The Purple Dress

THE PURPLE DRESS

By

O. Henry

This edition published by Dreamscape Media LLC, 2018

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Table of Contents

About the Author:

The Purple Dress

By O. HENRY

About the Author:

O. Henry (1862-1910) is the pen-name of William Sidney Porter, the American writer born in Greensboro, North Carolina. He was known for a style of writing that featured surprise endings and showed the grim and often humorous effect of coincidence on the lives of his subjects. A keen observer of the lives of Americans from New York to Texas in the early 20th century, his works have been adapted many times for the stage and screen.

The Purple Dress

By O. HENRY

WE are to consider the shade known as purple. It is a color justly in repute among the sons and daughters of man. Emperors claim it for their especial dye. Good fellows everywhere seek to bring their noses to the genial hue that follows the commingling of the red and blue. We say of princes that they are born to the purple; and no doubt they are, for the colic tinges their faces with the royal tint equally with the snub-nosed countenance of a woodchopper's brat. All women love it, when it is the fashion.
And now purple is being worn. You notice it on the streets. Of course other colors are quite stylish as well—in fact, I saw a lovely thing the other day in olive green albatross, with a triple-lapped flounce skirt trimmed with insert squares of silk, and a draped fichu of lace opening over a shirred vest and double puff sleeves with a lace band holding two gathered frills—but you see lots of purple too. Oh, yes, you do; just take a walk down Twenty-third street any afternoon.
Therefore Maida—the girl with the big brown eyes and cinnamon-colored hair in the Bee-Hive Store—said to Grace—the girl with the rhinestone brooch and peppermint-pepsin flavor to her speech—"I'm going to have a purple dress a tailor-made purple dress—for Thanksgiving."
"Oh, are you," said Grace, putting away some 7-1/2 gloves into the 6-3/4 box. "Well, it's me for red. You see more red on Fifth avenue. And the men all seem to like it."
"I like purple best," said Maida. "And old Schlegel has promised to make it for $8. It's going to be lovely. I'm going to have a plaited skirt and a blouse coat trimmed with a band of galloon under a white cloth collar with two rows of..."
"Sly boots!" said Grace with an educated wink.
"...soutache braid over a surpliced white vest; and a plaited basque and..."
"Sly boots, sly boots!" repeated Grace.
"...plaited gigot sleeves with a drawn velvet ribbon over an inside cuff. What do you mean by saying that?"
"You think Mr. Ramsay likes purple. I heard him say yesterday he thought some of the dark shades of red were stunning."
"I don't care," said Maida. "I prefer purple, and them that don't like it can just take the other side of the street."
Which suggests the thought that after all, the followers of purple may be subject to slight delusions. Danger is near when a maiden thinks she can wear purple regardless of complexions and opinions; and when Emperors think their purple robes will wear forever.
Maida had saved $18 after eight months of economy; and this had bought the goods for the purple dress and paid Schlegel $4 on the making of it. On the day before Thanksgiving she would have just enough to pay the remaining $4. And then for a holiday in a new dress—can earth offer anything more enchanting?
Old Bachman, the proprietor of the Bee-Hive Store, always gave a Thanksgiving dinner to his employees.