Randolph County journal. [volume] (Winchester, Randolph County, Ind.) 1855-1862, 1858-04-01

But to return to the black silk dress
Some years ago { | don't care to re
member how many). under the inhu
ence of an excess of affection and de-
lusion in regard 10 my financial pros
poets. had made rash promise 20
purchase such an article for her espe-
cial use and adornment; but had
coupled the promise with the impor-
tant proviso, "some time" We had
previously canvasscd the relative mer-
its of calicocs. cashmere, silks aud
had decided that one good silk dress
was worth half dozen of any of the
others, not only for its present purpose
but as being more available III its
latter stages for the decoration of the
young scions of our house, and sly
hint was thrown out that a spare
breadth out of the skirt might be
very useful in refacing any coat OF
mine that might happen to stand in
need of that operation. The "somc
time" before alluded to, has not yet
arrived, and from present appearances
it is as far off as when the promise was
made. Still, it fingers in my wife's
memory, and she occasionally brings
it to mind among, | fear, many other
unfulfilled promises.
"ln regard TO the dress, you NAV
depend upon having it some time,
but the treasures Of which ] was speak.
ing are not exactly available for that
purpose at present" | replied; "but
can easily convince YOU that we are
possessed of them. Are there not sew
en- rosy-cheekcd ch crubs Cat least YOU
call them so when they are not in mis-
chief now sleeping i'll happy uncon-
sciousncSs of money and its attendant
evils, each one of them worth his weigh
in gold? I've heard YOU say so many
a time. Now at moderate estimate
they will average fifty pounds apiece.
Even California gold is worth two
hundred dollars pound. Sowe have
three hundred aud fifty pound of cher
ubs. at two hundred dollars a pound
which, according to simple multipica-
tion, makes seventy thousand dollars
worth of those little heavenly bodies
alone" sti
Nonsense, Persy''- f
"Ohl but it isn't nonsense. There
it is, figured out according to your own
estimate, and a very pretty little sum
it makes to begin the world with
Now, my dear, what is my love
worth -
This was poser. My wife looked
up in haze of blank astonishment as
her mind graspcd the idea, and / trem-
bled for fear she might say nothing" 4"
and thus overturn the whole ground
work of my theory. But as soon as
she had swallowed the idea and men
tally digcsted it, She replied,
"Why don't YOU ask me what the
air is worth? for ] could dispence
with one as well as the other"
i thanked my wife for the compli-
mcnt,and congratulated myself that she
had drawn no worse comparison be-
tween my love aud the air; and con
tinucd.
"Wcll, then, what do you consider
the air worth?''
81 sha'nt answer any such foolish
questions; for, if you go on with your
calculations, you'll make us out mil
lionaires.' el -
That's what | intend to do; and |
think | am safe i'll putting down the
love at hundred thousand. Then,
there is my honor, which is worth at
least as mucllas the love-
1--we no doubt Of it," interrupted
my wife
For you wouldn't value the one
without the other. SO there you have
the sum total of three items alone
cherubs, seventy thousand; love, ahun-
dred thousand; and my honor as much
more, making the snug sum of more
than a quarter of million of dollars,
to say nothing of other items that
might be mentioned, and which would
perhaps double the amount, besides
cash on hand amounting to one dollar
and seventeen cents"
j paused here for my wife to appre-
ciatc the full force of my reasoning
(she is little slow at figures), and
when she had had time to turn the
whole subject in her mind, | asked,
"What have you to say to that?"
"All ] have to say to that, " replied
my wife, "is, that | wouldn't advise
you to set up carriage on the strength
of your property. And if thought we
were worth a quarter of that sum, /
wouldn't mend such a looking stock
ing as this" Saving which, She held
up the stocking of our eldest girl, mi
nus the heel and two-thirds of the
toe, with large rent near the top of
the leg.
"And then look at that, and that,
and that" she continued, and she sue
cessivcly presented for my inspection
the various articles which constitute
the juvenile wardrobe; and i must con
iess that, seen through that medium.
my imposing array of figures seemed
scarcely large enough to ill one of the
smallest rents among the multituae.-
Still fondly hoped that my calcula-
tions had had tendency to raise nv
wife's spirits, and | was unwilling that
she should shrink back into that slough
of darning- needles and yarn. So j
continued the subject. n
Clothes. my dear, especially in the
case of children, are mere matter OF
form, blind adherence TO the customs
of society. If it cost more to wear
shred and patches than whole gar
mcnts-if rents and rips could be rem
dered fashionable, all the world would
be out at elbows. But though society