Why, it can't be true
yes, it is-the gown isn't there" Be-
yond doubt it was gone!
Mrs. Vining tumbled the contents
of the trunk out upon the floor and
looked into it and behind il, and finally
examined every article that it had con-
tanned. from velvet reticule to poke
bonnet: but nowhere was there a square
inch of silk dotted with pink rose
buds.
could the girls"
Without further shaping the ques-
ton, Mrs. Nining hurried out of the
storeroom and downstairs into the blue
! bedroom. where the two older girls sa /
sewing
Aunt Tabitha's wedding gown"
she pasped. ITS. .gone!"
Then she stopped short. On the foot
of the bed lay what had been the gray
taffeta silk. now cut into multitude
nous folds and sections.
"Yon cut it up! You cut up Aunt
Tabitha's gown" she murmured; and
then she sat down upon the bed and
burst into tears.
In a moment both the girls were at
her side. "Why. mother" said Ellen,
'do you mean that you wanted that
old silk? Why, | never dreamed of
such a thing! You know you never
seemed to care about clothes. and taf-
feta is in again. and ! thought how
pleased you'd be to see Bertha and |
had got two nice waists out of the old
gown we were always laughing
about"
But for once the little mother took
no interest in the girls things"
81 do care for clothes, | care a great
deal!" she sobhcd. "Do you suppose
that because / am your mother-and
40 years old don't want to have
things nice? And l was going to
make the silk over for the Avery re-
union-so that could have something
pretty and in style.'
With these last words there was an
other rush of tears. The two girls
looked at each other across the bowed
head with moist eyes. Then Ellen.
taking the worn little hand in hers.
said, gently:
Forgive me, mother. We've been
dreadfully selfsh--and I'm afraid it's
too late for you to use Aunt Tabitha's :
wedding gown now. But just let us
have the black silk and well see what
we can do with that
What they did with it little Mrs.
Vining never found out. Certainly the
gown in which she appeared at the
Avery mansion bore not the slightest
resemblance to that ancient garment.
But in writing to II western relative
who could not come to the reunion the
home-staying cousin said:
"1es, Grace Nining--she that was
Grace Avery-read the poem, and she
looked just as pretty as a picture.
You know as n girl she was ALWAYS a
belle and a beauty, but | don't think
/ ever saw her look lovelier than she
did that night. dressed in II pale gray
silk, one of those new taffetas YOU
know they are wearing now, just like
those that our grandmothers wore. all
dotted over with violets.
"One Of the incest things about it
was that the dress was present from
her two oldest daughters. who gave
up new evening silk gowns this win
! ter SO she could have Ae silk. told
them they were real generous girls.
but they said they thought their moth
er had been giving up for them long
! enough, and it was time to change
around And, besides. they said they
| didn't need anything new this win