The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1863-01-17
NOW TO ECoNomlzE.

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NOW TO ECON0MIzE.
'It's oil very easy to talk about econ
omizing, but where is one to begin. You
are not at all extravspsnt, neither am |.
| am positive there's no escape-valve
from which our little income can leak out,
and ye. i. is impossible to lay aside any
money. can't account for it ALL"
Thus spoke Charles Walters, a young
lawyer, who resided in cosey little house
somewhere between Third and Thirtieth
streets in New York He had a nice lit
tie practice, . pretty little wife, and
bright-eyed baby. What do you say, old
bachelors? ought he not be supremacy
happy with all these possessions And
yet such was very far from being the case.
The truth was, that Charles Walters felt
"hard times as acutely as any Of us--he
began to look cautiously after the stray
pennies, and to realize that he must re-
trench somewhere.
"Well, j. does seem rather singular
where all our money could have gone"
returned the wife with half smile and
half sigh. GAS you say, we don't CON-
nit any very great extravagances, and yet
it is equally certain that we must begin
to be less profuse in our expenditures.
Charlie was silent.
"lt seems To me- resumed his wife,
"that can account for some of these
missing dollars That velvet carpet that
| coaxed you to buy, at two dollars yard,
when plain tapestry at one.halt the
price would have been just as good"
"a ridiculous piece Of folly" said
Walters, pettishly.
"You didn't say 80 Ut the time And
have youforgotten, she added n,alciously,
"that rosewood book case in the back par
lor that usurped the place of the old ma
hogany shelves? Whose folly was that
Aud the big Chinese easy chair to smoke
in and the new ivory chess men p
"Stop, stop, Mary" said Charlie, laugh
ing and reddening, eve have both been
little to blame in the matter. But /
have good idea in my brain. Ii is quite
certain that we shall buy no more rose
wood secretaries and velvet carpets at
present, SO that we need not fear large ex-
trayagances. and | propose that We begin
to exterminate the small ones-thc invis-
IDLE expenses that lie in wait for us from
hour to hour, and walk off with our funds
in penny driblets. Well commence this
very day, and report success in The even
ing Ni.st do you say r.
" Agreed" said Msry, and Charlie
kissed her, made face at the baby, and
walked off to his downtown office.
Mary still sat al the table thinking,
when Biddy. the nurse. came UP to take
the baby out for his morning airing. Mrs
Walters looked first at the rubicund
daughter of Erin, and then at the baby.
nesting in his cradle like half-blown
rosebud. Couldn't she take care of her
own baby! Why. Of course she couid!
And in half an hour Biddy went off with
tears in her eyes, and half pound of tea
under her ragged shawl
Mrs. Walters went up to her room to
prepare for going out. There lay her lit
tie velvet bonnet in its box. The day be-
fore she had laid aside two dollars and
half for the purchase Of new scarle, roses
aud ribbons for decoration, but now she
looked .houghtfully ct the old purple yio-
lets, remembered her agreement with
Charlie, and concluded the bonnet would
do very we'll as it was this winter. Was
she not wise little housewife?
In the mornings marketing she adher-
ed firmly to her good resolutions. tur,,ing
away from all the expensive little rarities
in which she had been wont to indulge,
and stopped at the china store to counter
mand her yesterdays order for a bsanti-
full little gilt pitcher. The man stared.
and inquired the reason of her sudden
change Of mind, but she smiled, and re-
piled simply that she had determined to
use the old one little longer.
i On her way home she paused at shop
window, and hesitated for moment be-
tween economy and an expensive bit Of
embroidery for q baby's dress. The
French pattern was beautiful, and her
purse lay provokingly close to her fingers.
Bur wisdom triumphed the bands were
left in the showcase, and the three dollars
were safely carried home.
/ "Let me see, said she. - she rat in
the twilight, rocking her baby's cradle and
waiting for her husbands return, !" Bidy 4
six dollars month is about thirty cents
= day; my flowers and ribbons two dol
lars and bali those late peaches and
the fish that resisted buying are saoth.
or dollar, and that beautiful embroidery
that would have made baby such lovely
dress land here she drew little regret
full sigh was three dollars. Well, l may
safely consider that have eoonomized
six dollars and eighty cents to-day, il
small sums. / wonder what Charlie hal
to report"
"a good, economical little wife 70,
are r said Charlie. few minutes after