The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1901-02-08
: - ~ s2Szz&!*:SSS IS
Aunt Tabitha's Wedding Gown.
BY Margaret Dodge.

fne-century IdSnlOD lnal WOuiu dudp
itself easily 10 the style at the end OF
the century. Indeed, little Mrs. Vim
ing, kneelng on the floor in her attic
storeroom and spreading the lustrou'
fabric across the top Of the big Noab's
Ark trunk, was already-in fancy, NJ
least-"taking in" here and letting
out" there, with n certainty Of success
born Of long experience.
For eighteen years Mrs. Vining hal
been making over for family of three
pretty daughters, and as she said 10
herself, she could almost do ii with
her eyes shut" To-day, however, Mrs.
Vining was planning for none Of these
pretty daughters. Once, indeed, when
she heard the sound Of a girls voice
in the room below she started ard
crumpled the folds Of the silk together
almost guiltily.
IL don't care" she said TO herself,
when the voice died away. 81 don't
care, I'm going TO have this silk for
my very own. 1t will make over as
good as new without n bit Of trimming
"
l do so want something that's pretty
and in style"
The last words came with ,hc rush
OF long pcnt-up stream. Not since
the girls had outgrown their baby
clothes had Mrs Vning owned n gown
that even remotely approached that
ideal
The Winnings lived in a pretty cottage
i'm n popular suburb, kept a trim maid
of-all work, gave teas and provided
music and dancing lessons for thCir
daughters III addition 10 the regular
courses at the public schools. In fact
they had enough for the comforts Of
life with a little left over FOR the lux
uries; but that little, either In whole
or part, never fell TO Mrs Vining
One month II went for tea table for
Ellen, the eldest, VINO had social as
pirations; another month 1t was ali.
sorbcd by subscription TO the boat
club for Bertha. the athletic daughter
or by dancing lessons for fifteen year
old Edith
y
gowns for Ellens whist parties AMI
Bertha's tennis club and Edths dane
Ing class; gowns Of cotton anu crcpon
and silk and muslin, gowns that even
when manufactured at home and made
over from material that was ain the
house in some way ate up every pen
ny that the little mother had laid By
for her own modest outfit.
In the end. Mrs. Vininc always either
attended Dawton teas and church so.
ciableS arraycd in prehistoric black
silk, or stayed away altogether. or
late she had always stayed away; ana
the three girls said that II really was
not worth while for mother to have
good clothes, for she never wen, any.
where and didn't care.
Being really amiable and Swcct-n
turod girls, they probably believed
what they said Indeed. it's quito
likely that il never occurred to them
that mother didn't care 10 60 anywhere
because she had no suitable clothes
Meantime, Mrs. Ninng said nothing
at all.
But just within the last week Mrs
ViniDg had come to care very much
both about clothes and about going
somewhere" In two weeks there was
10 ne reunion of the Avery family at
the old place in Averytown, New
Hampshire ana she had been asked
to write the poem
You see haven't forgotten the love
ly poetry you used to write IN the days
when you were Grace Avery ana the
Averytown poet belle and glass Of
fashion all in one .Yrotc the home.
staying cousin who had sent out the
invita-. ions, land count on you rs my
chief attraction Which letter goes
far toward explaining the special dis.
favor with which Mrs. Vining had
eyed The prehistoric black silk when
she took 1t down that morning for the
sixteenth course Of alteration.
Mrs. Viniug was the mother Of
grown daughters: but she was such a
bright-eyed, pink checked and alto
gether youthful little mother that II is
not to be wondered ut that she shranli
from the ordeal of returning To what
the newspapers would call "the scene
of her girlish triumphs" gowned i'm .
black silk that was shiny where II
ought TO have been lustreless, narrow
where it ought TO have Been broad
and broad where il should have been
narrow-a gown, in fact, thnt exhibit.
cd all the known depravity of clothes
that have Outlircd their allotted period
of service.
~ suppose I'm horribly selfish and
worldly-minded." the little mother had
said to herself that morning. as she
sat in the study trying TO read the
Woman's page in the Boston World
"but IL does seem as II l couldn't bear
II If way wasn't opened for me e
have n new gown for that reunion
Just then something in the fashion
notes caught her attention and SCI
her to reading in earnest.
Revival Of Tafftta Silks.-Amons
the most attractive gowns in cours,
of making for winter festivities ar,
taffeta silks figured In tiny flowers
like those worn 10y our grandmothers
Indeed.it is said that many such gown
are being resurrected from old trunk
and chests by the lucky owners o
such ancestral finery. and with onl,
slight alterations will grace many O
the seasons teas and reception
"Taifeta silk ancestral finery,