Maude by Donna Mabry Page B

brother-in-law’s
store, he kept a book with what everyone spent and
they paid him at the end of the month. I know he put
down half of what he should for what I bought. We
didn’t talk about it, but I was grateful.
    One day after church, Sister Clark was telling me
how adorable Lulu was and going on how much she’d
grown. “You made her a little dress just like your blue
calico, Maude. You should have worn them at the same
time, it would be just precious.”
    “We can’t do that, Sister Clark. I made that up
out of my old dress. She’s growing so much I have to
make her new things every time I turn around.”
    “Well, you certainly have a beautiful hand with
a needle. Look at that smocking on the front and the
little flowers you embroidered. It’s as fine as any dress
you could buy in St. Louis.”
    Sister Clark took a closer look at the dress I
wore. The fabric was getting thin at the elbows and
shoulders. It looked ready to come apart any minute.
“You’re having a hard time of it, aren’t you,
Maude?”
    “We make do. Mom and Dad Connor take care
of us the best they can.”
“If I could get you some work sewing, would
you be interested?”
I had to hold back how excited I got when she
talked about work, but couldn’t think of how that
would happen. “Of course I would, but all the women
here can sew their own clothes. They don’t need me to
do it for them. Even if they did, I don’t think they could
pay me for it. It’s been a hard year for everyone.”
“I don’t mean here. I have friends up in Union
City. My sister, Dora, lives there. Some of them are
doing very well. You know, I go up there to visit Dora
about once a month. Give me the best thing you’ve
made, and I’ll show it to some of the ladies who hire
out that kind of work.”
I went through every piece of my own and Lulu’s
clothing. I finally decided on the nightgown I’d made
for my wedding night. I’d worn it only that one time,
then washed it and put it away for the next special
occasion.
James and I had talked about taking a trip
someday when we had more money, and I planned to
wear it again when we went. We thought we might
even stay in a hotel if we could afford it. When he
signed up to be a professional ball player, he’d said,
we would have money to burn.
I ran my fingers over the tiny, even stitches and
the little embroidered flowers. It was almost like
brand-new. I pressed the nightgown and wrapped it in
the white paper I saved from a package of fabric that
Helen gave me. I took it down to the parsonage and
handed it over to Sister Clark.
She said, “I’ll show this to the ladies and see if
we can get some work for you, Maude.”
A few days later, Sister Clark was standing on
my front step with the good news. She had an order
from one of her friends. She wanted me to make the
gown exactly. She’d sent enough money to buy the
fabric and thread, and I would have two dollars left
over to keep for myself.
After that, I got a lot of work as a seamstress. For
the next few years, I made dresses and fancy
underwear for the ladies. Brother and Sister Clark
drove me and Lulu up to Union City in their buggy so
I could measure the women, and they could get to
know me. It was the first time in my life that I had set
foot outside of my little town. Union City was a
hundred times bigger. A lot of the buildings had three
or four stories, and there were all kinds of automobiles.
The ladies at the Union City church were all very
kind, making a fuss over Lulu and taking turns holding
her while I measured them in the preacher’s study.
One day, one of them asked me if I would be
interested in doing the wash for her delicate clothing.
She gave me a pillowcase full of her undies, and I
brought them home with me. I washed, pressed, and
folded them neatly. I bought a roll of white paper and
string from the store and wrapped them. Then I gave
the bundle to Sister Clark, who delivered it to her
friend. She sent back another bundle that