From the Children’s Friend, March 1924 –

The Graduation Dress

By Elsie Chamberlain Carroll

Martha hurried from the building, her cheeks flushed, and her eyes bright with unshed tears. She wished now, that she had sluffed the meeting as she had been tempted to do. Oh, it had all been terrible – the pitying looks of the girls who tried to hide their own disappointment in making it easier for her – and Miss Brinton’s eloquent speech for simplicity and inexpensiveness which Martha knew had been prompted by a desire to save her feelings.

She wished that she had gone to Miss Brinton before the meetings and explained that it did not matter to her what kind of graduation dresses the other girls had because she couldn’t have any and that she wasn’t going to the exercises anyhow. She had thought of doing it, but somehow she couldn’t make up her mind. She knew Miss Brinton would protest and perhaps try to give her a dress or maybe the girls would hear about it and would take up a collection or something. Martha’s sensitive shoulders shuddered. She couldn’t have borne either humiliation.

They had all been so sweet to her and had tried to make her feel that she was one of them and she did appreciate it, but she knew that they pitied her. That was what cut deepest. She was not yet accustomed to poverty.

Martha had continued in school only to please her mother whom she had never permitted to guess how she suffered. When her father died and the financial crash came she had begged to take a position in Mr. Brinton’s store. But her mother would not listen to such a plan.

“No, Martha, You must finish school. We’ll manage somehow. Now more than ever you will need all the education you can get. Finish your high school and then perhaps the way will open for college or some line of special training.”And because Martha loved her mother and knew any other course would disappoint her, she had been brave enough to sacrifice her own feelings and had continued in school, wearing (especially this year) shabby clothing, and doing what hurt even worse – economizing in ways that almost made her seem disloyal to the school; such as not buying a Year Book, nor a class ring, and not contributing to the class project, nor to the numerous funds the school had fostered.

Oh, it had hurt! Martha was a natural leader and would have loved to be in everything. She knew the girls understood and felt sorry for her. They had been real friends as their action today had deeply attested – it was their very consideration that made it harder for her.

The meeting had been called to discuss graduation dresses. Martha knew well enough that there was not another girl in the class but who could afford any kind of dress she desired. She was alone in her poverty as far as the senior class was concerned. The other girls had been discussing their graduation dresses since the beginning of the semester.

And then after all this planning today in that meeting after Miss Brinton had told them how she thought simplicity and inexpensiveness should be the chief characteristic of a graduation dress, every girl had accepted the suggestion that the maximum amount to be spent for a dress should be $10.

Martha knew they had done it for her, and while she loved them for their loyalty, she had never been so crushed before. They had sacrificed their beautiful dresses that she might be one with them, for they did not know that she could almost as easily afford $50 for a dress as $10.

Martha knew that her mother was straining every point to keep her in school. Every penny counted. She had long since determined not to mention a graduation dress. It would only be something more for her mother to worry about. She would think up someway to keep from going to the exercises.

And so with choking throat and smarting eyes Martha had hurried from the building as soon as the meeting was over and almost ran toward the trolley line. She didn’t want any of the girls to overtake her. The tears were too close to the surface.

She saw through a blur that a streetcar was coming and she hurried faster. A half dozen people were waiting at the stopping. When she was almost there she noticed that the car was number 3 instead of number 5 as she had thought. She slackened her pace a little as the car slowed down and stopped.

All of the waiting people entered. The last person to get on was a woman and just as the conductor closed the door behind her Martha saw something drop from the side of her handbag. She ran forwardandcalled, but thecarwasalready clanging away.

Martha stooped and picked up an envelope. It was addressed to “Mrs. Sarah E. Barton, 2217 Berkshire Avenue.”

As it was unsealed Martha instinctively looked inside the envelope. There was a folded bill and a sheet of paper upon which was written,

“Dear Aunt Sarah;

I am returning the $!0 you so kindly loaned me. A thousand thanks.

Nellie.”

It was lucky she had the woman’s address, was Martha’s first thought.

She unfolded the bill. It was clean and crisp and seemed to fascinate her. Ten dollars! If it were only hers she could buy a graduation dress – a dress as good as any of the girls were going to have.

That thought opened the door to the demon of temptation.

Suddenly Martha was aroused by the sound of an approaching car. It was number 5. A crowd of students were running to catch it. She slipped the money back into the envelope and the envelope into a book.

“Say, Martha have you heard the news?” asked Dan Pendleton as soon as they were all in, and the car had started.

“You are to be valedictorian. The scholarship committee met this afternoon and went over the records of the seniors and Professor Morrison just posted a notice that ‘Miss Martha Addison’s record showed an average of A during her entire four years and that the committee declared her the rightful candidate for valedictorian. Congratulations!”

“Oh, but I can’t,” gasped Martha.

“No can’t about an honor like that,” declared one of the other students. “You ought to be as proud as a peacock.”

During the journey home Martha sat in a daze.

Valedictorian! How that news would please her mother. And yet she could not tell her. It would bring up the question of the graduation dress. Sub-consciously her mind reverted again to the ten dollar bill folded in her book. If it were only hers. If it were not for the envelope and note she might even feel that she had some right to claim it.

Then Martha pulled herself up with a disgusted little shrug of her shoulders. A crimson flush swept her cheek. What possessed her to permit such thoughts? She’d send that money the minute she got home.

But when she reached home she found a note from her mother saying that she would be detained later than usual at the telephone office where she worked a few hours every day while the children were in school, and she asked Martha to bake the bread and get supper ready for the children.

Martha was later herself than usual on account of the meeting, and the bread needed immediate attention.

She slipped the envelope with the bill into the till of her trunk and went briskly at her a waiting tasks. She was kept busy all evening and did not get a chance to address an envelope.

The next morning her mother asked her to go earlier to school so she could stop on the way and order some groceries. So again the money was not attended to.

And then in the rush of the final weeks of school she forgot all about it.

It was a week later that she was reminded of it.

Betty came dashing into the History class one morning with news for the girls.

“What do you think, girls! ‘Bagley and Norris’ have heard about our $10 graduation dresses – Mr. Bagley used to be on the school board you know, and is still interested – well, they have ordered a special lot of ready-made dresses just for us. My Aunt Marie works there, you now, and she phoned me about them last night. She says they are little beauties – the sheerest organdy with lace and distinctive touches in embroidery or ribbon or silk flowers. They’ll be out in the morning and to the first ten girls who buy dresses they’re going to give white shoes and silk stockings – all for the ten dollars, mind you. Now is our chance to see who are the early worms.”

The second bell sounded and the teacher began calling the roll. But Martha’s mind was again being tortured with the thoughts of that $10 she had left in her trunk. The woman would not be expecting it after this long, and besides, how could she explain why she had not sent it before?

A dress like the other girls had. It would be wonderful to have that, and to give the valedictory.

The English teacher had given her a special assignment of the valedictory address instead of the last long theme the class was expected to do. Martha had not yet found courage to tell anyone that she could not come to the commencement exercises. She had a half-formed plan that she would at least find some good excuse and they could get someone else to read her speech.

That night just before she went to bed she took the bill from its hiding place. Harder and harder she tried to convince herself that it would not be very wrong to take it. Then all at once a happy thought came to her. She would borrow the money – that is, she would use it in the morning to buy her dress, then she would pay it back with the first money she earned when school was out. Now she had kept it this long, a few weeks more would not matter. And so with her conscience thus appeased, she went to bed with the $10 under her pillow.

And then it seemed such a little while before she was walking up the platform of the assembly hall with the rest of the graduates, dressed in a pretty organdy with pink and yellow rosebuds and a yellow girdle. How thrilled she was as the principal beckoned for her to sit on the front row beside him and the University professor who was to address the graduates.Shecouldseehermotherintheaudience,herdearfaceshiningwithloveand pride. There was some music and then the professor arose to speak. It would soon be time for her part. She wondered if she was absolutely sure of it and began to rehearse to herself lines here and there. Then the professor’s words struck her like a burning brand.

“My young friends, I am going to speak to you on a subject that is of vital importance to your future success and happiness. It is the subject of honesty.’

Marty had heard no more. Clammy horror gripped her. She looked at the crisp folds of her dress and the hideous words “stolen” seemed to burn into her very soul. She saw her mother’s eyes upon her, the pride and love turned to unutterable pain; her classmates were regarding her with cold, accusing stares and then the entire audience seemed to rise and point scornful fingers at her as they hissed “stolen! stolen.”

She seemed to be choking! The dress was suffocating her! She couldn’t endure it! Wildly she tried to tear it from her. “Take it away! Take it away!” she screamed.

And then –

Why what was it? Everything was dark and she – Why, she was sitting up in bed tearing at her night gown and mother was coming toward h rcrying:

“Martha – darling, what is it? What is it? “She switched on the light and gathered Martha into her arms.

And at last Martha realized that it was all a hideous dream.

She clung to her mother and sobbed.

“There, there, dear. I’ve seen that you have been working too hard lately. You are all run down and nervous. You’ve been worrying too much over that valedictory.”

Martha stared.

“Who told you?”

“Why, I read it in the paper, honey, and have been basking in congratulations for a couple of weeks. But I knew because you didn’t tell me about it that you wanted to surprise me so I was going to pretend.”

“O, Mother –” Martha began to sob again.

“There, there. Just try to forget that nightmare whatever it was. Here, wait a minute. I have something that will help you get it off your mind.”

She disappeared for a moment in the next room and returned with a long box.

“I was going to surprise you, too. I’ve been saving all winter for your graduation dress. I wanted you to have one as good as any of the girls. I was going to get crepe or satin or something like that because I thought the other girls would have that kind. But when I was talking about it to Beulah Daniels – she works at the telephone you know – she said her niece Betty had told her the girls were all going to wear inexpensive organdy dresses and that ‘Bagley and Norris’ where her sister works had a special lot at an unbelievably low price.

“This morning she learned that they were to be put on sale to-morrow. She knew I wouldn’t get off early in the morning, so she spoke to her sister who got the permission to sell me one tonight. And look! They threw in these pretty white shoes and silk hose – all for $10.”

The mother was holding up a dainty dress of white with pink and yellow rosebuds. To her surprise Martha began to weep more convulsively thane ver.

It was sometime before she could sob out the story of the $10. Then for a little while the two wept in each others arms.

“There, there,” finally soothed the mother, “that experience, terrible as it was, was perhaps a blessing. It has shown you that there are things worse than being poor, and that one of them is dishonesty which always brings its own punishment. I don’t think you will ever be tempted again. I’ll bring you an envelope to put the money in and Dick can post it the first thing in the morning.

Martha wrote across the bottom of the note accompanying the bill:

“I found this by the streetcar line, forgive me for not returning it before, but my keeping it has taught me a lesson I shall value all my life. M.A.”