A Pair of Silk Stockings

Mrs. Sommers was a poor woman with several children and very little money.One day, quite suddenly, she found herself with fifteen dollars.To her, that felt like a great deal of money.

For two days she thought carefully about how to spend it.She would buy new shoes for the children, and cloth to make them shirts and dresses.On the day she went shopping, she was tired and had forgotten to eat lunch.

She sat down for a moment at a shop counter to rest.Her hand fell on a pile of silk stockings, soft and smooth.She looked at them for a long time. Then she asked the price.

Almost without deciding to, she bought a pair for herself.Something had changed. She did not go to buy the children’s things.Instead she put on the silk stockings in the shop and bought new boots to match.

She bought gloves that fit her hands perfectly, and two expensive magazines.She ate a quiet, proper lunch alone at a restaurant, with a glass of wine.Then she went to the theatre and watched a play all afternoon.

For a few hours she was not a tired mother counting every cent; she was simply herself.On the cable car home, a kind-looking man saw her face and wished, as she did, that the ride would never end.