The Blessed Dress
By Sandy Williams Driver
I got an engagement ring for Christmas. My boyfriend and I had been dating for almost a year and both felt the time was right to join our lives together in holy matrimony.
The month of January was spent planning our perfect Alabama June wedding. My mother, two sisters and I went to Huntsville, the closest town with a selection of bridal shops, to buy the gown that would play the leading role on my special occasion.
We had a wonderful time just being together and sharing silly jokes, but the day soon turned serious by afternoon: still no sign of the dress of my dreams. Both sisters were ready to give up and try another day in another town, but I coerced them into one more boutique.
I had a good feeling as we entered the quaint little shop filled with the scent of fresh flowers. The elderly clerk showed us several beautiful gowns in my size and price range, but none were right. As I opened the door to leave, the desperate shop owner announced she had one more dress in the back that was expensive and not even my size, but perhaps I might want to look at it anyway. When she brought it out, I squealed in delight.
This was it!
I rushed to the dressing room and slipped it on. Even though it was at least two sizes too large and more costly than I had anticipated, I talked Mom into buying it. The shop was so small it didn’t offer alterations, but my excitement assured me I would be able to get it resized in my hometown.
Excitement wasn’t enough. On Monday morning, my world crumbled when the local sewing shop informed me the dress simply could not be altered because of numerous hand-sewn pearls and sequins on the bodice. I called the boutique for suggestions but only got their answering machine.
A friend gave me the number of a lady across town who worked at home doing alterations. I was desperate and willing to try anything, so I decided to give her a call.
When I arrived at her modest white house on the outskirts of town, she carefully inspected my dress and asked me to try it on. She put a handful of pins into the shoulders and sides of my gown and told me to pick it up in two days. She was the answer to my prayers.
When the time came to pick it up, however, I grew skeptical. How could I have been so foolish as to just leave a $1,200 wedding dress in the hands of someone I barely knew? What if she made a mess out of it? I had no idea if she could even sew on a button.
Thank goodness my fears were all for naught. The dress still looked exactly the same, but it now fit as if it had been made especially for me. I thanked the cheerful lady and paid her modest fee.
One small problem solved just in time for a bigger one to emerge. On Valentine’s Day, my fiance called.
"Sandy, I’ve come to the decision that I’m not ready to get married," he announced, none too gently. "I want to travel and experience life for a few years before settling down."
He apologized for the inconvenience of leaving all the wedding cancellations to me and then quickly left town.
My world turned upside down. I was angry and heartbroken and had no idea how to recover. But days flew into weeks and weeks blended into months. I survived.
One day in the fall of the same year, while standing in line at the supermarket, I heard someone calling my name. I turned around to see the alterations lady. She politely inquired
I thanked her again for adjusting my wedding gown, and assured her it was safely bagged and awaiting the day I would wear it down the aisle on the arm of my real "Mister Right." With a sparkle in her eye, she began telling me
I did have my summer wedding after all, only a year later. And I did get to wear the dress of my dreams - standing beside Tim, the man I have shared the last eighteen years of my life with, whom I would never have met without that special wedding gown.
相关单词：coerced
coerced解释：v.迫使做( coerce的过去式和过去分词 )；强迫；（以武力、惩罚、威胁等手段）控制；支配
coerced例句：
They were coerced into negotiating a settlement. 他们被迫通过谈判解决。
He was coerced into making a confession. 他被迫招供。 来自《简明英汉词典》
相关单词：quaint
quaint解释：adj.古雅的，离奇有趣的，奇怪的
quaint例句：
There were many small lanes in the quaint village.在这古香古色的村庄里，有很多小巷。
They still keep some quaint old customs.他们仍然保留着一些稀奇古怪的旧风俗。
相关单词：scent
scent解释：n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉
scent例句：
The air was filled with the scent of lilac.空气中弥漫着丁香花的芬芳。
The flowers give off a heady scent at night.这些花晚上散发出醉人的芳香。
相关单词：squealed
squealed解释：v.长声尖叫，用长而尖锐的声音说( squeal的过去式和过去分词 )
squealed例句：
He squealed the words out. 他吼叫着说出那些话。 来自《简明英汉词典》
The brakes of the car squealed. 汽车的刹车发出吱吱声。 来自《简明英汉词典》
相关单词：dressing
dressing解释：n.(食物)调料；包扎伤口的用品，敷料
dressing例句：
Don't spend such a lot of time in dressing yourself.别花那么多时间来打扮自己。
The children enjoy dressing up in mother's old clothes.孩子们喜欢穿上妈妈旧时的衣服玩。
相关单词：costly
costly解释：adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的
costly例句：
It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。
相关单词：alterations
alterations解释：n.改动( alteration的名词复数 )；更改；变化；改变
alterations例句：
Any alterations should be written in neatly to the left side. 改动部分应书写清晰，插在正文的左侧。 来自《简明英汉词典》
Gene mutations are alterations in the DNA code. 基因突变是指DNA 密码的改变。 来自《简明英汉词典》
相关单词：crumbled
crumbled解释：（把…）弄碎， （使）碎成细屑( crumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 衰落； 坍塌； 损坏
crumbled例句：
He crumbled the bread in his fingers. 他用手指把面包捻碎。
Our hopes crumbled when the business went bankrupt. 商行破产了，我们的希望也破灭了。
相关单词：decided
decided解释：adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的
decided例句：
This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。
相关单词：outskirts
outskirts解释：n.郊外，郊区
outskirts例句：
Our car broke down on the outskirts of the city.我们的汽车在市郊出了故障。
They mostly live on the outskirts of a town.他们大多住在近郊。
相关单词：skeptical
skeptical解释：adj.怀疑的，多疑的
skeptical例句：
Others here are more skeptical
Her look was skeptical and resigned.她的表情是将信将疑而又无可奈何。
相关单词：naught
naught解释：n.无，零 [=nought]
naught例句：
He sets at naught every convention of society.他轻视所有的社会习俗。
I hope that all your efforts won't go for naught.我希望你的努力不会毫无结果。
相关单词：standing
standing解释：n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的
standing例句：
After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。
相关单词：aisle
aisle解释：n.（教堂、教室、戏院等里的）过道，通道
aisle例句：
The aisle was crammed with people.过道上挤满了人。
The girl ushered me along the aisle to my seat.引座小姐带领我沿着通道到我的座位上去。
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