The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1862-09-17

"Why don't you marry, Joe -
contemptuous manner, accompanied by q tilt e
the chair to allow his slppered feet to rest com.
fortaby on the mantle piece.
"Yes, marry. | am sure you want wife.
You are making ducks and brakes of your in.
come, wasting so much in housekeeping. House
keeping! The idea of any old bachelor keep
ing house,"
"Why not? Hannah makes me very com.
Portable"
Comfortable! Look at this room. Every
thing in the wrong place. dust an inch thick, and
not one OF tue pretty "fxins" with which wO
men beautify room at trifing expense. Then
YOU fairly support Hannah's family, If l may
judge by the quantity Of provisions, clothes and
fuel she smuggles out of the gate"
What"
Down came the chair, feet and all, and the
bachelor, who was tall, handsome, and yet on
the bright side sf forty, stood up before his little
cousin, who was hinging home truths 90 lavishly
in his face
"Fact, Joe; I've seen her do it. Now, a
wife would make this housekeeping all straight.
Now, do marty, Cousin Joe; want YOU to get
" mere sue 10 De IOuuu
"Well, let NC see" And the little beauty
knit her brow and looked as much puzzled a. if
the name of the person proposed had not been
on the tip OF her tongue for the last hour. :" Let
me see Oh, know! Meta Snow"
"What! Meta Snow, the most evtravagant
girl in the villase Now if you had said Mary
Wright, who dresses simply, and has her house
furnished so neatly and plainly, l might have
consented but Meta Snow-why her dresses
and bOnnets would cost fortune, not to men.
ton the expensive furniture she delights in. No
chairs, sofas, or curtains but embroidered ones
suit her, and oh, worst of all, she spends hall
her time reading trashy magazines. Meta Snow "
and Joseph Harris sank back in his chair ut
terly overpowered with the magnitude of the
| idea
| $50 Metals extravaganza is the objection ?"
"Well, yes; she is pretty, intelligent, lively
accomplished, but, you know, Jennie, my broth
er's experience makes me dread an extravagan
wife. | think he owed his downfal entirely t.
Margarets love Of jewels. fine clothes, and ex
pensive furniture. 1 am not mean"
| Indeed you are not joe"
| DuL knUw WHAT n ~visi.. -. . urau., vucr
| gies an extravagsnt wife is"
| "Then if l Can prove Meta Snow the mos
economical girl in the village. and that sh.
spends less III one year than Mary Wright il
six months, YOU win give me a new cousin, you
wife.
Yes l will but Ill bet dozen pair of kit
gloves and new bracelet against q smoking
cap-miue You know is very shabby-that 20,
fail"
"Done! Come spend this evening with me
Good by" And away went Jennie Harris, OF
" matrimonial schemes intent"
The evening found Joe early at his cousin q
To tell the truth, Meta Shows pretty face ant
winning manners had won the bachelors bear
loag before, but her apparently expensive bab
its frightened back the offers on the tip of hi
tongue, and be was willing enough to pay th,
wager, could it but be fairly won.
"Now, Joe" said Jennie, meeting him at tn
door, g am going to hide you, and have q littl
talk with the girls to which you must listen.
you are here l should not like to ask all tn
questions intend to, and they might be shy o
'"srehsie ssavesuropprr, seun,e.
Exactly; it is fair in such a case. Hark
The bell There they are! In this closet, Joe !!
"But, Jennie"
Hush You win a wife or a smoking cap
anyhow. Go in" And with q parting push
Jennie locked the closet door,
Joe, forced to comply, now sat down in tn
large closet, on a stool considerably provides
for the purpose, put his eye to . hole in tn
paunel, and took q survey of the visitors just en-
tering After this, he, with q shrug of hi
shoulders, placed bis ear where his eve ha
been.
The yonng ladies. both pretty, we're dresse
in very different styles. Meta wore a light blu
silk. with founces, bretees of velvet, and
pretty head dress of blue ribbons on her luxur
liant light hair. Mary vas attired in pearl col
ored silk. made perfectly plain, with q rich lac
collar and sleeves, and her dark hair in simpl
braids, with gold headed pins At the back.
Jennie opened her batteries At once.
"Wbat pretty dress, Metal"
"Ain't it: made it to-day"
made it!"
"Oyes. make all my own dresses; it
quite saving"
II should think it would be-" said Mar
Wright; my dressmaker's bills are enormous
I won't have nv dresses made anywhere but !
Philadelphia, and il costs me . small fortune"
my patterns come from there" said Net
Jennie. am making you head-dress lik
mine. Do you ike il
"Yee, thank you, very much"
. alt is made out of the ribbon l had On u
; last blue dress. got . receipt fer renovatin
, old ribbons, last week, and tried it Ny br
telIes are of the same
al thought it was bran new, said Mar.
"What IN economical girl you are, 1etal"
Jennie Uttered.
"I heard Meta called extravagant today