The Gown

Ann wakes up to a cold house and frozen water pipes. Fortunately, she and Milly learned to keep water in the teapot in case this happened, so Ann makes a pot of tea, eats leftover porridge, gets ready for work, and leaves. When Ann gets to the embroidery workroom, the women are giggling over the recently engaged Doris, who is planning to stop working and start a family after the wedding. Ann thinks it would be hard to give up the independence of working. Miss Duley, the head of the embroidery room, comes in and tells them to get to work.

At the morning tea break, Doris says she plans to wear her mother’s wedding dress from 1914. At lunch, Ann sketches a design that Doris could make by reworking her mother’s gown. Doris is delighted by the design. Ann is pleased and decides to reproduce it in her sketchbook later.

When Ann gets home, Milly says her brothers want her to emigrate to Canada with them because of how bad things have been in England. Ann encourages her to go because she would have a better life in Canada. Milly hesitates because Ann might have to give up the house and garden she loves, but Ann convinces her to go.