The Davenport daily gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1869, 1857-07-31
M wIFE'S ECONOMY.

Mrs. Jones is jewel Of woman. The
dear creature lately crime home from a shop
ping excursion, III the most extavagant
spirits.
Il have made such bargain to day |"
said she, ~ have bought such beautiful
dress for nine dollars only So said 70
myself, even IL | get Madame Flourish 10
make IL up, IL will bc economical"
Now Madame Flourish was i French nod
Isle who lately came from Paris, and had
in her charges; and never heard her name
without shuddcr.
A few months before, she made up bro
caslc for Mrs. Jones, which every buiy said
fitted beautifully. III looks - Il You were
born in IT," enthusiastically declared friend,
and il had grown with you;" but my plea
sure in contemplating this master piece,
must confess, was somewhat diminished
when the bill came in, 10 the tune Of ten
dollars Cor making and trimming II. How
ever, Iii wasn't 80 astonishing after ALL" M
my wife reasoned, .that drcxs which was
worth thirty dollars should cost ten dollars
to make II up" and with this reflection con-
soled myself. So when ! heard the propo-
al 10 take this other drcss TO madame,
argued that, If she charged in the same pro-
portion, her bill would be three dollars,
which struck me ~ not excessive and ac-
cordingly made no objection 10 the sug-
gcxtion, but lighting cigar, sat thinking III
Mary AIMS many virtues, and especially her
knack ot economy
In about fortnight the dress came home.
II was pretty blue affair with palms set In
stripes, and Mrs. Jones really locked like a
summer cloud In IL, ~ she tioatctl about the
room, displaying X IN every aspect, cxpatia-
ting upon is merits. The sleeves, which
were short, we're neatly trimmed with u
sort " harrow lace, and the cape, Cor IL Was
cut low on tLc shoulders, and dear Mary
Ann always wears caIes over such dresses
was einbellishcd with wider lace Of similar
pattern, thought 10 myself il was the
cheapest dress Epr twelve dollars making
and all, that ] had ever seen; and ~ /
smoked my cigar said mentally "Ah! Jones,
what happy dog YOU are to have wife
with such knack Tor economy!n
Two days after the hill came la. Nv
wife opened IL first, and ! saw her draw 4
very long face ~ she ran her eye over il.
/" Whcwr' said l. I" Eight dollars for
making dress that cost only nine Surely,
Mary ann, there mvst DC some mistake
here.
"Oh no, my dear" she said briskiy.-
/" My brocade, You know, cost ten dollars To
make and trim and this Is two dollars
cheaper
Put this dress cot only nine dollars"
said l.
" The cost Of the dress, my DEAR she rc-
piled: smiling bcncvolently ~ my Ignorance,
has very little to do with the cost Of max
ing and trimming it,
The dickens IL HASN'T r. began.
: Hush ~ sAid my wife, playfully putting
her hand over her mouth, aSmifhy, dear,
you mustn't swear" And taking the bill,
she commenced going over il, item by
itcsn.n
+" Here ~ she said, !. Is the charge Cor
making the dress, that Is for fitting and sew
ing Il together, two dollars. Now I'm sure
she continued, appcalingiy, .that's reason
able: for Il takes just n long, yon know, to
III and sew together cheap dress ~ = cost
" one! its the time that has 10 be paid
for. Don't you sec, dear r.
was forced to nod assent TO the fair To-
gican though IL was with M internal gruan
+. Then here's the Innings, buttons, and
ether small items, one dollar, which il low,
very low. Consider how these matters
count up. Besides, it takes time to go
about the shops, matching the buttons to
tho dress"
could not gainsay this either, but said
To myself that there were five dollars unac-
counted for, and that 1t woild puzzle a
philadelphia lawyer to reconcile this sum 70
any rational! beings notion IL economy.
- TI.rats Ave. d..llss-u In .s.a.....-l
jones, /. which In for the yaicncicnnc~--.
The what !" exclaimed.
The valeneicnncs, with which the cape
and sleeves are trimmed
"Oh that common looking lace - said |.
Common looking cried Mary Ann, her
eyes sparkling. Then she laughed comical-
ly That shows what you men know
about Iaces. Why, Smithy dear, lis real
valencicnncs, aud very cheap; and what's
morr, Il can b. used on something else after
the dress u worn out"
Z but why put real valencienncs, N you
call II, on 80 cheap dress 7" asked In .
tone II ycxation.
Its that very valcnc,enncs that gives the
dresr such stylish lock- said my wife.
Every body knows Il Il cheap material.
and it's only the trimming that rcsicems H.
All ] require ls yalcncicnnes collar %
match Il, and shall be complete
! could not speak Cor amaxclnent was
dumb, not merely 1t this strange notion u
an economical dress, but nj the utter uncnn.
seriousness my wife had that there was any
thing extravAgant about IL.
She asailed herself &c my silence to expa-
tiatc On the beauty of vaicncicnnes laces In
general, and on that which trimmed her
dress In particular and warming with her
subject, made il 10 appear that We were I'M
der infinite obligations To Madame Flourish
FOR paying this bill and buying . collar to
match her valencicnnes. Mrs. Jones was
~ earnest and sincere, that tl,o,sht il
would be pity to break her charming de-
lsision. resolved, therefore, to smoke
sscond-Tatc cigars for tho next six months,
and indulge the dear creature In her wishes
and she looks 10 lovely, and seems - happy
IN her nav dress and collar that, to tell the
truth, do not regret what have done.
Nevertheless, - m abstract proposition.
! still hold the secret opinion, that paying
eight dollars for making and trimming 1
dress that cost only nine, doesn't exactly