The day book. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1857-1867, 1860-03-03
THE DAY BOOK.
:. SATURDAY EVENING, MARCH 3.
Mrs.Smith,s Economy.

Mrs. Smith was a saving woman. She
was not mean--she was saving. Mrs.
smith bought a new carpet--a pretty
figured carpet-that cost, we suppose,
twelve shillings yard, perhaps fourteen.
With all due care in buying an exact
quantity, there was a remnant left OF, we
should say, somewhere between yard
and a yard and half. Ofcourse it was
not only saved, but carefully laid away
Occasionally, in the course OF the next
two or three years, Smith saw the rem
nant of carpet out for an airing. A bright
idea at length struck her to make some
thing out oft.
Among Smiths customers was a jour-
ueynap cabinet.maker, who loved to
eCne in OF an evening and enjoy taste
oi good old Scotch whiskey punch, and
ha7e chat and smoke. Now the
bright idea Of Mrs. Smith was, that she
would get Bob the cabinet-maker, to
make her pair of footstools, ottomans,
ct something else-little nondescript
things that ladies have il parlors-neither
chair bench nor stools-good for nothing
L. sit On and of no account for anything
else except to stumble over. A pair Of
these she would have made, and that
would save the remnant of the carpet.
So she called him in and told him.what
she wanted, and showed him the piece of
carpet saved so long, and now to be at
length appropriated to a profitable pr1r-
pose.
Yes, it will make very..nice tops, and
there is plenty to make a large-sized
pair. Will you have them of mahogany,
black walnut, or rosewood"
She was not particular; she wanted
them nice, and he might make them oil
anything he pleased-"any remnant that
he could pick up about the shop"
Mrs. Smith asked-no, she told her
hllsband-about the arrangement, and he
said
"Just as you like; | don't care"
Time wore on. Robert drank; and
smoked. and worked; he worked slow but
he worked sure, for, by-and-by, he
brought in the new article of parlor fur
niture---the contrivances Tor saving car
pet remnants. Mr.. Smith thought them
good-looking, and sent them up stairs.
Mrs Smith was delighted with them.
They were beautiful-just the thing
exactly what she wanted--such a
match to the palor carpet-she was real
ly proud Of them" And we may be al
lowed to say proud also Of her economy
Of housekeeping. ''Some folks would
have wasted that carpet or let the moths
eat it, or let it lay around loose, Oh 10
Use"
By-and-by, business over in the shop,
Smith came up. Smith must 60 and see
them; but somehow he could not see
quite so much beauty in them as his
wife did, nor, in fact, they did not look
near as well as they did when he first
saw them ana as for the economy of the
thing, that he couldn't see a bit of-but
he looked, and said nothing. He thought,
"Well, they are Q woman's bauble,
bought and paid for, so let it go; but |
hope there are no more little remnants of
carpet round the house to be saved" But
be said, good.naturedly, in answer to the
question
"Yes, they look very we'll"
"Oh, they are perfect gems! Now l
hope you never will laugh at Inc again
Tor being SO saving"
''No, he thought he shouldn't
"By the by, Mr.. Smith, how much did
Bob charge for the job?"
Eighteen dollars"
''Eigh--
Her jaw fell before the other syllable
would come out, for she saw by Smiths
face that he was in earnest. 1t was no
laughing matter 1t never has been since,
but it has been standing lesson of fam
lily economy, and will probably descend
to the next generation as such.