Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1868-07-16


in front ofthe rosewood ecretaire, and be-
gan her task Of writing letters.
If this is housekeeping, 1t isn't such bad
fun, after all !" thought our hero, as he tip
ped his chair back after the fashion of man
kind, and lazily watched the golden thread
OF sunbeam stretched luminously across
the tinted ceiling. c3A
Presently heavy football sounded along
the carpeted hall, and Ellen, the cook, ap-
peared.
"lf ye PLACE, ma'am, what'll We be after
havin' for dinner?"
"Mr. Dater will attend TO you, Ellen, y
said the abdicated sovereign, calmly notion
ing with her hand toward her husband.
hlr. Dater was little puzzled how to
meet this emergency, but not for worlds
would he have owned 1t.
Roast fowls, Ellen, with currant Jelly
and celery-and-and mince pie and suot
pudding for dessert. (That sounds all right
any how.')
"Ifyou'll give me the money, Sir, I'll go
to market right OIL. y
How much do you require, EllcnY"
Ellen reckoned up the sum on the ends OF
her stout red fingers,
eth lio two dollars for tho fowls, Sir, and
a half dollar for the vegetables"
"Two dollars and n half! Isn't that good
deal of money, Ellen?'
"And twenty-five cents for the jelly, Sir, y
added the relentless Ellen.
Mr.. Dater reluctantly counted out the
money. "Be as economical as you can, El-
len.
Ellen went out tossing her head, and NUT
tering under her breath certain undcniable
truisms respecting henhusses"
"The newspaper bill, Sir" said Mary, the
chamber-maid, entering on tip-toe, with q
narrsw slip of paper between her fingers.
"What is it?"
"Thirty-cents, Sir"
Mr.. Dater again unclasped his port-mon-
naie and handed out the requisite sum. II
was hardly more than moment before
Mary again came in.
"If you please, Sir, the wood you order
cd has come home, and Patrick DAILY wants
u dollar for splitting it up"
"a dollar!' fretted our housekecpcr;
"that is too much!"
''He worked half day Mt it, Sir, and it's
what he has always asked, said Mary, re-
specially.
"Take it, tlen!" sharply responded Mr..
Dater. 81 must sec if cant get some one
to work for me little cheaper. don't be
lieve in paying tho highest prices for the
least possible amount of work II
This was bomb-shell thrown bclligerently
into Mrs. Dater's camp, but that lady wrote
serencly on. 1t was not her cue to notice
any such indirect method OF warfare.
''The big kittlc, Sir home from the tin.
mans, put in Mary, once more. "It's fifty
cents, Sir, if you please
Fifty cents! Fifty cents for mcnding q
tin kettle !" cried our hero.
eyes, Sir; it's solJered in two places,
and"
"There is the groccr's boy coming up the
street." said Mrs. D.cr, glancIng out of the
window. And, sure enough, Ellen entered
presently, with sleeves rolled up and white
bib-apron tied under her chin.
"The bill from the grocers, Mr. Dater, all
ready reccipied."
Mr.. Dater took the bill, and looked hur-
riedly over Its list of contents.
"Riisins-spiccs cs-soap-prcparcd flour
| ot hos. \, nc --oornot IN la,,or,
hum-m-m-four dollars and sevcnty-fivo
cents! -Four dollars and seventy-fve cents
for groccr's bill of two days standing
My dear my dear! this should be looked
into! There must be some screw loose in
our housekeeping!'
6 You complained that the pudding-sauct
was not rich enough yesterday, Edward,
said Mrs Dater, deliberately folding the lit
tic note she had just written; "and lasl
week you said that cake, without suiliciency
of raisins and spices, was merely galvanized
bread
'A man don't want all his chance speeches
ctcrnally brought up against him, mutterct
Mr. Dater, looking rather confused, whilt
his wife dated another gilt-ctlgcd sheet O
paper, and began second letter.
swell, what now ?" demanded Mr.. Dater
in desparing accent, as Mary came il
once more, stepping softly.
"lts the shoemakers bill, Sir; and woult
yc he pleased TO pay il now, for his ren
comes due Tomorrow, he says"
"How much is il?
''Seven dollars, Sir" Mary handed hin
the bill.
"Sev-cn dollars! For two pairs of chill
drens shoes My dear Maria, isn't tina
! rather unnecessarily extravagant ?"
eff you remember, Edward, you rcproy
cd me, only yesterday, for allowing Benni
to go out walking in such shabby Shoes"
swell, there's no use in saying any thing
suppose the bill has got to be paid, as tn
/, shoes are bought
, "I suppose so, too" said his wife dryly
Q But no more remarks were made unit
5 Bennie and Tommy,two apple-cheeked boy
of seven and nine, came bounding in fror
: at noon, rosy and boisterous.
/; "Mamma! mamma! want fifty cent
: for my new Geography, and Tommy want
a quarter for his slate! Tommy's going in
to the ciphering class, mamma"
G "Go to your father; my dear" said Mrs
q Dater; and the pategJan'ilias slowly dis
g bursed the requisite funds, silently pursin
up his mouth into whistling pose as b
n did so.
"Papa papa!" stormed little Tommy
:, clattering up stairs minute or two aftel
ward, with all the combined energy of COZ
+ per-toes ann iron-nailed heels. "Elle
+ wants bottle of olive-oil to make dressin
+ for the celery salad. Can ! go to the I'll
grocery after it? Can l, papa2 Give us
IS dollar!" -....
vi Mr.. Datcr looked at the dollar and thougl
&c of the cool, delicious celery salad-his grea
cs. gastronomic temptation. The latt
" consideration proved too strong for h
st economy. 4t..
~ "Run along, then, my son, and NAL
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