Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1874-08-17

They were only fourteen dollars,
said Dir. Jones.
Mrs. Jones did not respond.
.sAnd so cheap" continued the hus-
band. that I could not resist the temp
tation to buy them"
If his ear did not deceive him. faint
sigh had breathed through the lips of
his wife. He looked earnestly at her.
but her head was bent down, and he was
not able to see distinctly the expression
Of her face
The thermometer of Dir. Jones's feel
ings began to fall. He had anticipated
delightful enthusiasm on the part of
his wife. and was not. therefore, salts
6ed with her quiet expression Of pleas
ese: and the less so when it was plainly
evident that this pleased exterior was
but veil to cover more sober state of
mind.
did you go to Parker's this morn
ing ?'' he inquired, changing the subject.
YES" Mrs. Jones smiled as she look
ed up.
'You found him pleasant enough. 1
presume p
''Of course. He would have sold half
the goods in his store, / believe"
"A very agreeable man.
..Too agreeable for me-" said Mrs
Jones. The fact Is, I have been on the
stool of repentance ever since l came
home I wanted only about ten dollars
worth of dry goods but when the arti-
eles l selected arrived, with the bill. 10,
and behold /. my purchases had reached
the sum of twenty-six dollars =
ssThese storekeepers understand their
customers, replied Mr.. Jones. laughing.
Indeed they do. But | know one
thing; if I'd been dealing for cash, Mr..
Parker's bill would not have exceeded
my limit of ten dollars It is such q
temptation to buy when you don't have
to pay the money right down Excuse
me, Jacob. for saying what now comes
to my lips. Don't take it unkindly, for
it Is not meant so.
And Mrs. Jones looked at her hus-
band almost timidly.
Say on, Mary. | will never take
anything unkindly from you, for l am
sure that nothing you will ever say to
me can spring from a feeling Of unkind-
ness"
I was thinking of that pair of vases.
Jacob"
s.Were you ?''
'sAnd It has just occurred to me that
they have cost more than fourteen dol
lars-perhaps twice that sum"
'.HoW can you make this out p
'.If you had given me ten dollars this
morning, would have limited my pur-
ehases to that sum, Of necessity. Of
course, the vases would not have been
bought. As 1t Is, they have cost, besides
the fourteen dollars you have paid for
them. the difference between ten dollars
and the amount of my credit bill at
Parker's"
Z
s.Rather confused statement Of the
case, Mary, and rather a forced conelu-
sion. !" replied Mr.. Jones' Still l am
ready enough to admit that an error has
occurred. | ought to have given you the
ten dollars you wanted when had it in
my pocket If I had done so. the aspect
Of things would have been changed In
stead Of possessing pair Of handsome
vases, not absolutely needed for home
comfort or happiness, and having a debt
Of twenty-six dollars at Parker's, which
viii have to be paid at the end Of the
year, We would both have enjoyed the
needfuI things you bought, unalloyed BY
the Consciousness that q draft had been
drawn upon the future which it might
be no easier to meet when due than at
present All mel / am afraid | shall
never learn wisdom. Mary"
It always grieved Mrs Jones to see
her husband IN trouble from any cause,
. and, now that she had disturbed the
, cheerful current Of his feelings, she IN
stantIy sought to restore It's peaceful
flow. So she spoke lightly Of what had
occurred, praised the vases, and said
they were just what she wanted
Il will be very economical" " said she,
.'and 50 viii you, dear. In little while
. we can save al the vases cost, and 50
have them without any drawback"
Very ready was Jacob Jones to accept
comfort, particularly from this quarter.
The words ofhis wife were like the suns
; RAYS melting through cloud The hus-
. band was himself again
J But, was he any the wiser for this
little episode Not much, We are sorry
/ to say The shadow had passed from
his spirit TOO quickly to leave eTen .
memory Of It's gloom behind On the
very next day, he spent FIVE dollars in
things superfuous; and even while b
was doing this. his wife. from economic
al considerations, was nusIng over the
! propriety of making her last season
bonnet answer, with some fresh tria-
ming instead Of buying > new one-