The Cadiz Democratic sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1854-1864, 1854-11-08
The Economy Of Great Bargains

The Economy Of Great Bargains
The present season is the saturnalia of
shoppers Worthy housewives cxult over
the low price of goods in general; young la
dies are reinrsptures at the cheapness Of dress
fabrics and those ubiqptous females, who
are the terror of shopmen because they are
always bargaining and never buying actu-
ally begin to purchase. Every where one
hears the cry, "What bargaios things areP'
Many good dame expatiates to her hus-
band on what she thinks a Providential oc-
tcurrence, that when coal and marketing are
so high, all articles of wearing apparel are
so low. 1t allows them, she sagely tells
him, TO dress the children as decently as
ever, in spite Of bakers, butchers and yege-
table women. She is even in hopes OF lay
ing up something towards buying the new
carpet, or purchasing apano for Anna Ma
ria or providing for the wants Of the suffer
ing poor during the approaching winter. In
every third household, perhaps, the great
cheapness Of goods is considered a lucky
help towards economy. Its the burden of
the ladies song, in parlors and sitting rooms,
go where you will.
But, unfortunately, in practice, the re
] suit isEery different. Mrs. Thrifty goes out
a shopping, iatendinga TO spend only few
dollars; but she is Cempted-by one cheap
article and another, until she has purchased
twice as much as she usually does at this
season. The dealers tells her that on this
silk she saves thirty cents a yard that on
this ribbon she saves twenty, that these
gloves cannot be imported for twice what
he asks; and that laces, chemisettes, en-
broidered sleeves, and all that solt of lhings,
never were SO cheap since Adam, and ney
er will be again The calculating customer
thinks the wisesl thing she can do is to lay
in stock for a year ahead; and so she bays
whatev,r she thinks "monstrously cheap, !"
fanc"ing ali tie while, that she is saving
money, but forgetting that half of what she
purchases viii be out Of fashion before she
can wear it, and that much Of The other half
Is dear at any plice because really not naed-
ed. Thus she, who wore merino at ffty
cents, now wears silks, because she can buy
them at seventy five, yet hAttering herself
she has saved money. Meantime, the hus-
band has to foot the Bill. wondering, in the
simplicity OF male nature, a. the odd notions
which his vile las of economy, and perhaps
having sincere sigh over his vanished
dieam of a piano forhis darling daughter.
There INT worse deu5ion than that of
"great bargains" 1t " an ignis t;,taus
which will lead anybody asray, who once
begins to be its. dupe The ladies' are by
no means the only persons who were within
lied by this Jack OI4antern, Men are AS
weak as womann regard to great bargains. ;
| Many a strong minded lord Of creation is
tempted to buy big house, which he does
nj want, and which he can poorly afford to
pay for merely because it is "a great bar
gain" Many carriage and horses are
bought, because the purchaser happens to
be at an auction, where things are going at
ga great bargain" Many a disastrous spec
uladon is entered into, simply because The
lands, or merchandise, OF whatever else is
the oSject, is offered at "a great bargain /"
We could almost say, without exaggeratag,
that "a great bargan' is the DEVILS bait,
with which he lures people into ruin. For
the whole notion that thing is ga great
bargain" because the price is low, is a fal
lacy, since nothing is cheap that we do not
really want-tE