The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1857-07-30
ny WIFE'S ECONOMY.

spirits.
81 have made such bargain to-day ~
said she. "I hare bought such beautiful
dress for nino dollars only! So said to
myself, even if got Madame Flourish to
make it up it will bc economical"
Now, Madame Flourish was French
modistc who lately came from Paris, and
had really great taste, but was most en-
travaSant in her charges; and I never
heard her name without a sl,uddcr. A
few months before she made up n brocadc
for Mrs. Jones, which everybody said fitted
beautifully. 8" 1t looks as if you were born
in it, enthusiastically declared friend,
land had grown with you;" but my pleas
nre i'll contemplating this master piece, l
must confess, was somewhat diminished
when tho bill came in, to the tuno of ten
dollars, for making and trimming it.
However, IL wasn't SO astonishing after
ALL" as my wife reasoned, "that a dress
which was worth - y dollars should cost
ten dollars TO MAKE it up" and with this
reelection l consolcd myself Lo when l
heard the proposal TO take this other dress
TO Madame, I argued that, if she charged
III the same proportion, her bill would he
three dollars, which struck me ms not ex-
cesslvc, and accordingly I made no obicc-
''on 10 the suggestion, but, lighting cigar,
sat thinking of Mary AIMS many virtues.
and especially her linack for economy.
In about fortnight the dress came
home. 1t waa Il pretty, blue affair, with
palms, set in stripes, and Mrs. Jones really
looked like summer cloud in it, rs she
f'o"tcd about the room, displaying it in
every aspect, cxpatiating upon its mcrits.-
The sleeves, which were short, were ncatly
trimmed with sort of narrow lace. and
the cape, for it was cut low on the should
ers-and dear Mary Ann always wears
capes over such drcsses-was cmLell;shc1
with wider lace of similar pattern. 7
thought to myself it was the cheapest dress
Tor twelve dollars, making and ALL that I
had ever seen and as l smoked my cigar.
said mentally, "Ah Jones, what a happy
dog you are 10 have wife with such q
knack for cconomy!"
Two days after the bill came in. Nv
wife opened it first, and saw her draw a
very long face rs she run her eye over it.
However, she rallied immediately. and
handed the missive to me. l glanced over
it.
"Whew!" said 7. "Eight dollars for
making dress that only" said she brisklv,
"My Lrocade, yon know, cost ten dollars 10
make and trim, and this is two dollars
cheaper"
But this dress only cost nine dallars y
said I.
"The cost Of the dress, my DEAR" she
replied, smiling bcnevolcntly at my icnor.
ance, "has very little TO do with tie cost
of making and trimming it."
"Thc dickens it HASN'T" began.
"1Iush!" said my wife, rlayfully putting
her hand over my mouth, "Smi,hy, dear
you mustn't swear" And taking the bill,
she commenced going over it, item by
ITEM:
"l1erc," she said, " is the charge for ma.
king the dress, that is, for fitting and sew
ing it together, two dollars. Now I'm
surc," she continued, appcalingly, "tl,at's
reasonable, for it takes just as long, YOU
know 10 fit and sew together cheap dress
as costly one! its the time that has to
be paid for. 1T you see dears"
l was forced TO nod assent to the fair
logician though it was with an internal
groan.
"Then here's the Innings, buttons, and
other small items, ono dollar, which is low,
very low. Consider how these matters
count up. Beside it takes limo to 20
about among the shops, matching the but
tonst the dress"
l could not gainsay, this either, but !
said to myself that there were five dollars
Still unaccounted for, and that it would puz.
zle "Philadelphia lawyer" to reconcile
this sum to any rational beings notion OF
economy.
"There's five dollars left" resumed Mrs.
Jones, which is for the Valenciennes-.' ~
- The what? exclaimed.
"The Valenciennes, with which tie cane
and sleeves are trimmed"
80! that common looking lace !" said I.
"Common looking" cried Marry Ann.
her eyes sparkling. Then she laughed
comically. "That shows what you men
know about laces. Why, smitby, dear,
it's real Valenciennes, and very cheap and
what's more, I can use it on something. else.
after the dress is worn out.''
"But why put real Valenciennes, as YOU
call it, on so cheap dress z" asked in a
tone of vexation... M