Rapides gazette. (Alexandria, La.) 1869-187?, 1872-07-20

A young wife sat IL her pleasar
sitting-room one clustering, windy a
ternoon in March, when her raotht
came in, aud finding the room quit
uhcomfortably cool, asked:
"Cannot You keep warm to-day r
"No, mamma; and l have don
nothing all day but put wood in tn
stove! Hark how the blaze roars u,
the chimneyw
But, my dear. why don't you sku
the damper p asked the mother, 81
the same time shutting the little, un
noticed dampcr away at the back O
the stove, almost ont of sight.
In a few moments the atmosphere
in the room was soft and pleasant, and
the noisy blaze was no longer heard
rushing and roaring up the chimney
but remaining in the stove, diffused q
generous warmth throughout the
apartment. y
The young wife also noticed that
the fuel did not need replenishing hall
so often rs it had done before the
damper was shut.
After the mother went away, the
young wife sat thinking how much
comfort the simple action of shutting
the camper had added to her pleasant
room, and a train of thought followed
that led to astonishing results in that
household.
This little incident happened at a
time when business was greatly de-
pressed, and Mary's husband had nj
ready suffered several severe losses.
She remembered the anxious ex-
preston that had of late banished the
old-time smile from his handsome
face, and asked herself: Are there
no more hampers that can shutr'
Following up this thought, she dis
covered many fiues in the domestic
stove that were continually drawing
the blaze up the chimney Of expendi
lures, which, like the stove in the SIT
ting-room, only required the simple
turning Of damper to shut off con-
tinual waste. -
When the husband returned that
erening he noticed the happy smile
upon the face he loved so we'll, and
asked:
"What have you been doing to-day,
Mary, that you should look so exceed.
lngly happyi"
A little shadow fitted over his
lace as he added:
~ suppose you have been complet
ng the arrangements of your grand
party"
mo, darling" she replied. "I1
have been all over the house shutting
he dampefs.1
The husband was unable to under.
stand her, unit. she drew her diary
rom her writing desk, and opening it,
gave it to him to read.
Mother was here this afternoon,
Ind finding the room uncomfortable, |
Willie the blaze was roaring up the
'himney, asked me Why didn't shut |
he damper.
" have been turning hampers ever
lnce, and this is the result:
Damper No. One.-Shut off the
Intended reception party, and saved
hree hundred dollars.
Damper No. Two.-Shut off the |
Brussels carpet for the parlor, and |
substituted ingram, saving one hun.
red dollars.
Damper No. Three.-Shut off the
xtra expense Of keeping chamber
maid, and, by doing the chamberwork
myself, save three dollars and fifty |
ents week, and a girls board, as |
ong as live.
Camper No. Four.-Shut off the
ew velvet cloak, and dress to match, |
aving three hundred and seventy-five
Ollars.1 ~ ~
And you may add my choice
zines and cigars to Your list of dam.
ers already turne1.r exclaimed the /
usband, smiling gratefully upon the
Apply little woman, who had added
Q mncL to his domestic happiness BY
ne feeling OF help and security her
enerous, womanly plan of turning
ne hampers had given him.
And they managed to outride the
TORN by carefully shutting all. the