Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1859-04-08
VOL. XIII.
FIJI " d I " @ n L z n K
Dx~.~~z4. Fr,.x<r
BY ALICE B. NEAL.

self at an inviting supper-table, and admire
bis wife sitting opposite to him busted with ii
tray. Mrs Cooper was by no means intendt
for burning and shining light in society, b,
she made very pleasant and mellow radianc
so to speak, in the more limited circle of b,
own fireside.
Mr.. Cooper had tastes" and precedent ft
all his ikings and aversions in some of the di
tinguished family of which he was membe
The Murray" was family name, and his sol
aspired to the scale of living to which it b.
longed but his means were several thousan
a year short of its qualification. Indeed,
! Mrs. Cooper had not been practical in an ez
| treme degree, and experienced, as to the yalu
of money In itself considered, it is doubtful
whether they could have got on at all Tn
recklessness with her husband assumed tina
charge and responsibility, and the style il
which his bachelor expenditures had been con
Quoted, were rather alarming to one who hat
always had need to calculate ways and mean,
closely. For Mrs Cooper, though very PROUD
of her family, in certain way, was only 6
Smith Martha Smith and it is well known
that Smiths cannot subsst upon their name
and connections a Murray Cooper might
do.
Poverty among the Coopers was being well
dressed-liying in a large house, waited on by
plenty of servants, but always troubled by an
accumulation Of liabilities. Still, as Mr. Coop
er, sen., often remarked, people must live" by
which he meant that he must, whatever became
of the tradesmen he employed. Poverty, as
known to the Smiths, included selfdenial, in
dustry, and great many " wants reduced to
must haves," before they were satisfied. The
younger branches of the Bird Coopers, and the
De Laney Coopers, and the Griswold Murrays
looked down upon their cousin as having sunk
several degrees in the social scale when he left
one room in the third story of fashionable
city boarding house for the whole of small
but comfortable house beyond Seventh Av-
enue, whereas, inasnluch as he managed, with
his wife's oversight, to live somewhere within
of the cloths he wore and the food he ate, some
unprejudiced persons might have ranked him as
morally in the ascendent.
Literally, Mrs. Cooper did not know where
to commence her reforms when her husbands
idiosyncrasy as to money matters first was
made apparent but she came to the conclu-
sion that the starting point of charity was a
good place to commence enforcing its respec-
table relative, economy, and so began with her
own personal expenditures.
But her husband had few preudices to
overcome before he could be induced to set
aside the extremely modest amount she pro-
posed from his salary. 9" He didn't believe in
an allowance. What was the good in knowing
what you spent? 1t didn't make it any less
and, in fact, it was decidedly uncomfortable to
be posted on the subject. He never had an al
lowance the girls and mother never had one.
No; they always got whatever they chose, and
the bills were sent to the store. 1t wasn't their
business when they were paid To be sure
the governor always grumbled when they came
in, and Threatened all sorts of things, but no
body ever minded"
"But l should" interposed the governors
daughter-in-law. " would have gone without,
first-and would now, rather than see you wor-
ried. It's great deal better to know just
what you can afford to get only try it, Muir
ray, OF let me, for baby and myself If you
only knew how to say, charge"
Poh, poh, Martha, didn't think you were
such a goose Why, most women would jump
at it. I never had on 'expense book as you
call it, since l was born. Books are bothers
enough at the Office. Who always wants to be
marching up column of figures, and rumina-
ting On a ''sum total,'' except its balance in
ones favor, which I believe 1 never yet have
had the pleasure of experiencing. When l
have the money you're welcome to it, you know
that. These private purses make wife alto
gether too independent. They are the very
beg your pardon, the mischief, you know p
But suppose, said Mrs. Cooper, II should
wish to make my husband birthday present,
how unsentimental it would sound My love,
please give me ten dollars to buy you gold
pencilr or, to have my nice little surprise
spoiled by the bill being presented beforehand
at the office. or, having to manage Mrs.
Green's fashion, and take what wanted from
your pocket. little by little after you were
asleep at night. To be sure, you would never
miss it,
"Now that's rather hard on fellow, Mar
tha, after all my reforms. Don't l even stop
in an omnibus to count my change? Haven't
done wonders in not bringing you home-all
sorts of things you know? I'll bet you two
to one"
al never bet, recolIect," interrupted Mrs.
Murray, in grave tone that belied the mis-
chief of her smile-at the idea of her husbands
reforms.
Well, wouldn't be afraid to-that can
tell to dot every cent I've got about me to-
night"
Suppose agree to give up the allowance
if you CAM" suggested the unbelieving help
mate.
"Done! !" And the porte-monnaie was
drs~r forth triumphantly. 1t so happened
that little foot-bill of two or three years
standing had been presented that evening,
which had caused an inspection of cash on hand ;
ending in an invitation the collector was per-
fectly accustomed TOTO call again.
"There's two fives-Butchers and Drover's
do you see and ten, Rhode Island money,
a three and one, and seventy-fve cents in
change No allowance carries the day, mad
am"
"Not quite so close. / can see and bank
notes never are quite Cologne. Now suppose
you look in your pockets"
"Oh, am quite cured of that no more
change lying around loose"
Two of those convenient receptacles emptied
presented only knife, pencil, two small screws
and a box of leads In the breast pocket of
his coat the hand made sudden pause.
"Stupid oh, l remember now the change
at Delmonico's for my lunch, you know P'-
And the discounted man drew forth two ci-
gars, a gold dollar, bill, and some change.
This was the history of the allowance, i'm
portant, since, from its practical working, Mr..
Cooper first began to understand a faint glim-
mer of the important truth, "a penny saved is
two pence got )" and, as is often common with
enthusiastic minds, he plunged into reforms on
his own account to a most alarming extent.
Uy;s ,,,os ofYar fheir essay at houspkeenino