The Taffeta Gown: One Street#18

The flounce of a ballgown
Bodice cut tight
The rustle of taffeta
Layered and light
The gleam of pearls
Smooth and white
A halo of perfume
She slips into the night

I think I'm feeling a bit nostalgic, it must be looking at all the old family letters, diaries and photos. I'm actually still at the river and now looking away from the ford up into the rocky, tree strewn meanders. The colours here are amazing, kingfisher blues and greens but they reminded me so strongly of a dress my mother had. It must have been in the early 50s/60s and it was made out a material that was one colour when you looked at it in one way, but a totally different colour whenyou looked at it in another. It shimmered and shone and she looked so glamorous. The bodice had spaghetti straps and the skirt was tulip shaped. I still have the pearls given to her by my father - fresh water pearls from India.

Thanks you for all the interesting comments on great great grandfather James too. More reading reveals even more poignant information. His own mother died in childbirth when he was about 8, leaving 5 children behind her. His first wife, Ann, was buried with is mother - buried with your mother-in-law, I'm not sure about that! His second wife, Lavinia, on James' death, married their best friend Richard who had already married Lavinia's sister, Jane - she too had died in childbirth! Still, James and Lavinia's remaining seven children all lived to good ages. Their youngest daughter was Rhoda and I'm sure I met her once when I was very young. I've just checked the tree and that's possible - she died aged 82 in 1962. The past is not so far away, nor so different.
They were all member of the Ebenezer Particular Baptists - that had to be examined too - what on earth did that mean? Well, an ebenezer is a stone, a reminder of when the Israelites smote the Philistines, there was a lot of smoting going on. I'm still not quite sure how this all fits together but it's all fascinating.