The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1857-08-06

MRS. Jones 10 JeWeI OF woman. Inc
dear creature lately came home from shop
ping excursion in the most extravagant splr-
its.
"T have made such bargain to- day !" said
she, 81 have bought such beautiful dress for
nine dollars only So I said to myself, even
il got Madame Flourish to make 1t up, it
will be economical.n
Now, Madame Flourish was French mod.
iste who lately came from Paris, and had real
ly great taste, but was most extravagant IN
her charges; and never heard her name with
out shudder. A few months before she
made up brocade for Mrs. Jones, which ev-
eybody said fitted beautifully. "It looks ~
II you were born In it," enthusiastically de-
clared friend, "and had grown with you;"
but my pleasure in contemplating this MASTER
piece, must confess, was somewhat diminish
ed when the bill came in, to the tune Of ten
dollars, for making and triming 1t. However,
cit wasn't so astonishing after ALL" a. my
wife reasoned, "that dress which was worth
thirty dollars would cost ten to make up," and
with this reflection I consoled myself. So
when heard the proposal to take this other
dress to Madame, argued that, il she charged
in he same proportion, her bill would be three
dollars, which struck me as not excessive,
and accordingly made no objection to the sug
gestion, but, lighting cigar, sat thinking Of
Mary AIMS many virtues, and especially her
knack for economy,
In .ho,,t /. fnrtr;~hk th> 1~... ..r. h.,n>
1t was pretty, blue affair, with psalms set
in stripes, and Mrs. Jones really looked like
q summer cloud in it, as she foated about the
room, displaying il in every aspect, expatiating
upon its merits. The sleeves, which were
short, were neatly trimmed with sor. Of mar
row lace, and the cape, for it was cut low on
the shoulders-and dear Mary Ann always
wears capes over such dresses-was embel-
lshed with wider lace OF similar pattern
thought to myself II was the cheapest dress
for twelve dollars. making and all, that had
ever seen; and as smoked my cigar, said
mentally, "Ah! Jones, what a happy dog
you are to have wife with such knack Of
eeonomyn
Two days after the bill came in. My wife
opened it first, and saw her draw . very
long face as she run her eye over it. Howev-
er, she rallied Immediately and handed the mis-
sive 20 me. glanced over it.
"Whew!" said l. "EigEt dollars for maxi
ing dress that only cost nine Surely, Mary
Ann, there must be some mistake here?"
ooh, no, my DEAR" said she briskly. "My
brocade, you know, cost ten dollars to make
end trim, and this is two dollars to make and
trim, and this is two dollars cheaper"
"But this dress only cost nine dollars,''
saidI.
"The cost OF the dress, my deaf,o she re-
piled, smiling benevolently al my ignorance,
"has very little to do with the cost Of making
and trimming It."
"The dickens it hasnt!' I began.
"Hush!" said my wife, playfully putting
her hand over INV mouth, ''Smithy, dear, you
mustn't swear" And taking the bill, she CON-
menced going over it, item by item.
sHere," she said, is the charge for making
the dress, that is, for fitting and sewing it to-
gether, two dollars. Now Pm sure, she con-
tinued, sppealingly, ''that's reasonable; for it
takes just as long, you know, to fit and sew
together cheap dress as costly onel its the
time that has to be paid for. Don't you see,
de,r?"
was forced to nod assent to the fair logi.
clan though IT was with All internal groan.
GTh.R here's the Innings, buttons, and 9th.
er small items, one dollar, which is low, very
low. Consider how those matters couat up.
Besides, It takes time to go about among the
shops, matching the buttons to the dress"
lcould not gainsay this either, but said
10 myself that there were FIVE dollarS still un-
accounted for, and that it would puzzle Phil
adel2hia lawyer'' to reconcile this sum to any
rational beings notion Of economy.
"lhere's Eve dollars Left" resumed Mrs.
Jones, s'which IL for the valenciennes-."
"The whatp" exclaimed.
1.-THE valenciennes, with which the cape
ana sleeves are trimmed"
"Oh! that common looking lace 20 said I.
"Common looking!'' cried Mary Ann, her
her eyes sparkling. Then she laughed comic-
Ailv. "That shows what you men know about
laees. Why, Smithy, dear. it's real valencien-
nes, ard very cheap; and what's more, can
use il on something else, after the dress 10
worn out.n
"But why put real valsneiennes, as you call
Il, on 90 cheap dress?'' asked In tone Of
vexation.
"It's that very valenciennes that gives the
dress such stylish look" said my wife,
Everybody knows it's . CHEAP material; and
It's only the trimming that redeems il. All
that I require is . valenciennes collar to
match it, and shall be complete"
Ieould not speak for amazement. was
dumb, not merely at this strange notion Of IN
dress, but at the utter unconscious
ness my wife had that there was anything ex-
trayagant about it. she availed herself Of my
silence to sxpatiate on the beauty Of valen-
ciennes laces in general, and on that which
trimmed her dress in particular, and, warm-
Ing with her subject, made it finally to appear
that we were under infinite obligations to Mad
am Flourish for the opportunity Of payiag this
bill and buying = collar to match her valen-
ciennes. Mrs. Jones was so earnest and sim
cere, that thought it would be pity to break
her charming dslssion. Iresolved, therefore,
to smoke second-rate cigars for the asxt