The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1857-02-24
NY W:fe's Eccncymys

uea- creature lately came home from q shop
ping excursion, in the ,..o,t e,tra,a..nt .rlr-
It's
81 have made such bargain to dav sad
SAID she. 81 have bought such \ hsautifu!
dress '"r thirty shilling. only 60 said 10
myself. even il I get Madame Flourish Ia
make 1t up. ii will I've economical"
Now. Madame Flourish was French mo
iis'e, who had lately come from Paris, AMI
had really great taste. but VA. most extrav-
agant IN her charges: and | never hear-,
her name without shud,!er. A few months
before she made up a hrocale for Mr. .Jon-s
winch everybody said fitted beau,ifuily-
"lt looks q II You we're born IN it," entfr.,i
a'tcallv declared q friend, "ah,l il hal
grown with YOU" But INV plea.mre in cor
sempiat'ng this master piece. muss ron,e.-.
was somewhat diminished when the bill came
IN to the tune Of two pounds sterling. for
making and trimming it. However. 1T wasn't
so astonishing. after ALL" a. NV wife rea-
soned that . dress which was worth ak
pounds sterling should cost two pounds
to make It up" and with this refrciir, {
sons"ed mvse!f. So. when heard the pr,s-
posal to take this other drcs, to madame. |
argued that, she charged in The same pro
portion. her bIil would be oniv ten shiilinss
which struck me a. not excessive: and ar-
corda'nly made no objection to the SUI
Gss.ion but By lighting cigar ss. thinking
OF Mary Anns many virtues, and especially
her knack for economy.
In about a fortnight the dress came home.
1t was pretty. blue affair. with palms set
in stripes, and Mrs. Jones rearllv looked
like summer cloud in it. a. che floated o.
bout the room. displaying it in every aspec:;
expat'at'ng upon its merits. The sleeves
which were short. were neatly trimmed with
sort OF = narrow lace and the caps, for It
was cut low on the shoul,iers-snd dear
Mary Ann a.wavs wears canes over such
ldressrs-was embcliished with wider lar.
of similar pattern. thought TO myself il vns
the cheapest dress for two pounds sterling,
making and all, that had ever seen: an.
as smoked my cigar mentally. "Ah Jones
what lucky dog Won are to have a wife with
such knack for econ cmv -
Two days after. the til came in. Nv
wife opened il first. and saw her draw q
very long face as she ran her eve over it
However, she rallied Immediately. and hand.
ed the missive to me. glanced over it.
"Whew '" said |. "Twenty-five .hillincs
tor making dress that COS, on,v thirty
Surely Mary Ann, there must he som. mis-
take here"
"Oh. no. NV dear she said. bri,sit. NV
hrocade, YOU know, cost two pound, .ter-
ling to make and trim, and this is fifteen
shilling, cheaper"
"Bus this dress cost only thirty shilling,,"
said l.
| "Ihe cost of the dress. nv dear" she re-
piled. smiling benevolent a, INV ignorance.
has very little to do with the cost of max
ing and trimming it,"
49,. The dickens it hasn't y" began.
You mustn't swear" And taking the bill,
she commenced going over il, item bv item
"licre, she said, lis the charge for max
ing and sewing it together. eight sh'llin-.
Now I'm sure" she continued, arreal:rg-
w." that's reasonable for it takes just ~
long. you know, to fit and sew together 6
cheap dress ~ . costly one its the time
that has to be paid :or' Don't YOU see. my
dear ,"
| was forced to nod assent to the fair !n.i.
clan though it was with an internal .roan
| -.
other small items. five shilings. which is low.
very low. Consider how these matters conni
up, Besides, it takes time to 90 atrmt a.
monc the shops, matching the buttons 10 the
dress.
> | could not sansay this. either; nut said
to myself that there were twelve shilling.
still unacountcd for. and that it would .puz.
; zle a Philadelphia lawyer" reconrile TIN.
.um TO any rational beirg's notion of econo
my.
!, "Therc's twelve .hillirgs left" RESUMED
Mrs. Jones, =" which is for the Nalsncinne,
The what ?" exclaimed.
"The Nalencinncs with which the c,--
- and sleeves are trimmed"
:. "Oh that connon-iooklng lace '" said
Accommodating cried Mary Ann, he
- eyes sparkling. Then che l.u. he'd con.,caiy
: THAT shows what YOU men know about Ia
:, ces. Why. Smithy. dear. it. real Vslencin
~ ~ mes. and very cheap: and wha, is more "a,
. use it on something else, alter the drsss ,
y worn out"
q But why put real Valsncinnes. a. ~o
- call it. on SO cheap a dress" asked in
:. tone Of vsxa,ion.
:, "lt's shat very Valencinncs tha: gives IN
70 dress such stylish look" said my ~rfe-
% 'Everyhody knows its cheap material, an
:, ISIS only the trimming that redeem. it. A
:, that require 10 Nalencinnes collar f.
- match it. and | shall be complete"
-, lcould not speak for amazement. Iva
=. dumb, not merely at this strange notion O
An economical dress. but At the utter uneor
~ sciou.ncss INV wife had that there was apy
'hinS cxIa' "ssu, .isns 1t. She avn;lcd he,
n sell OF my silence to expatiate on the bean,
a OF Naenc'nnes laces in general, and on tn,
o. which trimmed her dress in particular. a,
r. warming with her subject. made !. ,n,..,
= that We were under intimate oali,a,;on, ,
# Madame Flourish for the opportunity Of "a,
tn ing .niS OIL and buying collar to mate
th her Nalencnnes. Mrs, Jones va. 60 carr
s. est and sincere, that thought it would ;.
to pity to break her charming delu.iou. II.
$. solved, therefore. to smcke srcon.. rata p,
q, gars 'or the next SIX months. and indulge N
f usar creature IN her wishes and she look
SO lovely and seems so happy, in her ne,
dress and collar, that to confess the .ru,h
- don't regret what have done.
ST Nevertheless. as an abstract nro,os;,;.
" l sfl'' hold to the secret opinion. ,hs, nav
e lng twenty five shiliincs for m,k,no ,r, -.
IL '''"s "res' that cost only th,r,v, .loe,u'
= exactly show aknack for Ecn>oxY
"a -happ'ne's 10 pig with a .lirn.rr "a,
" hold. cal