Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1859-06-03

Il
house. as was her lawful right, and even sue-
gested that II he would give the reins entirely
| INTO her hands. she would undertake TO drive
| sately through the year losses and expenses
She had failed in converting him to one of her
principal doctrines, hOwever-ihst Of paying
ready money Tor everything. July and Janu-
| sry were stall rendered miserable by the sue
eessive arrival of yellow envelopes, known at
once by their having no post mark, and the ex-
| treme bliefness of their address They always
| gave her headache, for she know precisely the
| effect they would produce when her husband
| caught sight OF them, no matter how amiable or
| cheerful ne might be at the moment. This very
| evening, when Mr.. Cooper emphatically pro-
| nOunced "hOme to be hOme''-and indeed il
Looked so In the bright nestness of her household
ways, and especially in contemplation of the
Widespread supper-table, at which they were
Seated-his wife was inwardly disquieted by
1 knowing that her own hands would be Obliged
| TO put rancor in the vessel of his peace bv
| bringing forth the grocer half yearly account
at the amount Of which she had not yentured
10 glance.
Now, what shall do for your comfort or
| amusement, old lady" inquired this really
devoted Benedict, rs he bit off the end of n
| cigar, nd fumbled behind an engraving by
Landseer for the match box. that he always in
S;sted ON having there, just where he could
| reach il.
g There's the paper; hut that I've read; and
| looked through Harper rs 1 came along.
| Shall crack some nuts! That reminds me that
| L must get one of those patent nut crackers
saw one at Smiths. to-day, and gridiron.
| the most complete arrangement you ever saw
tor doing steak-eatches the smoke and gravy
| at the same time
| !" How much was it? You know ours came
with the stove, and ism t two years old vet -
| ''Oh, dollar or SO, / suppOse-a mere trife.
Must you sew tonight? Always that everlast-
| ing work basket! Why don't YOU have a
seamstress! How much would it cost, now, to
have that pile sewed up for onee,''
:" dollar or so, y retorted Mrs. Murray,
piayfulIy; and as she drew out her thimble and
needle bO)k, the grocer's commune alton was
discovered on the top of her work box
:" Had any letters to-day! who is that from!
| sly, Matty, suppose we should begin to think
OF little place in the country, next spring?
| lawton was talking about that lot on the bend
| OF the BRONX, you know, again to-day" And
two or three satisfactory puffs filled up a short
pause, as Mr. Cooper threw himself back into
| his own particular easy chair. ave must have
saved something this year towards it, you re
| such m industrious little woman. and deserve
to have house Of your own, and everything
nice about You, If anybody does. Whom did
| you say that was FROM It's time you had heard
| from your sister, isn't it?'' And hand was
stretched past her, As, with the most compla-
cent air, MIR. Cooper possessed himself Of the
miSsiye
His wifes spirits had gradually been sinking
| since the opening of her work She knew
perfectly well that she was considered as
| responsible for every item Of the account as if
| each barrel of -four and pound of coffee had been
| purchased for her sole individual benefit Mr.
| Cooper face ciOuded with the direction of the
| letter, darkened with the breaking open of the
| envelope; the storm burst with his first glance
| at the sum total.
| "A hundred and fifteen dollars, did YOU see
| that Martha II hundred and fifteen dollars and
| over, when il ought not to have been thirty
five, with all paid in July. Wha. in the world
did you order when 1 was away in the fall? l
never had these things charged
| only what was necessary"
| Necessary. L should think so, with all the
waste mat goes ON in that kitchen. wish you'd
would see after your cook Martha rs I've told
you hundred times. 1t would be n great deal
cheaper to put out this everlasting sewing, and
| attend to your house little more"
- | try to do both, " said Mrs Cooper mildly.
| bending before the gust, as it were, knowingit it
| to be inevitable
| Try! yes. l dare say; it looks like it. with
| all the bread L see thrown out. enough to feed a
| dozen poor families. Three barrels OF HOar. no
| wonder
There, half of the last one yet
"And sugar and coffee; dom t tell me- There's
| LawtOn says they only half barrel of white
sugar every year. His wife does her jelly in
| coffee crushed
So had Mrs Cooper, until she found that it
was cheaper to use that which did not need re-
| fining, and her husband never thought he could
touch mutton or game without currant or jelly,
and had almost n Juvenile fOndness for sweet
| meats of every description. She knew perfect
| ly well what became of the sugar.
| And butter-yes, it's butter. How much
| do you think we've had since October!'' said
her husband, presently, with the air of a virtu-
| Gus judge condemning n criminal found guilty
| IN every point of an indictment. told you
| Ann wasted butter from the first. How can
you expect we shall ever get along in the world.
| Martha, If you cant see after your servants
| hats the use of my denying myself every
thing"-for Mr.. Cooper here recollected cane,
| a pair OF fur-lined gloves, and fancy travel
| ling cap, that he had severally dismissed from
| his thoughts in the most resOlute manner
everything. L may say, for your sake and
| the chIldrens, If this is the way you are going
| On?''
Is was certainly an unexpected amount to
Mrs. Cooper, who, invariably economical
thought she had been especially careful the last
six months. She was very sorry. 1t was hard,
| when she too, could enumerate sclf-denals of
| time and patience. and had endured cross looks,
| and spoiled dinners, and "warnings." with "A
house full OfcOmpany, in the inspection of AIMS
| closets and Safes and repeated rebukes and
| corrections of her csrelessness. Though econ
| Omical to the last degree there was nothing she
| shrank from so much rs an approach TO mean
4 HcoSr VI 80 DS others. IcfndpS
| il was her own special weakness, this dread;
but even that she tried to put down in doing
| hOusekeepers duty faithfully.
Her husband, not in the least pacifed by her
admission that it might have been the butter,
replaced the bill in its envelope with the air of
a man whose substance is ''wasted by riotous
| living" and sent it skimming on the tabie--to
| the hOOr-indeed, under the lounge. where his
| wife found it, in dusting the next morning She
| was rather heavy hearted, for the evening
| which promised 50 much, closed very uncom-
fortably; she stitched away in silence, and her
husband, declining to amuse himself or be en-
| tertained, gloamed over the FIRE after his cigar
was finished, and staiked of to bed an hour
| earlier than usual.
Really, | cannot understand it. though
| had been 80 very careful. don't wonder MuI-
ray Is discouraged; and yet don't see how l
could have done without anything we have
| had
Mrs. Cooper laid down her duSter and opened
| the uncomfortable account. 1t was a very long
lace, and very perpleNed one, that the Opposite
| mirror reflected; but il frightened visibiy be-
Il far.a sha ha.l E,,iS Sl...l L.: