Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1859-04-08

| NdS puSAkc6S, Daa 0ezslftQ MIN TO
and finally half box was smuggled in quietl,
and replaced at intervals He wore reall
shabby clothes through the hot weather, bu
brought home choice assortment of whit
! jean, Marseilles, and fancy check suit, tn
! last three days of September heat. He under
! took selfshaEiHg in the most virtuous manner
!. and annoyed Mrs. Cooper three days in th
week by forgetting to do so, and presentin,
: quite too stiff an upper lip to please any ON
neat almost to fastidious. He talked grea
. deal about table economy, inspected the asl
. heap to see that the cook threw away no avail
able lump of coal and even was accustomed t.
!, inquire 'twhat had become of that bone," hav
ing heard aecidently that good family souI
, might be made of beef bone with few veg
: etables. In fact these last symptoms hao
grown very troublesome and Mrs. Cooper be-
gan to wish most deyoutly that Murray would
! aiet her keep house" as was her lawful right
, suggested that, if he would give the reins en-
tirely into her hands, she would undertake to
drive safely through the years losses and ex-
penses. She had failed in converting him to
one of her principal doctrines, however, that of
paying ready money for everything. July and
January were still rendered miserable by the
successive arrival ofyellow envelopes, known at
once by their having no post mark and the ex-
treme briefness of their address. They always
gave her headache, for she knew precisely the
effect they would produce when her husband
caught sight of them, no matter how amiable
or cheerful he might be at the moment This
very evening" when Mr.. Cooper so emphatic
ally pronounced "home to be home"-and
indeed it looked so in the bright neatness of
her household ways, and especially in contem-
plation of the well spread supper-table at which
they were seatedEhis wife was invariably dis
quieted by knowing that her own hands
would be obliged to "put rancor in the vessel
of his peace" by bringing forth the grocers
half yearly account, at the amount Of which she
had not ventured to glance.
| "Now, what shall / do for your comfort or
amusement this evening, old lady ?" inquired
this really devoted Benedict, as he bit off the
end of cigar, and fumbledSbehind an engra-
wing by Landseer for the matchbox, that he
always insisted on having there, just where he
could reach it.
"There's the paper-but that I've read
and looked through Harper as came aloug
Shall l crack some nuts That reminds me
that must get one of those patent nut-crack-
ers. l saw one at Smiths to-day, and grid
iron, the most complete arrangement you ever
saw for doing a steak-catches the smoke and
gravy at the same time"
"How much was t? You know ours came
with the stove, and it isn't two years old yet.
"Oh, dollar Or so, suppose mere tri-
fe Must you sew tonight? Always that
everlasting work-basket! Why don't you
have seamstress How much would it cost
to have all that pile sewed up at once?"
"a dollar or so," retorted Mrs. Murray,
playfully and as she drew out her thimble
and needle book. the grocers communication
was discovered on top of the work-box.
"Had any letters to-day? who was it from ?
1 say Matty, suppose we should begin to think
of little place in the country, next spring p
Lawton was talking about that lot on the
bend of the Bronx. you know, again to-day
And two or three satisfactory pufs filed up a
short pause, as Mr.. Cooper threw himself back
in his own particular chair. "We must have
saved something this year towards it, you're such
an industrious little woman, and deserve to
have house of your own, and everything nice
about you if anybody does. Whom did you
say it was from? It's time you heard from
your sister, isn't it ?" And hand was stretch
ed past her, as, with the most com placent air,
Mr. Cooper possessed himself of the missive.
His wife's spirits had gradually been sinking
since the opening of the work-box. She knew
perfectly well that she was considered as res
ponsible for every item of the accounts as if
each barrel of -four and pound of coffee had
been purchased for her sole individual benefit. !
Mr. Coopcrs face clouded with the direction of
the letter, darkened with breaking open the |
envelop; the storm burst with his first glance !
at the sum total. |
"a hundred and fifteen dollars did you see
that Martha "a hundred dollars and over
when it ought not to have been thirty-five, with
all paid in July What 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 that goes on in the kitchen. l wish I
you'd see after your cook, Martha, as l have
told you hundred times. It would be great
deal cheaper to put out this everlasting sewing, /
and attend to your house little more"
Il try to do both," said Mrs. Cooper mildly, |
bending before the gust, as it were, knowing it !
to be inevitable.
TRY yes, dare say; it looks like it, with ,
all the bread I see thrown out-enough to feed /
a dozen Door families. Three barrels of flour |
no wonder"
"There is quite half of the last one yet"
"And sugar and coffee don't tell me-
There's Lawtor says they nse only half bar
of white sugar every year. His wife does her
Jelly in coffee crushed"
So had Mrs. Cooper until she found that it
o1,oo 20 J;ry,
refining, and her husband never thought he
could touch mutton or game without current
Jelly, and had almost Juvenile fondness for
sweetmeats of every description. She knew |
perfectly well what had become of the sugar.
"And butter-yes, it's the butter. How
much do you think we've had since October ?"
said her husband, presently, with the air of a
virtuoas Judge condemning a criminal found
guilty in every point of the indictment "Itold
you Ann wasted butter from the first. How
can you expect we shall ever get along in the
world, Martha, if you don't see after your SER
wants? What's the use of my denying euery-
thing ?"-for Mr.. Cooper here recolected a
cane pair of fur-lined gloves, and fancy
travelling cap that he had severally dismissed
from his thoughts in the most resolute manner
-"everything, 1 may say, for your sake and
the children's if tbs is the way you are TO go
on
1t 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 embrace selfdenials of
time patience, and had braved cross looks, and
warnings" with houseful of company, in the
! inspection of AIMS closets and Safes and re-