This story today is called "A Pair of Silk Stockings." It was written by Kate Chopin

Little Mrs. Sommers suddenly acquires fifteen dollars, which seems like a large amount to her. Feeling important and wealthy, she considers how to invest her money, feeling that she must carefully spend the money. During the night, she thinks of a sensible use for the money. She determines that she should spend a dollar or two extra for Janie's shoes, so that they will last longer and be of better quality, and she plans to buy some fabric for her children's clothing. After that, she will still have enough money for new stockings and hats for everyone, which pleases her because her children will have new clothing for the first time in a while. Mrs. Sommers used to have more money long ago, before her marriage, but she does not worry about the past or the future, focusing mostly on the present. Mrs. Sommers is used to cheap purchase, but today she is tired and forgets to eat lunch. While sitting on a stool to rest before her shopping, she realizes that her hand has brushed against a pair of two-dollar silk stockings. She continues to feel the splendid fabric and asks the shop girl for a pair in her size.

After choosing a black pair of stockings, Mrs. Sommers buys them and goes directly to the ladies' waiting room to change. For once, she abandons thinking about responsibility or about why she is so satisfied at her purchase. She sits in the room for a while, reveling in her stockings, before going to the shoe department, where she tries to find a pair of shoes to suit her stockings. She pays for a stylish pair of boots, although they cost a dollar or two more than her usual shoes, and she then goes to the glove counter. She has not been fitted with gloves for a long time because they are too expensive, but she takes pleasure in the experience. She also buys two expensive magazines such as those that she used to read long ago, and she enjoys a new feeling of guarantee in her new clothes. She was hungry, so she decides against her usual approach, which is to wait until she returns home and then find a bit of food. Instead, she follows her gut and goes to a nice restaurant, where she has a small, tasty meal as she takes off her gloves and reads her magazine, sipping her wine. No one looks at her doubtfully, and not minding the price, Mrs. Sommers even leaves a tip for the waiter as she leaves.

She next enters a theater to watch a play. Many of the people are at the theater primarily to enjoy the play, but Mrs. Sommers absorbs the entire experience. Afterward, Mrs. Sommers waits for a cable car to take her home, and the man opposite her studies her expression. Confused, he sees nothing and does not understand her desire for the cable car to keep going forever and never stop. It had been such a great day, but despite Mrs. Sommers’ powerful wishing she realized that all good things must come to an end. She arrived at home to find that the children had already put themselves to bed. She checked on the boys in their room, gave them each a kiss on the forehead, then went to the girl’s room and did the same. Seeing her innocent children sleeping like angels somehow cause a slight ache of guilt—she had not brought home any of the things she planned on buying them--but when she went to her own room to undress, she became more excited than ever. The next day the family would be going to church, and Mrs. Sommers would have the chance to dress nicely and blend in with the more wealthy women of the church. Mrs. Sommers woke the children extra early, scrubbed them even more than usual, and dressed them in their nicest outfits. When they were all clean and dressed, her children looked extremely attractive despite the fact their clothes were old and made from scraps of fabric their mother picked up from the thrift shop a couple of blocks away. As nice as Mrs. Sommers thought her precious children looked, she couldn’t help how poor they seemed to look once she put on her new gloves, shoes, stockings and her nicest dress.

On the way to church, Mrs. Sommers could not help but think about the previous day. She had full intentions of buying her children new clothes, caps, and sailor hats. What had happened? Before she knew it, all of her money was gone, and there was nothing in her bags to bring home to Janie, Mag, and the boys. During the service, Mrs. Sommers mind was somewhere else. She was not paying attention to the sermon, or anything else that was going on around her. She thought to herself, “What could be so important about these things I bought for myself that I would abandon the children in such a way?” She looked down at her gloves, then her shoes, and then her eyes fixed upon a spot on her leg. She took a closer look, and realized that there was a hole in her stockings. They had torn! The stockings that she had fallen in love with just the day before had torn and were no good. A wave of guilt swept over Mrs. Sommers as she sat there staring down at the silk stockings. Tears came to her eyes, but she stare at the stockings.

On the way home, Mrs. Sommers was very quiet. Mag asked, “Mother, what is wrong? Have we done something to upset you?” Mrs. Sommers shook her head and answered, “No dear, none of you have done anything to upset me.” Again, her mind went back to the night when she decided to spend an extra dollar or two to the price of Janie’s shoes so they would hold up better, cloth for new shirtwaists, and a new gown for Mag. Instead, she quickly spent all the money on herself. When she saw the silk stockings and felt their lovely texture, she lost all sense of responsibility, and went on a selfish shopping spree with no more money to spare for her children. She wondered how she could ever consider herself a good mother.
They arrived at home, and Mrs. Sommers went to her room to take off those awful clothes. As she took them off, she began thinking again. She realized that her actions were selfish and unfair. However, it would be unfair if she never did anything for herself. The more she thought about it, the more she realized that everyone needs a break every once in a while, but there should be limitations. She vowed then and there never to make the same mistake again. The next time she had the chance, she would buy the children what they needed, but she would buy one item for herself. Mrs. Sommers dried her tears and took a hat box from the corner of her room. Inside she placed the gloves, shoes, magazines, and the silk stockings she bought the day before. She would keep these items as a reminder never to spend her money in a hurry and selfishly again.