Windham County Democrat. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1836-1853, 1853-04-13
From the National Era.
NDE CE;
UTNy
What Made One Womaa Meaaly PenuriouS.

''Dont forget to give me some money before
YOU leave" said Mrs Dean to her larger half
"M0ney! What now2 You want another
silk dress, don't you? These women are forever
wanting something. 1 gave you dollar yester-
day, what has become Of that"
Mrs. Dean bit her lip with suppressed emotion,
and colored deeply. She was accustomed to such
outbreaks; but there was more bitterness IN his
tone than usual which made it less bearable.
"How much money do you want, and what do
Won want it for?" demanded Mr.. Dean, after
slight pause.
II want three or four dollars-enough to buy
q collar and a pair Of gloves
"THree or four dollars and its three or four
dollars every day. These constant demands will
make beggar of me-"
"Then we shall be on the same footing" quiet
ly returned the wife,
"Here," said Mr. Dean, handing her six dollars
and school bill. "This bill was sent to me last
night and Mary's teacher will doubtless call to-
day for the amount. It's only three twenty-five
and the balance you can have for your furbelows."
Mr. Dean tripped along the pavement, recog-
nizing with gracious smile, almost every person
he met. Arrived at his Office he found his clerk,
and inquired
"Did you get through with those accounts last
night?"
eyes, and the balance sheet presents hand
some sum in your favor You are worth not less
than $4,000"
The employer looked well pleased, though this
was not far from his own calculation. He fell
into fit of musng. "Andpy business" thought
he, sis worth $4,000 per year. Then about $780,
600 of this is so invested that it brings me eight
per cent / hare been very lucky That rail-
road stock has been profitable, and my last COM
mercial venture was highly successful. My ex-
penses too are rather light. Ny wife is an econ
omist. Very few persons spend as little as we
do, and live as handsomely" And the rich man
congratulated himself upon the possession Of wealth
and his large income, and his economical wife,
and was thenccforth unusually afiable and oblg-
ing to all who came in his way.
Let us return to his home There sits his wife,
where we left her, intently busy in making pair
of cuffs. They were finely wrought, and would
correspond with the three dollar collar that she
saw yesterday and intended to purchase. And
why did Mrs. Dean consume her life-force in e.
laborate needle work? Every little stitch di-
minished the power of the optic nerve; every
half hour thus employed was needed for other
purposes. She felt this but elaborate work must
be worn, and such work her purse did not often
permit her to buy. Disquietude was very appa-
rent after her husbands departure. An occasional
frown might have been seen, and her face alter
nately paled and flushed
"As If back upon her brain,
The hot blood ebbed and flowed again"
"When we were poor, it was not thus" said
she to herself. ga dollar then was expended less
grudgngly than now. And it is so humiliating
to ask, as though you were a beggar, and receive
as though it were charity, every cent you spend.
We certainly have enough expended upon our
living, but it is all for show and very little for
comfort. If it would answer for me to wear cal
leo dresses and cotton gloves, would be very will
ing to do it, and then would my dress harmonic
throughout. But no; my exterior must be like
that of the wife of millionaire, while such
dearth of really necessary clothing but few women
would be able to exhibit Our furniture is ele-
giant, and our table good enough but all that l.
buy must be got at reduced prices, and the money
given me for family expenses is the smallest a.
mount that will answer"
This train of thought was interrupted by the
appearance of Miss Aiken, the teacher. Her bill
was soon settled; but as Mrs Dean really needed
the money for her own expenses and forgetting
for moment the wearisome days that had been
spent in the school room, and the culture that had
been bestowed upon the mind of her child by the
faithful preceptress before her, it was paid rather
unwillingly. In addition to that, Miss Aiken
wished to raise little sum, by voluntary contri-
buttons, to buy grace-hoOps and dumb-bells and
wands for the use of her pupils. This had been
highly approved by all the mothers to whom the
plan had been submitted. Some had contributed
toward this object; others had referred Miss A.
to their husbands, each presuming that hers wod
give all that was necessary.
"What amount do you require?" asked Mrs.
Dean.
off each of my patrons would contribute fifty
cents, we should be well supplied but even TWEEN
ty-five cents would enable us to get number of
articles which we now very much need"
There was a struggle in the mind of Mrs Dean.
She knew something of the necessity of these eX-
ercises, and furthermore she was ashamed to seem
backward in such matter. Then her own wants
presented themselves, and she hesitated. AT
length she very reluctantly handed Miss Aiken
twenty-five cents.
81 do hate to settle with women" said Miss Al
ken, when she reached home "They are so mean
They seem to feel that l am under obligation TO
instruct their children, without any compensation
whatever Mrs. James Dean has such sordid
disposition After paying my bin very grudg-
mgly, she showed her appreciation of my efforts
TO benefit her bow-backed daughter, by squeezing
out twenty-five cents towards getting up the pro-
posed exercises"
Mrs Dean, on the departure of Miss Aiken. re-
sumed her cogtatons my position is very en-
barrassing," thought she. II would gladly have
given more, but pair of gloves must have and
collar. have worn my old collars till / am a.
shamed to wear them any longer, and most of
them are positively ragged. AT dinner will ask
Mr.. Dean for more money. No, I will not" was
the second thought Il viii get some coarse arti-