The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1847-06-26

W. Nub JA'iSp III Jbulhtll. NllllG COSl
but eight cents, and you own that they are
superior TO yours at ten cents"
"Stlll, yours may hnve been too cheap, in
stead of mine too DEAR"
"Ioo cheap! That is funny! never saw
any thing too chcap in my life. The great
trouble is,thut every thing is too dear. What
do you mean by too cheapW
"Ihe person who sold them to you may
not have made profit enough upon them to
pay for her time and labor. If this were the
case, she sold them to you too cheap"
suppose she paid too high for them? Is
the purchaser 10 pay for her error"
"Whethcr she did so, it would DO hard to
tell; and even ifshe had made such mistake
l think it would be more just and humane TO
pay her price that would give her fair
profit, instead of taking from her tho means
of buying bread for her children. At least
this is my way of reasoning"
"And Il precious lot ofmoncy it must take
to support such system Of reasoning. But
how much, pray, do you have week to keep
the family? | am curious to know"
"Thirty five dollars
"'fhrty five dollars! You are testing"
ooh, no! That is exactly what receive,
and as have said, find tho sum ample"
"Whilc | receive fifty dollars a week." said
Mrs. Mier, "and am forever calling on my
husband to settle some bill or other for me.
And yet never pay the eXorbitant prices ask
ed by every body for everything. lam strict
! ly economical in my family. While other
people pay their domcstics dollar anda half
and two dollars a week, | give but dollar
and Il quarter each TO my cook and chamber
maid, and require the chambcrmuid 10 help
the washerwoman on Mondays. Nothing
is wasted in my kitchen, for | take care, in
marketing, not to allow room for waste.
don't know how it is that you save money on
thirty five dollars with your system, while /
find fifty dollars inadequate with my system"
The exact difference in the two systems
will be clearly understood by the reader,
when he is informed that although Mrs. Mier
never paid any body as much rs was at first
asked for an article, and was always talking
about economy, and trying to practice it, by
Withholding from others what was Justly their
due, as in the case ofthe strawberry woman,
yet she was n very eXtravagant person. and
spared no money in gratifying her own pride.
! Mrs. Gilman, her visitor, was, on the contra
ry, really economical, because she was mod
crate in all her desires, and was usually as
well satisfied with an article of dress or furni-
ture that cost ten or twenty dollars, as Mrs
Mier was with one that cost forty or fifty dol
lars, In little things, the former was not so
| particular as to infringe the rights of others,
while in larger matters, she was careful not
to run into extravaganza in order to CRAFTY
her own or children's pride and vanity, while
the latter pursued Il course directly opposite.
Mrs Gilman was not as much dissatisfied,
on reflection, about the price she had paid for
her strawberries, as she had felt at first.
81 would rather pay these poor creatures
two cents quart too much than too little,"
she said to herself, -"dear knows they earn
their money hard enough, and get but a
scanty portion after ALL"
Although the tray of the poor strawberry
woman, when she passed from the presence
fMrs. Nlier, was lighter by five boxes, her
heart was heavier, and that made her steps
more weary than before. The next place at
which she stopped, she found the same dis
position to beat her down in her price.
"Ill give you nine cents, and take four
boxes" said the lady.
"lndeed, madam that is too little," replied
the woman; ten cents is the lowest at which
can sell them and make even reasonable
profit"
"Well, say thirty seven and n half for four
boxes, and will take them. 1t is only two
cents and a half less than you ask for them"
"Give me ftp, ma!-there comes the can
dy man." exclaimed little fellow, pressing
up to the side of the lady. "Quick, nal
Here, candy man." calling after an old man
with Il tin cylinder under his arm, that look
ed something like an ice cream freezer. The
lady drew out her purse, and searched among
its contents for the small coin her child wan
ted.
Il haven't anything less than levy" she
at length said.
"Oh, well, he can change it. Candy man,
you can change levy"
BY this time the "candy man" stood smil-
fl,n Ill
was counting out the fps worth of candy,
the child spoke up in an earnest voice and
said
"Get levy's worth, mother,d won't you?
Cousin LUIS coming to see us to morrow"
"Let him have leyy's worth, candy man.
He's such rogue can't resist him." respon-
ded the mother. The candy was counted
out, and the levy paid, when the man retired
in his usual good humor.
"Shall take these strawberries for thirty
seven and half cents?" said the lady, the
smile fading from her face. sit is all / am
willing to give"
"If you won't pay any more, must MT
stand for two cents and half" replied the |
woman, "although they would nearly buy a
loaf ofbrcad for the children" she mentally
added.
The four boxes were sold for the sum Of
fered, and the woman lifted the tray upon
her head, and moved on again. The sun
shone out still hotter and hotter as the day
advanced. Large beads ofperspiration roll
ed from the throbbing temples ofthe straw
berry woman, as she passed YEARLY up one
street and down another, crying her fruit at
the top of her voice. At length all were sold
but five boxes, and now it was past one o.
clock. Long before this she ought to have
been at home. Faint from over eXerrion, she |
lifted her tray from her head, and placing it
upon a door step. sat down to rest. As she