Kenosha tribune and telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1855-1855, 1855-03-08
kesrenchmsnt; or The Wife's stratagsm.
Sts asss ATALE OF THE TIMES. M
by PAt';.ryr


. BY PAuirSr. Etfata ~ sgag
found my friend Netty Carson in tears
A work basket piled up half as high as tht
Alps doomed overwhelmingly before the dis
consulate little woman eaf e
why, Netty, dear! what is it ais you, OF
this bright Monday norning?' asked I. Il
oh, who would be married. replied she
with look and tone of despair Before
was married / had no trouble; life fowe d up
on oiled wheels; and my pathway lay thro' {
bed OF flowers. Now every cog in the com
pficated machinery CRATES harshly, & creak:
and groans as tho it were all invented anc
fashioned TO produce disorder instead 20
sweet, Gad-loving harmony o. sen
why, sNetty, you grow poeticall Butre
ally. dear, tell your old school fellow and
crony what has gone amiss during all these
months In which we have SO seldom met
Make a clean breast it, and perhaps may
be able to assist you. Ithas often struck me
that you seemed sad of late. but did no.
dream thought you and Richard were
such romantic lovers that your like was
scarcely to be met in this sublunary world.
Bat seriously, Netty, dear. has he grown
unkind to you?'
Oh, Dick IS kind enough in his way,
suppose, and be does not really dream that
he is otherwise. Everything goes well enough
most Of the time, if will only breathe By
rule; but it is hard always to shape the
length and breadth Of ones inhalations and
civilizations TO theipse DIRT OIL another's will.
The great trouble just now, however, is
retrenchment.'
'Retrcnchmen.?'
yes, and the text is the hard times -
Richard AGNES he is great economist
that the intricate science of domestic
economy, especially, is fully under
stood by him. AT his often repeated sugges-
ton, Il dimissed my faithful Annie, and have
attempted to- get thro' the task of all the
family sewing Annie has been unable to
obtain employment anywhere in these dull
times, and the consequence is that she and
her mother are almostsin starving condi-
ton, which, painful as it is to me, cannot
to any extent relieve; for, as Richard says,
charity begins at home in these hard times,
am necesstated to account for every cent
that goes out of the house.
Then Richard says, also, that too much
confinement is not good for me, and | am
compelled, with the sewing half done, and
with an aching head, weary brain, to 60 with
him to amusements, which, all things taken
into account, are utterly loathful to me, and
thus more money is expended every week
than would relieve the necessities of Annie,
and relieve me also OF the burthen of so
much work, which is destroy ing me. How
ever, have never objected 10 90 anywhere
of an evening with Dick, fearing that he
would 60 alone if did not accompany him.
and then ifhe once got in the habit of spend
it,es- iai, evenings AWAY from henae, an IN
de pendent of me, there is no knowing where
the end might be. Then, again, the chill
dren all want warm winter clothing. Dick
says mend up the old ones,' but the old
ones are thin, and they have outgrown them.
/ showed Dick this morning how had tri-
ed to make the children comfortable bycon-
verting over Harry's clothes for Ned and
Ned for Dick junior, but thus leaving moor
Harry halfnaAed Richard pointed to sew,
eral Of his own cast-oT suits, and said that
must make them answer--thaL money was
SO tight, he could notaford toMrowit away.
There they are, and Netty pointed to heap
ofcoatS and lunmentionables. 'Pantaloons
and jackets | can manage we'll enough, but
how can get au overcoat fit to be seen, out
of that mass | cannot devise
Perhaps can for you, dear Netty; and
then we must contrIve how to cure Richard
of this unpleasant monomania Husbands
that Won't be reasonable-and what hus-
band ever was without proper drilling?--
must be taught to be reasonable
JuSt'tien ring came at the door; a por-
ter bearing several baskets of fine Germ an
wines, and another with a box Of prime Ha-
vanas, entered the hall. a4-e
@ This does not look much like retrench-
ment, Nettf, DEAR observed /.
%, Richard could never get along with
out his wine, and the most expensive kinds,
at dinner, for himself and friends aas
And those cigars cost not less than TWEEN
ty or thirty dollars
20 '1es, he always gets the best
And smokes OF an evening"
"A half-dozen or so' . -, t
Besides as many more, suppose, during
the day. Three or four dollars week for
cigars sff
Just then poultry and game, with other
dclicacies of the season, were brought 10 the
door, with a note from Richard, ordering
dinner at SIX, that half-dozen friends wo'd
dine with him.
Nor does this look like retrcnchment,'
exclaimed |, somewhat Indignantly
Here is an elegant new dressing gown and
new smoking cap that came home this NOR
ning,' continued Netty, warming with Der
subject. And these are bought altho' the
children are suffering, and altho' Richard
has a perfectly good dressing gown and sew
eral smoking caps already in the house
'Preposterousl why the man is little bet
ter than Blue Beard And you, with your
gentle, docile disposition, are making him !
worse instead of better. A woman is not
intended slave, but a helpmeet. But listen!
have hit upon plan, dear Nctty, which
il you follow firmly and gently as you choose
the gentler and pleasanter the better. but
withal with 6rmness, will make different
man Of him. You can do it, Nelly. 1t is
in you.