Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1875-09-25
ECONOMY IN THE HOUSEHOLD.

Mrs. McGochen beamed blandly acros
'sthe breakfast table on her husband, an,
informed him that she had conclude,
to discharge the hired girl and do he
own work. The announcement startled
Mr.. McGoochen almost as much as !;
she had declared her determination. tt
commit suicide. He had long knowr
that hired help was heavy drain upon
his neagre salary, but his vito had cd
uoated him to regard it as indispen.
sable, and he had made up his mind tc
endure it forever. That she should
voluntarily offer to dispense with the
services of girl was something fo,
which he was not prepared. Looking
at her with an expression in which hone
and doubt were painfully mingled, he
said; ry .,.'.
"You-why-=you can't do it Elizay'
" Can't do it, indeed! I'd like 10
know what's the reason? Lots of wo-
men in this town do q great deal more
and think nothing of it. Our family's
small--just you end me and Henry
Ward-and If I can't do the work for
us three, I'd better go to the hospital
and done with it," ..
-" What put you into the notion p
asked her husband, hardly yet recover
ing from the surprisel fstu ....
"Well Peter,' she replied, speaking
in tender, self-reproving tone, GIVE
been thinking lately how hard you have
to work and how little L have done to
assist you in comparison with what L
might and ought to do, and it appears
to me that I should try to reduce our
expenses as much as possible, and the
best way ] know of is to do my own
house-work. We arc poor, just max
ing a beginning in life, and it is my
duty to help you, aa a s,.rF he
With voice almost choked with
emotion at this unexpected evidence of
his wife's devotion and energy, he fee
bly, essayed to break her resolution,
saying that he didn't want her to be a
slave for him; that she was too delicate
for the task she contemplated; that all
he asked OF her was continued love and
sympathy. -s-.-,.
Oh that's all romance" interrupted
Mrs. McGoochen. Its high time my
love and sympathy were assuming a a
practical forna- T,ii discharge the, Girl
this b very day. But there is one con-
dition, Peter" ...,.s. 4.s..., b., a.
Name it, my noble wife"
That new carpet you thought you
were unable to get. Now, if / do my
own work it will save at least hund-
red dollars year, and you can certain
ly afford the carpet" r} ..-..,.-
COZ course, my love, if you are salts
fed you are not undertaking more than
you can perform. sw -. .s
She was satisfied and so it was settled.
Mack tug9ed the carpet home atnoon,
and found the girl gone. His wife was
gone too, butshe returned shortly, hay-
ing only been around telling the neigh
bors that she was doing her own work.
Dinner was late, but then it was the
first meal by her fair fingers, and he
could make allowance for the novelty of
the position in which she found her.
self placed. s. a,,.q, gl.a t.a;+a
Acting on her suggestion, Mack
brought home anewroeking chair when
he came to supper. They were saving
a hundred dollars a year and could well
afford such little things. Whenhis wife
returned from her visit to the rest Of
the neighbors, whom she had been in
forming that she was now doing her
own work, she was delighted with the
now chair, and declared they must
have a new set of furniture to match it.
Z" You know, Peter that I will more
than save the cost of it in the course of
q year, and feel so proud to know that
my labor secured it, This was said so
beseechingly, she hung SO lovingly on
his neck the while, that Mack could not
resist the appeal. The furniture was
sent down the next day. -sr
About three days after Mrs. Nc
Goochen coaxed Peter in buying hel
a silk dress, and the next day she
wheedled him out of a set of jewelry
It was an the same old plea, ,--she was
tightening the expenses SO much by do,
ing her own work that she was entitled
to something extra. 1t would amount
to no more, she reasoned, than the hire
of girl, and Peter could well afford tc
give it to her. so sa.+ z.< ~ ts..
Mack began to, get uneasy. Was
there, after all, any saving in doing
without hired girl? Wouldn't tina
sort of economy bankrupt him in les
than year? He got piece of pape
and pencil and figured: se
Expenses one week without help:
Carpet ...................1....s.. so 90
Eurnlture -..--,.,..',.. -..'...s'-.t.ts ~
Dress ana 1eweiry......... ....'......' oVW
r..., 5e+ s ....s s,. ,s,scm
Cost Of help one week. ......:....... 200
In favor Of q domestic .............. $l4s 90
McGoochen was astounded. Grasp
ing the paper and his hat he mad
rapid strides for home Opening tn
door the first object that met his frer
zied gaze was the hired girl!
AZ General Sherman can commau
-, IL L. l~..,n x-ntxa r