Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1862-04-11
MtscfII
rwo WAYS or RETRENcHMBNT.

DO they !" asked Nettleton, quietly
TO be sure they do. and think it's about
time for me to commence retaatory measures
In the first place, pay my girls too much
Bridget, the cook gets two dollars, and Ma
~, one seventy-fve ! shall cut down each
of them fifty cents week.
perhaps they will leave you, then
Let them. ! can get plenty more at the
prices named. In all the large cities there
are plenty Of girls to be had at dollar and a
quarter a week
And some that can't get work atAny price,
and have only to choose between infamy and
starvation
'Fie, Mr. Nettloton. That has nothing to
do with the case When get help ! never
pay above the market price. II they don't
like the terms. they can leave
Go on, said Mr.. Nettleton, bowling.
Il an going on. There's Nancy Jones
thinks she must have dollar day for dress
making. II she works for me hereafter, she'll
Just work for seventy-fve cents
'Sho has two children to maintain.
so have l. and l shan't deiraud my own
family, this year, to pamper hers
'Mrs. Jones has no husband to feed and
clothe. That does make some difference, |
allow; but don't you think she will need a
dollar day to make ends meet now that ev-
crything is so high
mo, don't. was told that last year she
put by fifty dollars in the savings oank She
mustn't expect to do that this year. Times
arc hard"
so / Sec All we'll how tresome it must
have been to the poor woman to stitch from
morning till night for fifty days. Just to make
some little provision against the future
who minds getting tired l don't. Then
the boy that did your gardening had too much
last year. If he has the same this year he
must take part Of it in your old clothes. lie
is large enough to wear them now, and you
have got such a habit Of wearing cheap gray
cloth that the things will be worth good deal
to him
TO ourselves you mean
No, to him, only OF course he must pay
for them; and then perhaps | persuade
you to lay them aside little sooner
Perhaps so. And now will you allow me
to inquire for what purpose is all this re-
trenchment:'
For the purposes Of prudence, Mr.. Nettle-
ton. You have been in the habit of laying
aside thousand dollars of your income every
yea, and mean you shall do so now, al
though we are to be so heavily taxed
Oh. you are only laying up for wet day.
thought poor women we're not to be allow
ed to do that this year
Mrs. Nettleton CONTEMPORARY calculated,
Poor women ! and her husband went placid
ly on.
Let me see wish hard times would
come every year. am to have new clothes
rather oitener than common; | suppose the
tailor must make discount, so that the bill
will not foot up any heavier in consequence
so he ought. That's the first sensible
word you have said yet
And then, although some expenses are in
creased. yet have two helpless girls, wild /
owed mother and an orphan boy engaged to
make il up to me. 1t is pity cannot make
all classes of laborers understand that they
must work for me for less than usual, now
that their living costs much more. They I
should remember that as Hood says, when
bread is dear, flesh and blood is cheap. 7
Mrs Nettleton WINGED visibly through her !
triple armor of pride, parsimony and obtuse- !
ness and her hus band, who never directly =
opposed her, contented himself with resolv-
ing to make it,up to the victims in some way, a
if he did not forget it. b
A few doors from Mrs. Nettleton lived G
Mrs Aimwell, widow in moderate circum-
stances, with three young daughters yet in
their teens. Her means very much less
than those of her hard-handed neighbor in ,
tho best of times she could never help
friend without denying herself something
she would have liked to own. Now, she felt
in common with others that there was new
call for retrenchment, and she set about il in
her own considerate, womanly way.
Nettie, said she to her eldest daughter,
promising girl Of sixteen, we must make
our own dresses this year. think, only en-
ploying Mrs. Jones to fit them
We can do it very well, mother but will
it not be great disappointment to Mrs
Jones She always depends upon having
our work to do
True; but fitting is better paid, proper
tonally, than plain sewing, and abe will at
least have the relief Of little rest. Besides,
have heard her say that she could save a
great deal by fitting up old dresses for her
little ones, if she could only command the
time. | think she can do so, this year, aud
have several things of Annals saved for her,
which, with few hours time, will save quite
a little sum. The child has quite grown
away from them, and will be glad to think
that her rapid rise has been positive bless
ing to the little Joneses
That will do nicely. By the way, moth
er, have you seen Robert about fixing the hot
bedi'
Yes; he was here in an old suit Of
MI Nettlton s, little too long and loose for
him. thought he looked somewhat asham-
ed Of his mature and pretentious belongings,
and he was very sorry to learn that we can
not employ him in the garden as much as
usual. told him we should only require
him to lay out the beds and do a little 0, ca
sional hoeing. The seeds we can easily SOW
ourselves, and pulling weeds will be fine
morning exercise for you girls this summer
Yes; we have decided to let it take the
place of our old walks but isn't it sad to
think that we cannot retreneh our own ex-
penses without taking the bread our of some
other persons mouth
1T would be, If bread were all but have
thought how you can make it up to Robert
for the less of his wages. You know his
great ambition is to improve his education,
and he employs all his leisure hours in study,
because it is very long since he has been able
to attend school. have given him the
sohooi-books that you were obliged to lay
aside when the committee made their last
change. They are quite as good for his pur-