Aunt Bill Rambles – Mother Hubbard Dress

Aunt Bill Rambles

Maybe you don’t know what a Mother Hubbard Dress is — well, hits jest got a yoke and then gathered onto that and long.  Usually got long sleeves.

I used to do programs for children and quilters and wore my black Mother Hubbard Dress.  I allays wore my Sunday Apron and hit’s made out’n a white feed sack.  Needless to say, I keep hit done up.  You don’t know what done up means neither?  Well, hit means hit’s washed, starched and arned.  Them sacks shore do do up purty, too.  We used to make piller cases out’n sacks.  We embroidered some design on them and maybe put a crocheted edging on and they’s purty as a speckled pup.  Back then when wash day come, they’s allays starched and then arned.

Well this one time I done a program in Albertville — now Albertville is about 15 miles from the Windy Knoll and they’ve got a bigger grocery store than we’ve got and I stopped in there to buy groceries atter I finished with the program.  Remember I’ve got on the Mother Hubbard with the white starched apron.  I also had a hankcher in my pocket and hit had a few pennies tied up in the corner.  That apron pocket is a good place to hide a little snuff box, too.

You ort to a seen how folks looked at me.  I thought hit wuz right funny and they didn’t want me to see them a lookin’ neither. I jist went right on with my shoppin’ and I had the buggy piled up with stuff.  As I rounded the corner to go up to the cash register, a man said to me, “Lady, do you reckin you’ve got enough money to git outta here.”  I answered,  “I shore hope I do.” I’ve told that story over and over and hit’s still funny.  I guess they thought that pore ole soul with her country dress didn’t know what she’s a doin’.  Anyway that’s jest another story of country living.