Civilian & telegraph. [volume] (Cumberland, Md.) 1859-1875, 1864-09-08

the standpoint of d fixed iticome she sees
that these are impossible, and no more
wants them than the green cheese of the
moon. She learns to make her own taste
and skill take the place of expensive pur-
chase. She retrims her hats and bonnets,
rcfits her dress, and, in u thousand busy,
earnest, happy little ways, sets herself to
make the most of her small income.
So the woman who has definite allow
ance for housekeeping finds at once a
hundred questions set at rest. Before, it
was not clear to her why she should not
go and be likewise" in relation to every
purchase made by her next nighbor. Now
there is a clear logic of proportion. Ger
tain things are evidently MOTTO be thought
of though next ncighbors do have them
and we must resign ourselves to some
other way of living.
.'My dear" said my wife, l think
there is peculiar temptation in life or
ganzed as ours is in America. There
are here no settled classes, with similar
ratios of income. Mixed together in the
same society, going to the same parties,
and blandcd in daily neighbor'y inter-
course, are families of the most opposite
extremes in point of fortune. In Eng
land there is very well understood ex-
preston, that the people should not dress
or live above their station; in America
none will admit that they have any par
ticular station, or that they can live
above it. The principles of democratic
equality unites in society people of the
most diverse position and means.
Here, for instance, is family like DR..
Selden's, AN old and highly respected one,
with an income of only two or three
thousand-yet they are people universal
ly sought for in society, and mingle in all
the intercourse of life with merchant mil
lionaries whose incomes are from ten to
thirty thousand. Their sons and daugh-
ters 60 to the same schools, the same par
ties, and are thus constantly meeting up
on terms of social equality. Now it
seems to me that our great danger does
not lio in the great and evident expenses
Of our rich friends. We do not expect
to have pincries, graperles. cquipages'
horses, dian,onds-we say openly and oi
course that we do not. Still, our expenses
are constantly increased by the prox,
unity of these things, unless VIC under
stand ourselves better than most people
do. We don't expect sets of diamonds
but diamond ring, pair of solitaire
diamond car rings. begins to be speculated
about among the people as possibilities
We don't expect to carpet our house with
Administer and hang our windows with
damask, but at least VIC must have Brus'
sells and brocatcllc, it would not do not tc
have these Aud so we go on getting hund'
reds ofthinss that we doIl'tnccd that have
no real value except that they smoothe
our self-lovc; and for these inferior arti'
clcs we pay higher proportion of oul
income than our rich neighbor does fol
his better ones. Nothing is uglicr than
low priced cashmere shawls: and yet q
young man just entering business viii
spend an eighth Of a years income to put
one on his wife, and when he has put il
there it only serves as constant source
Of disquiot--for now that the door il
opened, and Cashmere shawls are posi-
BILE, she is consumed with envy at the
superior ones constantly sported around
her. So also, with point-lace. velvet
dresses. and hundreds of things of thai
sort, which belong to a certain rate OF in
come, and are absurd below it,
"And yet mamma, heard Aunt Ea
sygo say that velvet, point-lace and cash
mere were the cheapest 6ncry that coult
be bought. because they lasted a life
time"
Aunt Ea,ygo speaks from an income
of ten thousand year. They may b.
cheap for her rate of living-but for It's
for example, by no magic of numbers car
it be made to appear that it is cheaper t.
have the greatest bargain in the world ii
cashmere, lace and diamonds, than not t.
have them at all. Inever had diamond
never wore piece of polht lace, neve
had velvet dress, and have been per
fectly happy. and just as much respected
as if had Whoever thought of object
ing to me for not having them? Nobod
dy. as l ever heard"
"Certainly not, mamma" said Mari
anne.
1.-The thing 1 have always said to yo'
girls is. that you were not to expect Il
live like richer people. not to begin to try
not to think or inquire about certain rate
Of expenditure, or take the FIRST step il
certain directions. We have moved oil
all our life after very antiquated an'
old-fashioned mode. We have our littl
old-fashioned house and our old-fashione'
ways"
Except the parlor carpet, and wha
came of it my DEAR" said l. mischiev
ously.
Yes, except the parlor carpet" SAT-
my wife, with conscientious twinkle
land the things that came Of it, Their
was concession there, but one can't b
wise always"
/" We talked mamma into that" sal