Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1856-03-05
EVENING STAR.
MRS. REEDS ECONOMY.

whose blue eyes had not yet recovered their
natural dimensions.
Heartily, my dear, for hear this There
are in New York and Brooklyn not less than
five thousand ladies whose dress bill could
not average annually less than two thousand
dollars each, or ten millions for ALL
ProdigiOus :" muttered the merchant,
" but doubtless true"
There are five thousand more, " continued
his wife, resuming her reading, 4" whose dress
expenses will average one Thousand dollars
each, or i've millions of dollars for the whole
| number; and five millions Of dollars more
would not cover the dress expenses of those
| whose bills average every year from two hun
dred to five hundred dollars. Thus, at o low
| estimate, the annual cost of dressing our fash
lonable ladies is twenty millions Of dollars
Perhaps We should not exceed the truth, if
we estimate the annual cost Of dressing and
jewelling the ladies of New York and its vi
cinity, at from thirty to forty millions Of dol
lars"
What wonder?' exclaimed the goodly
| indignant little woman, "that poverty and
| suffering are 50 rife in that city; only think
George twenty millions Of dollars, to say the
| least, wasted in fnery and extravaganza !;
worse than wasted"
Z" Yes, resumed her husband, for the bulk
of the money is exchanged for foreign fabrics
and goes out Of the country to pamper the
miserable toadies of the old world-that's
what makes me angry to think Of. If the
money was spent among our own producers
| manufacturers and mechanics, the shame
would not be burning; bat no. it must bear
the stamp of imported goods or our ladies
would not look at the article. I saw to-day
| some silk which I'll be bound some French
aristOcrat had manufactured for his windows.
but failing to give satisfaction il was sent
over to the green Yankees. They wouldn't
knoW-of course not-nor care, so long as the
obsequious shOpman declared that 1t is of
Paris manufacture And so we have walk
ing curtains, with all the fixtures, likely as
not, and best hangings too-ohi to meet In
our fashionable prOmenades dresses with fis-
ures larger than the whole pattern, so it takes
two women to show off one gown to advantage
it is laughable; but wife,
"Wsll-how your eyes twinkle"
"lt never has occurred to me to ask how
much you spend in dress, say for a year"
"Oh I! but I'm not fashionable, and you are
not rich"
No matter for that a better dressed wo-
man than yourself doesn't walk the streets of
Boston. Now, for the very reason that 1 am
not rich, want to know how you do it.''
That IS easy enough told, on little refiec-
ton, replied Mrs. Reed, blushing neverthe-
less. You praised my new hat yesterday,
Never saw you look so sweetly in nv life:
wanted to kiss you right on the spot Lee, the
gentleman who was with me, declared that
be hadn't met with so handsome and we'll.
dressed lady since he had been in Boston
There's for you-and he's New Yorker; but
come, what did you give for the bonnet
pinch in bread and butter, eh ?" and he
pinched his wife's rosy cheek.
"No, indeed" she merriIy replied, " Won
know last week asked you for three dollars;
well that was what the bonnet cost me,''
"Ah, Minnie L m not so green as that-a
lady's bonnet three dollars-a bonnet like
that
"But 1 made it myself for I have long
been confident that a milliner's time is worth
to her dollar minute, and that we paw
more for that than shape, materials and all
so l have made my bonnets for the past two
seasons; this very frame wore velvet last win.
ter. L was curious to get milliner's judg-
mont upon it, and yesterday asked Miss -
to show me some ten dollar hats She did
so-and 1 would not have exchanged mine for
any Of them. Ha hs! Why my black silk
that looks so fresh, none OF my friends know
but have bought a new one. L turned and
altered, and trimmed it handsomely; ani vet
the trimmings cost only one dollar and fifty
cents; you see there's good deal in taste, %
she added blushingly.
"Oh yes, Mrs. Self-Conceit; then we may
put the silk dress at one dollar fifty. All
there's the new ons-I forgot that"
at cost twelve dollars; for l made il
point to get good and rich silk, that it may
bear turning or change of pattern. But I
made il every stitch myself, with only a little
help from sister Annie
But the seamstress, saw her."
ooh she was sewing up the cotton for the
family. always make it point to employ
some one of my friends for that, and paw lib
orally. Shall tell you what it cost ?''
"No. for We are upon dress now gloves,
shoes, laces, dc. Come, all the secrets Of
your marvellous extravagance, madam :" and
Mr.. Reed fourished his pencil pompously.
"Gloves, four dollars year, said his wife,
"put that at four dollars, for 1 get the very
best, from motives of economy; shoes, say
eight dollars, though l am not quite certain
that it is as much lases, perhaps five dol
lars, having a good assortment and taking
care of them Ny dressing gowns are Of
French calico, that are yet handsome after
three years wear but to be more explicit,
L have kept an account Of everything in that
line which 1 have bought for the last ten
months, and my outside dress, winter and all,
has not exceeded seyenty-fve dollars"
Mr. Reed looked at his wife with exulting
glances.
"And yet" he exclaimed, chow well, how
we'll, in how thoroughly pure and elegant
taste you have always appeared, my admira-
BILE wife. 1t is owing to your economy that L
escaped threatened failure during the last
terrible year. And have more to tell you.
Jenkins, who has just got out by broken
back, thanked me yesterday for my kindness
to him during his illness, and called down
blessings on your head for the solicitude you
had displayed towards his family. 1t was
you, then, who sent them bread and wood
and warm clothes for the children il was you
who got Billy good place, and provided a
comfortable home for your poor washerwo-
man; it was you who fitted out the little
lame girl with decent clothes, and sent her to |
school; it was you who, during the season of |
distress, went like q ministering angel TO the \
haunts of the poor, preferring to spend my |
allowance in doing good to the needy, rather |
than display your own beautiful person in the |
habiliments of fashion. Gods blessings on |
you, my noble wife-I am proud Of you. L
have found a treasure of which not only /, /
but my country should be proud. For, should |
calamity come, this fair cheek would never |
blush at the thought; "i it was my heartless |
extravaganza that aided in the overthrow of
nv native land Gods blessings on you-I
He does bless you daily; and when the poor