The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1858-11-03

safety, until now, on this colo Saturday
night in January, my wife and I sat CO.
zily by our cheerful fire, she with loaC
of unmended and to be mended stock
iDgs on her mind, and 1, ostensibly read
ing, trying to solve the great problem o
the election between supply and demand
at least so far as to make my own week
ly supplies cover the weekly demands o.
wife, children, the grocer and landlord
And so sat buried in thought, nov
frightened by remembrances of early
happiness, ard DOW darkened by shades
of unpaid January bills, which load my
desk making the demand for the great
staple, money, far exceeding the supply,
thereby, according to our best political
economists, enhancing its value.
Meantime my wife, still leboripg un;
der the weight of the stockings, says,
for the third time with Increased fervor
aud slight asperity, as though demand
ing reply.
'Oh, dearl dear wish were rich
Riches, my love, take to themselves
wings aud fly away 1 replied, with the
air of one who had seen myriads of ten
der young dollars put on their pin feath
ers, become fully fedged, and soar away
to unknown regions ike flock of wild
geese, leaving not even the smell of
money behind.
We'll, if they do, they must go to
roost somewhere, and don't see why
some Of them can't settle here as well
as elsewhere, said my wife as she com
mcnced on a fresh stocking; and then
added, with a slight dash of acidity-
There's no danger of our riches flying
away
No my dear, the wealth of loving
hearts, of unstained oonsciences, aud
contented dispositions, is permanent
investment aud not at all prone to aerial
flights. These are your only true riches
With these you are richer than Croesus;
without them, poor indeed
That's all very we'll, but that kind of
property don't constitute legal tender
You can't pay the grocer with conscien
ces and dispositions, however pure and
contented. They don't go half as far
as promises, for I've known you to make
them last year. But speaking of the
grocer reminds me tnat 1 thought saw
the bottom of the -four barrel this morn
ing
Now l knew in an instant that there
wasn't -four enough in that barrel to
make a Homeopathic biscuit, for had
hint Of its condition, the day before
in the shape of an irquiry from my wife,
What is flour worth now p expressed
in a tone intended to indicate that she
had no more interest in the matter than
she had in the number of statute miles
between the earth and the moon.
1t is pleasant little fiction of hers
that delicate hint relative to the COB
sumptive state of that important ingre
dient in domestic economy, falls more
lightly upon the ear of the moneyless
than the plain and simple, though ap
palling some eimes-'The -four barrel is
empty and bringing the case to mind
rather than state it in plain English.-
In fact, 1 have sometimes thought of
teaching her to say it in Spanish, and
thus remove little of its harshness, but
as she had no aptness for any tongue,
except her own, l have abandoned the
idea.
The purchase of barrel of -four is
AL event in our household economy not
TO be treated lightly. 1t requires a
preparation and consideration. In the !
first place, certain sum of money is to
be provided to meet the emergency, for |
whatever latitude the grocer may allow |
in miEor matters, when you talk to him
of -four, you must produce the quid pro
quo, or there is no trade.
The next point to be decided is the
selection of the brand This leads to |
friendly interchange between the heads
of the home department., which always |
results in my being commissioned to
purchase the highest priced article in
the market, and cautioned to avoid all
attempts at false economy by investing
in cheaper quality. In my younger
days, I once made purchase of a bar
rel of second quality las the grocer call
ed it) to see if my wife would know the
difference and 1 believe that l have
had the biscuit that were made from it
thrown at me ever since.
You should see my wife when she as
sists at the opening of the new barrel,
and its snowy treasures are disclosed to
her grateful gaze. Smiles dimple her
rosy cheeks, and pleasure sparkles in
her eyes. How tenderly she lifts each
dipperful from its receptacle, examines
it with the eye of judge, and pronouu-
ces it's quality with the air of an expert!
Aud what a glow of housewifely salts
faction mantles her fair face, when the
first baking confirms her Judgment
And then as day by day, she descends
deeper into it's recesses, each dipperful,
snowy though it be, leaves shade upon
her brow, until at last the -four and the
smiles and dimples disappear together.
As sit reading of an evening, l can