The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1857-08-15

cheapest dress for twelve dollars, making
and all, that ! had ever seen; and as | smo-
ked my cigar, said mentally "Ah! Jones,
what happy dog you are to have . wife
with such Il Enack for economy - e3
Two days after the bill came in. My wife
opened it first, and l saw her draw q very
long face as she rainier eye over il. How
ever she rallied Immediately, and handed the
missive over tome. / glanced over it. Ii
aWheww said |. Eight dollars for ma
king dress that cost only nine! Surely,
Mary Ann, there must bs some mistake
here !' ~ ysq,siss-.. sss. K :. 81. .ssi3.
ooh, no, my DEAR she said briskly.--
ssMy brocade, yon know, cost ten dollars to
make and trim; and this is two dollars
cheaper" tF5sY ,tfsS 4 js.s,sl,
''But this dress cost only nine dollars" !"
said |. ss.ss sa.sg 5s5s;s.si4 a, f,sala+f,F /
tsFhe cost OF the dress, my deal" she re-
piled, smiling benevole entity at my Ignorance,
sshas very little to do with the cost of ma
king and trimming it. AZ ssE fEssa @S#
sIhe dickens it hasn'tr' began. ga~s-
sHush p said my wife, playfully putting
her hand over her mouth. s'Smithly dear,
you mustn't swear And taking the bill,
she commenced going over it item by item.
t.Hereo she said, sis the charge for Ma
king the dress, that is for fitting and sewing
it togsther, two dollars. Now am sure,''
she continued, appealingly, ''that's reason
able; for.it takes just as long you know, to
fitand sew together a cheap dress as a cost
ly one It's the time that has to be paid for.
Don't you see, dear?'' as.. sgg
was forced to nod assent to the fair To-
~, , NJ
'Thsn here's the Innings, buttons, and
other small items, one dollar, which is low,
very low. Consider how these matters
count up. Besides, it takes time to 60 about
among the shops, matching the buttons to
the dress.o ,se as# ags.n= al
l could not gainsay this either, but said
to myself that there were five dollars yet
unaccounted for, and that it would puzzle a
Philadelphia lawyer to reconcile this sum
to any rational beings notion Of economy.
"Therc's five dollars left )" resumed Mrs.
Jones, (which is for the Valsnciennes''-
s:The WHAT" | exclaimed. s.z q~.r
"The Valenciennes, with which the cape
and sleeves are trimmed" a.. 20. f,s
s'Oh! that common looking lace!' said l.
"Conmon looking p cried Mary Ann, her
eyes sparkling. Then she laughed comieal-
ly. s.That shows what you men know about
laces. Why, Smithly, dear, it's real Valen-
ciennes; and very cheap; and what's more,
can use it on something else, after the
dress is worn out" ..--. .r. ... r.. 10
ssBut why put real Valenciennes, as you
call it, on SO cheap dress?" ! asked in a
tone Of vexation. ....Us.. -. ..,5
s'It's that very Valenciennes that gives
the dress such a stylish look" said my wife.
Everybody knows it's cheap material ;
and it's only the trimming that redeems it.
All that Irequire is a Valenciennes collar to
match it, and shall be complete.'' -..
Icould not speak for amazement. was
dumb, not merely at this strange notion of
an economical dress, but at the utter uueon-
sciousness my wife had that there was any
thing extravagant about it. She availed
herself of my silence to expatiate on the
beauty OF Valenciennes laceS in general, and
on that which trimmed her dress in partlcu-
lar; and warming with her subject made it
finally to appear that we were under infinite
obligations to Madame Flourish for the op-
portunity of paying this bill and buying a
collar to match her Valenc:ennes. Mrs.
Jones was so earnest and sincere, that !
thought it would be pity to break her
charming delusion. Iresolved, therefore, to
smoke second-rate cigars for the next six
months, and indulge the dear creature in her
wishes; and she looks so lovely and seems
so happy in her new dress and collar, that,
to confess the truth, don't regret what
have done. ..f. ..s..a-. ...
Nevertheless, as an abstract proposition, l
still hold to the secret opinion that paying
eight dollars for making and trimming a
dress that only cost nine, doesn't exactly
show knack for economy. -..s ......