Cousin Jean had never had a large social circle.  She was friendly with the nearby farmers and a few villagers and tradespeople, so Geneva decided to hold a simple service at the tiny village service.  She was to be buried in her favorite clothes, the ones she puttered about the farm in.

This did not suit Ellen at all since it was not proper, so in a snit, she decided not to attend, just what Geneva and Charles hoped.  Nonetheless, as promised, Viola dropped by Monday afternoon with the black dress. With Viola’s work, it fit perfectly, but Ellen wanted a few changes.

“You need to lower the neck and back.  I want to show off my neck and my grandmother’s ruby pendant.  This black is too severe and needs some kind of trim at the neck.  I wouldn’t wear it like this to a dogfight!” Ellen snapped.

Viola snapped right back.  “You had me fix this for a funeral.  Ain’t no way you could wear it to a funeral like that, and I ain’t got time to get it done and back by tomorrow, no how!”

“Viola, you need to learn your place!  I’ve decided to use it for evening, not a funeral, if it’s any of your business, so take it back and get it right or you won’t get any more of my business.  Don’t you think my girls will be needing wedding dresses in a few years?” Ellen had miscalculated this time.  Viola worked for herself, not Jessie, as Ellen assumed.

“I can get by just fine without your kind of business. Besides, Old Cora ain’t planning on too many more years.  I have more work than I can keep up with now.  If you still want it, I can probably get to this in ’bout a month, But I ain’t promisin’ nothing.  It will run you ’bout twenty dollars for altering.”  Viola folded the dress back into the box.

“Viola, wait!  I want to order some custom dresses for my girls.”  Ellen told her.

“Miss Ellen.  I have orders for wedding and debutante dress lined up for eighteen months.  They ain’t no way I can take on no regular sewing.  Besides, I b’lieve you too hard to work for.  I’m gonna have a cup of coffee with Cora and be on my way.”  She took the dress and called down the stairs ahead of her.  “Yoo hoo! Cora!  You got any coffee left?

Ellen slammed the door behind her.  “That uppity bitch!” But she wanted that black dress.

 

 

 

“Cora, I don’t want to talk to my mother.  Call her and tell her to send that gal over with my girls.  I want to see how these outfits look. Tell her I don’t have all day.”

“Yes, ma’am.”  Cora ambled on downstairs.  They ain’t no way she’s gittin’ her claws in them babies.  She dialed directly into Charles’s office.  “Miss Ellen told me to have Josie bring the babies over right away.”

“Thanks for calling, Cora.  I’ll take care of it” Charles answered.

In about ten minutes Charles called Ellen. “Ellen Dear, Miss Geneva called me to check on the baby this morning.  I just ran by.  Ginny has a fever and may have chicken pox.  They can’t go out, but I can pick you up to visit them if you want.”

“No!  I don’t want to get exposed to chicken pox.  My face might scar, besides, I’m not speaking to Mother.  Do you think the baby’s face will scar?”

“Young children don’t usually scar.  It’s adults who have to worry.  Your mother didn’t know if you’d had chicken pox.  Do you remember?”  He had certainly struck the right chord with her.

“No, and I don’t want it.  The dresses will have to wait a few days,”  she told him.

“Whatever you think, Dear.  I’ll be home around six.”  Charles had scared her off for now.

After the call from Charles, Cora overheard Ellen calling her friend Sarah Marshall.  Of course, Cora couldn’t hear Sarah’s replies, but it was clear Ellen made opportunities to point out all the ways she felt superior to Sarah.

“Sarah, I’ve decided to invite a few more friends to tea. There’s no point in going to all that trouble for just you.  I’m feeling great. I have a new hairdo I’m dying to show off.  I never realized how smart I’d look with short hair.  If you didn’t have such a round face, you might want to try it.  Of course, my hair curls naturally.  You’d have to get a permanent wave, and those just fry hair.  That certainly wouldn’t make you look any better.  I guess I’m just one of those lucky women who doesn’t show her age.  Charles still thinks I am a bride.  If we didn’t sleep in separate rooms, I’d never get any rest.

You know my Cousin Jean died.  I was always her favorite.  I’ll be inheriting her farm and her family home in Jasper.  She was from a prominent and very wealthy.  She rarely used her lake home in Jasper, but kept it in lovely condition.  I’ll be sure to invite you when we have a country weekend.  Got to go.  I have a lot more calls to make.”

Ellen had never spoken directly to Cora about the tea, but clearly expected her to be ready.   I am so glad I ain’t got no friend like her.  Woo, Lordy, that’d be rough!

 

 

 

Ellen was ecstatic at the mountain of boxes Jessie brought.  Dresses for both girls, smocked, taffeta, bright gingham prints, sailor dresses, petticoats, panties and gowns with shoes and hats to match worked her into a frenzy.  Ellen ripped in, pulling out garment after garment, exclaiming joyously at some, tossing others over her shoulder in rejection.  Soon every surface in the room was covered.  “0h, I had one just like this when I was little!  Mother has the picture on her piano. Have you seen it?  It looks just like Ginny!   This little smocked dress is darling!  Can you shorten it like ShirleyTemple’s?” Suddenly, her eyes smoldered. “I wouldn’t put this sailor suit on a dog!  Get rid of it!  No, don’t take it back!  I said get rid of it!  I hate it!”  In a fury, she ripped the collar off and threw it on the floor an ground it with her slipper.  “Now I won’t have to look at it!  Don’t you ever bring any more trash like that around here!”

Jessie scurried to pick the things up.  She wouldn’t be able to sell damaged goods.  Subtly, she slid the damaged sailor suit in her bag.  I’m not about to throw away a perfectly good outfit just because of you.  I’ll be charging you plenty for that little fit, she thought. Jessie had dealt with Ellen so many years she knew what to expect, so she made up for Ellen’s meanness in her billing.  Dr. Evans must have understood, since he always paid promptly without question.

“You never should have brought that hideous thing!  Charge me what you want.  I am not going to poor mouth about the price of a pathetic dress.  I can’t stand sniveling and poor mouthing.  It’s in such bad taste.” Ellen spouted at Jessie.

Jessie turned her back and seethed as she gathered up Ellen’s choices.  She’d spent a good portion of her life sniveling and poor-mouthing since her husband died young and left her with four small children.  Without Ellen’s trade, she’d be right back there.  It was galling to be dependent on hateful rich clients like Ellen.  Most of her clients were gentile, a number difficult, but Ellen was the worst she’d ever had to deal with.

” What else did you bring me?  I told you to have Viola rework that black satin for the funeral.  I’ll try it now.”  Her manner was emperious.

“Miss Ellen, you just asked for it last night!  The Sanderson wedding is Saturday and the funeral is Tuesday at two.  I checked.  Viola get it to you by closing Monday.  I’ll send her over with it.”  Clearly, Jessie had had enough.

“I don’t see what’s so important about Minnie Sanderson’s wedding, anyhow.  Minnie’s got that crossed-eye.  As soon as the veil is raised that’s the first thing anybody’s going to see.  It’s lucky that Jones boy wants her.  Nobody else would have ever wanted the poor thing.  Did his brother ever get out of jail?”  Since she wasn’t going to get what she wanted, being cruel would have to do. Ellen unwound a bit.  “I’m so sorry.  I forgot it’s your nephew Minnie is marrying.”

Jessie gathered the rejected dresses.  “Minnie is a very sweet girl.  I hope she and Johnny will be very happy and he doesn’t have a brother, only a sister.  I guess you just heard some nasty gossip.”

Pointedly ignoring her response, Ellen snapped at her.  “On your way out, tell Cora I need her!”

As Jessie left the kitchen, she gave Cora the message.  “Your boss-lady wants you.”

Cora stopped her work and dried her hands.  “Sweet Jesus, help me.”