The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1857-06-04

take this other dress to Madame, j ar
guod that, If she charged in the same
proportion, her bill would be only ten
shillings, which struck me as not ex-
cessive; and accordingly made no OBJ
lection but, lighting cigar, sat think
ing of Mary AIMS many virtues, and.
especially her knack for economy.
I'm about a fortnight the dress came
home. Il was q pretty, blue affair with
palms set in stripes and Mrs Jones
really looked like summer cloud in it.
as she hoated about the room, display
ing it in every aspect and expatiating
upon its merits. The sleeves, which
were short, we're neatly trimmed with a
sort Of narrow lace; and the cape, for it
was cut low on the shoulders-and dear
Mary Ann always wears capes over such
dresscs-was embellished with a wider
lace Of similar pattern. / thought to
myself it was the cheapest dress for two
pounds sterling, making and all, that ]
had ever seen; and as / smoked my ci-
gar, 1 said mentally, "Ahl Jones, what
happy dog you are to have a wife
with such a knack for economyw
Two days after, the bill came in My
wife opened it FIRST, and I saw her draw
a very long face as she ran her eye over
it. However, she rallied Immediately,
and handed the missiveto me. ] glanc
ed over it.
"WhewW said I. "Twenty-fve shill-
ings for making a dress that cost only
thirty! Surely, Mary Ann, there must
be some mistake here2"
"Oh no, my dear" she said briskly.
"My brocade, you know, cost two pounds
sterling to make and trim, and this is
fifteen shillings cheaper"
"But this dress cost only thirty shill-
ings," said I.
"The cost of the dress, my dear" she
replied, smiling benevolontly it my ig.
nOrance, "has very little to do with the
cost of making and trimming it."
"The Dickens it hasn'tp' i began.
"Hush!' said my wife, pIayfully put
ting her hand over mymouth "Smithy
dear, you mustn't swear" And taking
the bill, she commenced going over it.
item by item
"Here," she said, els the charge for
making the dress, that is, for fitting
and sewing together-eight shilIings.-
Now, I'm sure" she continued, appeal
ingly, "that's reasonable; for it takes
! just as long, you know, to fit and sew
together a cheap dress as costly one
It's the time that has to bo paid for
Don't You see, dear?"
l was forced to nod assent to the
fair logician, though it was with an in.
tornal groan.
"Then there's the Innings, buttons
and other small items-fve shillings
which is low, very low. Consider hov
these matters count up. Besides, il
takes time to 60 about among the shops
matching the buttons to the dress"
could not gainsay this, either; but
I said to myself that there were twelve
shillings still unaccounted for. and thai
| it would puzzle philadelphia Law.
yer to reconcile this sum to any ra,
tional beings notion of economy.
"Ihere's twelve shillings left, re-
sumed Mrs. Jones, (which is for the
Yalenciennes-"
"The what?' I exclaimed.
"The Valenciennes with which the
cape and sleeves are trimmed" "
ooh, that cOmmon-looking lace'
said I.
"COmmon-lookingI cried Mary Ann
her eyes sparkling Then she laughed
comioally. "That shows what you mer
know about lace Why, Smithy dear
its real Valenciennes, and very cheap
and what's more, I can use it on some
thing else after the dress is worn out.
"But why put real Yalanciennes, a,
you call it, on so cheap a dress?' l asked
in a tone of YexatiOn.
"Its that very Valeucieunes that gives
the dress such a stylish look, said m,
wife Everybody knows it's a oheal
material, and it's only the trimmin.
that redeems it. All that require is
Valenciennes collar to match it and
shall be complete.
could not speak for amazement
was dumb not merely at this strang
notion Of an economical dress, but a
the utter Inconsistencies my wife ha,
that there was anything extravagan
about it, She availed herself Of my ST.
lence to expatiate on the beauty Of Va
lenoiennes laces in general, and on tina
which trimmed her dress in particular
and warming with her subject made
it finally to appear that we were unde
infinite obligations to Madame Flour
ish for the opportunity Of paying thi
bill and buying a collar to match hel
| Valenoienues. Mrs. Jones was so ear
nest and sincere, that 1 thought j
would be a pity to break her charm
| ing delusion. / resolved, therefore, {,
smoke second-rate cigars for the mex
six months, and indulge the dear crea
ture in her wishes; and she looks 81
lovely and seems SO happy in her new
dress and collar, that to confess tn,
truth / don't regret what i have done
Nevertheless, as an abstract PROPOSE
sition, 1 still hold to the secret opinion
that paying twenty. FIVE shillings 70
making and trimming a dress that cos
thirty, doesn't exactly show a knack Of
economy,-Smth Jones
---to ot----
Music not only improves a man
tastes, but his morals Il gives him
taste for home that improves his habit
wonderfully. The man who spends hi