Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1870-05-11

to confess 1t, and now and then she trleu 70
console herself by buying something pretty,
so thatSallie need not think she had TO scrimp.
But triAes cost more than ono would imag-
inc and when she cast up her accounts, at
the end Of the month, the sum total rather
scared her. John was busy that month and
left the bills to her the next month he was
absent; but the third he had grand quarter
y settling up, and Meg never forgot it. A
few days before, she had done a dreadful
thing and it weighed upon her conscience
Sallie had been buying silks, and Meg ached
for new one--just a handsome light one for
parties-her black silk was so common, and
thin things for evening wear were only proper
for girls
Aunt March usually gave the sisters a
present Of twenty-five dollars apiece, at New
Year that was only a month 10 wait, aud
here was lovely violet silk going at bar
gain, and she had the money, if she only dared
to take it. John always said that what was
his was hers but would he think it right to
spend not only the prospective five and twen-
| ty, but another five and twenty out Of the
household fund That was the question:
Sallie had urged her to do it, and offered to
loan the money, and with the best intentions
in life, had tempted Meg beyond her strength.
In an evil moment the shopman held up the
lovely shimmering folds, and said " A bar
gain, assure you, maam." She answered,
" I'll take it ;" and it was cut off and paid
for, and Sallie had exulted, and she had
| laughed as if it was thing of no consequence,
and driven away feeling as if she had stolen
something, and the police were after her.
When She got home she tried to assuage
the pangs Of remorse by spreading forth the
lovely silk but it looked less silvery now,
didn't become her, after all, and the words
" fifty dollars" seemed stamped like pattern
down each breadth. She put it away; but it
haunted her, not delightfully."-, as a new dress
should, but dreadfully, like the ghost Of q
/ folly that was not easily laid. When John
got out his books that night, Megs heart
sank and for the first time in her married
life, she was afraid of her husband. The
kind, brown eyes looked as if they could be
stern and though he was unusually merry,
she iancied he had found her out, but didn't
mean to let her know it, The house bills
were all paid, the books all in order. John
then praised her, and then was undoing the
old pocket-book which they called the bank,
when Meg, knowing that it was quite empty,
stopped his hand, saying nervously:
" You haven't seen my private expense
book yet"
John never asked to sec it but she always
insisted on his doing So and used to enjoy
his masculine amazement at the queer things
women wanted, and make his guess what pi-
ping was demanded fercely the meaning of
hug-me-tight or wondered how little thing
composed of three rose-buds, bit of velvet
and pair of strings, could possibly be
bonnet, and cost five or six dollars. That
night he looked as though he would like the
fun Of quizzing her figures and pretending to
be Mortified at her extravaganza, as he often
did, being particularly proud of his prudent
wife.
The little book was brought slowly out, and
laid down before him. Meg got behind his
chair, under pretencc of smoothing the wrin-
kles out of his tired forehead, and standing
there she said, with her panic increasing with
, every word.
, "John, dear, I'm ashamed to show you my
{ book, for I've been dreadfully extravagant
lately 60 about so much | must have
things, you know, and Sallie advised me to
get it, so | did and my New Years money
will partly pay for it, but was sorry after
I'd done 1t, Tor knew you'd think II wrong
in me-"
John laughed, and drew her round beside
him. saving, good.humoredly
Don't 90 and hide, won't beat you if
{ you have got pair of gillink boots Fn
rather proud of my wife's feet and don't
mind if she does pay eight or nine dollars for
her boots, if they are good ones"
That had been one of her last trifies and
, Johns eyes had fallen on it as he spoke.
"Oh, what will he say when he comes to
that awful fifty dollars !" thought Meg, with
a shiver.
" 1t is worse than boots, it's silk Dress"
she said, with the calmness of desperation,
for she wanted the worst over.
"Well, dear, what is the total7' as Mr.
, Mantalini says"
/ That didn't sound like John, and she knew
he was looking up at her with the straight
forward look that she had always been ready
to meet with one as frank, TIL now. She
turned the page and her head at the same
e time, pointing to the SUN that would have
g been bad enough without the hfty, put which
j was appalling 10 her win that ADDED. ror
minute the room was very sum 'nen 'ohn
5 said--Dut sne eouiu ieei IL cost MIN al enor'
J, TO express no displeasure
"elI' 4 uon. Know ,na' nl'y - mnch lor
; dress with all the faroeiows ana quinny,
y dlngles you nave to furnish ~ ON these days
q 1t isn't made OF trimmed, s'seea meg,
1 ialntly' ior suduen recoliec'ion oi 1ne COST
''", ~ ~ ,nSucu II of LII sasms oood
i"en,y NV ya '"onan ~ a Rus Ivs | uo
i ueai " WV. ouo IN I"i''' 1n, on. Wod Me-
l e. vID' ny %y VIZ % ,a.s IL On sa;d iobn drvIv
u '"' - Tneu s"o s,S " s,v W., T Tobn hm, osn,,
Auo" 2'I al a.. a 80 80 ,sss,a Ha,,,
Q ie'P - d" i;InH. ~ ,hoso ,;,sIa % ,i;ua. ~.
nou o',} ou. auu a ' nan,t si ros;.. tho .Sem whsr
s Toulu eI up so al sSn 'nsa anS r;,rnO
c sec oalno pu9lns al f.o "an'i' - anu ..a9 p.yf