19th Century Seamstress

chapter17

That evening, fireworks echoed from a distant street. It seemed some wealthy family was hosting a party.

Eloise bought a pack of white sausages, tucked them under her arm, and strolled home. She put the sausages on the stove to warm up, and no sooner had she turned around than she heard a knock at the door.

“Coming!” she called, walking to the door. To her surprise, it was Thomas.

Thomas looked like he had run all the way back, with his face flushed from the cold and a light sheen of sweat on his forehead. His arms were full of various items.

“Do you have the day off? What brings you back?” Eloise asked. She stepped inside to pour some warm water, telling him to wash his face so he wouldn’t catch a chill when he went back out.

“Yes, they gave us half a day off after handing out the wages today,” Thomas replied, looking slightly nervous. He often felt wary around Eloise, fearing she would chide him as before, accusing him of not being diligent enough at the law firm or scolding him for rushing home as soon as he got a break.

To ease her, he quickly took out the gifts he had brought for the family from his coat and placed them and a few coins on the table. “I earned four dollars and fifty cents this week—extra from tips—and I bought some things for everyone. Here’s what’s left.”

Eloise made a noncommittal sound and replied, “Give the gifts to Auntie yourself when she returns. As for the money, keep it safe so you don’t lose it.” She stayed at the window, throwing out the wash water and hanging up the towel, giving no sign of intending to manage his earnings.

Unused to this freedom, Thomas hesitated and finally asked her to keep the money for him, fearing it might get stolen from the dormitory.

At this, Eloise agreed. She brought out a leather-bound notebook she had prepared for him and gave it to him, then sharpened a pencil and noted down the amount and date in the notebook under the heading “Savings,” lest he forget.

“When you need it, come back and ask me for it,” she said.

Eloise understood that the original Eloise had dutifully collected Thomas’s earnings to turn over to their aunt for household expenses. But now, she didn’t care for these small sums. If her plans succeeded, she alone could support the family without exploiting child labor.

It was different for the original Eloise, though. A young girl without parents or skills, she had no choice but to live cautiously, fearing she might be cast aside if she were too much trouble.

When their aunt and Louise came home, Thomas handed out the gifts: a toothbrush, a handkerchief, and a headscarf. Eloise received a wooden-handled wool brush. That evening, after having roasted sausage for dinner, she tried it out and found it far better than the usual pig-bristle brushes.

In truth, life in this era wasn’t that different from the future; it was simply that luxuries were out of reach for poor families.

The next morning, Eloise packed the jerky she had bought into a cloth pouch and set off for work. She and Amy were on duty that day, and Laura joined them. When she saw them sharing jerky in the storage room, Laura gave a cold snort and left, not even showing up at the morning meeting.

During her shift, Eloise carried her bucket up to the fifth floor and noticed that a group of porters was carrying boxes into one of the guest rooms. The scene was quite a spectacle. Having come to know most of the staff on the fifth floor, she approached one porter and greeted him. After a brief chat, he started sharing more than she expected.

“The lady who’s coming is quite famous,” he said. “She’s a well-known seamstress in Paris, invited here by the governor’s wife to tailor a wedding dress for the governor’s sister-in-law.”

Intrigued, Eloise turned her attention to the elegant, spotless luggage.

“These boxes are filled with her fabrics and tools,” the porter continued. “They say they’re worth close to a thousand francs. She even tipped us dozens of dollars just for carrying them up.”

Eloise listened in amazement, almost regretting that she wasn’t a strong young man who could earn by carrying luggage. “How much does she charge for a dress?” she asked.

“You wouldn’t believe it. She’s here in New York until next June, for the governor’s sister-in-law’s wedding during the social season.”

The porter chuckled. “The governor’s family lives in Washington, and his sister-in-law is marrying into a wealthy family in New York. There’ll be countless pre-wedding salons, banquets, and balls, each requiring new outfits. By the time the wedding ends, that lady will have made thousands.”

He laughed it off, but Eloise was silent, contemplating the idea. It seemed a worthy goal, becoming a seamstress at such a level. She took one last look at the pristine leather boxes before moving on with her bucket.

When she returned home after work, Eloise didn’t rest for a moment. She sat down and methodically completed her last bits of work, packing her products into paper bags.

The next morning, a holiday, she rose early and headed to the street where Anthony’s boutique was. In the crisp morning, newspaper boys called out on street corners, and milkmen collected empty bottles from doorsteps. Seeing the shopfronts still closed, she realized she might have arrived too early.

But rounding a corner, she spotted a few shops open early, including Anthony’s, the man with the little mustache.

She noticed that he already had a customer—a middle-aged woman in a uniform but without an apron, probably the housekeeper of a nearby mansion. Housekeepers usually had time to run errands in the early morning before their employers woke up, and Anthony, ever one to seize a business opportunity, opened his doors early to cater to these middle-income customers.

The housekeeper, Jeanne, wore a thick, dark dress with a lace collar, practical for her line of work, and an inexpensive pair of leather ankle boots with buckles, a style that had been popular for some time. Her hair was pinned up, with no hat or headscarf.

Jeanne stood by the boutique counter, deliberating between two winter hats with ribbons—one in wine red and one in dark green. The wine-red hat had a broad brim and ribbon accents and was two dollars more expensive, while the green one was narrower-brimmed and more suitable for spring.

Anthony, a shrewd businessman, desperately wanted her to buy the more expensive red one, but Jeanne seemed hesitant.

“This color suits you very well,” he insisted.

“The green one looks nice too… It’s hard to tell which is better at a glance.”

Eloise surveyed the scene with an amused smile, pretending to browse before moving closer. Softly, she remarked, “The wine-red hat is the better deal.”

Jeanne turned, eyeing the young girl with a hint of suspicion. “What makes you say that?” she asked, as the price tags were clearly visible.

Anthony, too, looked over, vaguely recognizing her as the one who had mentioned consigning goods before.

Eloise picked up the wine-red hat and, smiling, replied, “This wine-red color ages well. It won’t look outdated in a few years, and it’s ideal for winter snow. The green one is nice too, but if you prefer it, you can have it, and I’ll take this one as a Christmas gift for my mentor’s wife.”

Anthony, realizing she was playing her “apprentice” role, nodded theatrically. “Yes, indeed! A gift like this would bring anyone joy!”

Jeanne quickly moved to buy the red hat, insisting, “You little thing, I was here first; let me have my pick.”

“Of course,” Eloise said, stepping back.

Jeanne handed Anthony seven dollars, and he had one of the shop boys box up the hat for her. With the sale complete, Anthony turned to Eloise, who was placing her goods on the counter.

Having run his shop for decades, Anthony was a keen judge of character. Seeing her deft handling of the situation, he felt it was a shame she wasn’t working in sales for him.

Knowing she was here for consignment, Anthony calmly returned to his counter, took out his pipe, and filled it thoughtfully. He couldn’t quite recall her name and asked again.

Eloise straightened and replied with confidence, “I am Eloise Zanilon.”