A Daughter of the Land

Sunday morning Kate arose early and had the house clean and

everything ready when the first carriage load drove into the

barnyard. As she helped her mother to dress, Mrs. Bates again

evidenced a rebellious spirit. Nancy Ellen had slipped upstairs

and sewed fine white ruching in the neck and sleeves of her

mother's best dress, her only dress, in fact, aside from the

calicoes she worked in. Kate combed her mother's hair and drew it

in loose waves across her temples. As she produced the dress,

Mrs. Bates drew back.

"What did you stick them gew-gaws onto my dress for?" she

demanded.

"I didn't," said Kate.

"Oh, it was Nancy Ellen! Well, I don't see why she wanted to make

a laughing stock of me," said Mrs. Bates.

"She didn't!" said Kate. "Everyone is wearing ruching now; she

wanted her mother to have what the best of them have."

"Humph!" said Mrs. Bates. "Well, I reckon I can stand it until

noon, but it's going to be a hot dose."

"Haven't you a thin black dress, Mother?" asked Kate.

"No," said Mrs. Bates, "I haven't; but you can make a pretty safe

bet that I will have one before I start anywhere again in such

weather as this."

"That's the proper spirit," said Kate. "There comes Andrew. Let

me put your bonnet on."

She set the fine black bonnet Nancy Ellen had bought on Mrs.

Bates' head at the proper angle and tied the long, wide silk

ribbon beneath her chin. Mrs. Bates sat in martyr-like

resignation. Kate was pleased with her mother's appearance.

"Look in the mirror," she said. "See what a handsome lady you

are."

"I ain't seen in a looking-glass since I don't know when," said

Mrs. Bates. "Why should I begin now? Chances are 'at you have

rigged me up until I'll set the neighbours laughing, or else to

saying that I didn't wait until the breath was out of Pa's body to

begin primping."

"Nonsense, Mother," said Kate. "Nobody will say or think

anything. Everyone will recognize Nancy Ellen's fine Spencerian

hand in that bonnet and ruching. Now for your veil!"

Mrs. Bates arose from her chair, and stepped back.

"There, there, Katie!" she said. "You've gone far enough. I'll

be sweat to a lather in this dress; I'll wear the head-riggin',

because I've go to, or set the neighbours talkin' how mean Pa was

not to let me have a bonnet; and between the two I'd rather they'd

take it out on me than on him." She steadied herself by the chair

back and looked Kate in the eyes. "Pa was always the banner hand

to boss everything," she said. "He was so big and strong, and so

all-fired sure he was right, I never contraried him in the start,

so before I knowed it, I was waiting for him to say what to do,

and then agreeing with him, even when I knowed he was WRONG. So

goin' we got along FINE, but it give me an awful smothered feeling

at times."