The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1811-03-29


Made where cora was cheap, than to raise
. by purchasing Corn at the highest price
l WAS assured that by means of the mast in
the ncighboring woods, the offal of the kitch
en, potatoes and number Of ct ceteras, lit
tie a. no corn would be required. yielded
as / generally do. OH such occasions Nc.
mat would have You suppose, that l am
under petticoat government. No, Sir, my
wife always endeavo,s TO convince me of
my error by fair argument, which she cool
ly persists in. until l admit she is right -
1t has now been three years since W., tried
this scheme OF raising our bacon within cur
selves. At one time our hogs were killed
by our neighbors, or worried Dy their ours
at another they died partly by eating nush.
rooms and partly by eating nothing, and now
it is discovered that the breed is bad and
must be changed. The result is, that my
bacon has cost me twice as much as we ever
gave for venison, besides involving me in a
quarrel with one neghbor and an ullsuccess.
iui lawsuit with another.
Another favorte scheme of nv wife has
been 10 aid in supplying the Richmond mar
ket with butter and milk. To effect this we
had many difficulties to encounter 20 ur
land was poor and covered with broom
sedge-We had but one COW, and that am
indifferent one; and our dairy maid was
4 SO on, cock. made opposition to the ex-
pence of clover lots, buying three more COWS
and of hiring an additional servant, bur as
usual, my wife got the bet err OF me in 1T :
gument. She did not, in this case go upon
mere theory. Hec friend, Mrs. SIX INNER,
had made upwards OF tw. Bty pounds iast
year from a single COW, besides furnishing
her family with milk and outer we might
then count upon making at least m hundred
pounds from four. Il was impossible, YOU
know, SIR, to resist an argument founded up
OF plain fact and calculation. This butter
making scheme, was accordingly commenc
ed. A 10! was enclosed at conside rable ex-
pence was enriched by manure purchased
and wagg ned from town; and dairt was
built upon new plan--pu, our hopes, or RAJ
Their let me say, my wite's hopes, have not
been realized. Several of our cows have
died by the distemper; and sometimes when
they have been turned out t., forage 70,
themselves, they have been So long missing
as to make us buyers. rather han sellers,
OF milk. Our best COW has been NOR than
C. week on one of the little Islands In the r.
yer, and cannot be get o. until we have a
long spell of dry weather in addition all
which. three Of our chief customers broke
last year considerably in our deb So that
ny means of these various mishaps, and
my great and continual expcnce in adver-
easements, rewards, provender. churns, milk.
pans and the like, l doubt whether every
drauSht OF milk we take, (for butter we nave
learnt to do wi!hout,) does not stand Us i'm
as much as the pearl beverage, with which
queen of Egypt, is said to nave treated
her gallant Whenever / venture to ex
press doubt of The advantage of this
schem me, my wife tells me, that il has ne
yer yet had a fair chance that ii we are
always changing our plans we shall be the
laughing stock OF our neighbors that a
rolling stone gathers no moss; that the
world was not made in day, and MANY
other such arguments that don't veil know
how to answer. But the thing above all o.
Tiers on which she most prdes herself, is
her knack at a bargain. Neither myself
nor enc OF our servants is permitted to
buy the smallest article, even skein of
silk or a pound of tea. She knows the
difference between whole sale and retail.
and whenever yard OF ribbon is wanted,
or pair of gloves, she prefers buying by
the piece. She has, besides, established
such reputation among herfrends tor buy
ing bargains. that that there is seldom post
but brings her some commission from the
country to exercise her favorite talent
These friendly agencies, added to her own
wants, take up ST much or her time, that
one horse does little else than carry her to
town; and our spinners have relaxed in
their industry, OIL finding that their mistress
can buy goods on her own terms.
Ihave generally observed that in hunting
after one bargain she has the good fortune
to catch a great many more. She is in
deed great tatorite with the shop-keepers
| who give her the refusal of their best bar
gains, which l have sometimes tho't strange
as she never makes purchase without a
liberal abatemen; of tine price. This talent
III my wife at cheapening goods would siard
US in very good stead, if it did not often IL all
her 10 buy hings she does not want. Her
syste attic economy has created passion
for cheap purchases which IS babi;ualIy
gratihed; and she now never re urns from
Richmond without loading he cnaise with
goods bought at less than fire. Cost. If the
articles are not Immediately wanted, it is
always answered that hey will be of use by
and bye, when we might nave to give three
times as much-and should this supposi ION
fail, her friends Mrs. S.opay and Mrs Alt
tick will be sure to take them off her
hands. Besides being largely in advance 20
these last mentioned ladies' and a hall a do
zen cousins IN the country, we have now by
us,sliks aud dlmities, cambrics aud mu Sims,
suffici mt TO furnish both OF our daugh iers
bridal " ardrobes, th"ugh the eldest Is not
ten years old licking and blankets and
sheeting to furnish our house in town when
we again return toit; more tea, chocolate
and spices. than We ought 20 use IN years !;
and more medicine tnan Trust we snail use
all our lives. Nor would IL be quite so bad
it the dear soul would confne uer purcha-