Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1875-10-21
StltfttD Storp.
The Wife's Revenge.

u Atle reason WHY hou ulItl oFutT some
Exclaimed Edward Lester. as he entered
his pleasant heme in the suburbs OF Boston.
You know, Maria am very fond OF hem.
and you are determined to punish me Ia
SOME way If you can"
Punish Won Edward? What do YOU
talk so for;' returned the wife. a sweet
| little woman fan of beauty aud grace.
iou know like them very much" adj
/ ded the peruent husband.
But they taste too strongly OF the mon
ey."
Come, come. Maria. no more Of poor
! Richards SAWS. avn heartily sick OF
/ them"
You would have me pay sixty cent. a
box for strawberries. would your"
why noi:''
"lt il too much.''
NO II isn't
You canrot afford it,
Yes. can. Isn't my salary fifteen
/ hundred year;''
! Il do not think strawberries at sixty
I cents box, are very profitable" re-
piled the pretty wife with pleasant smile
Edward Lester did not deserve such =
beautiful. sweet tempered wife as Maria.
But in spite OF his petulent manner, he
was really an excellent fellow, and loved
| the pretty little woman with all his soul
Z tuDugu IL Is true ne nSu very singular
manner OF showing #. He deserved a
/ thrashing for his hasty words. yet as he
! eventually learned better. IL Is not worth
while 10 dwell too long upon the dark side
4 OF his character.
The nr>t year alter his marriage he had
boarded, but desiring to have the comforts
OF home in all their purity, the young
couple had decided 10 20 t" housekeep-
/ ing.
! Edward would have hired large house
al a rent of four hundred dollars a year II
1 his wife had not persisted that such n
/ dwelling would wear her life out. He then
Y lett the matter entirely 10 her, and she
/ found nice little cottage. seven miles
I from the city. at II rent OF one hundred and
/ ffty. The husband liked II very we'll and
Maria furnished II in a very plain but neat
/ style.
4 They were nj home now, and for a time
the novelty OF the thing kept Edward In
/ excellent humor. But he was a reckless
/ fellow and had no idea Whatever Of the val
/ ne OF money. He always spent all his sal
/ AIRY and sometimes more.
| Edward was out of humor because he
! had no strawberries, and when he SAT- down
/ 10 the table the tea was too weak, the
| bread tasted of saleratus, and the butter
was strong. He snarled then at Bridget
! she did not yield to the impulse OF the mo-
ment and get out of temper. She kept
smiling. however cutting and severe the
| criticism OF her husband.
! After tea he was a little more Modified,
/ tor there seemed 10 be nothing more to
| :rumble at, and even condescended 10
smile.
"Edward.I want ffty dollars tomorrow, -
said Maria.
This was rather 4 remarkable request
( for the careful little woman 10 make, for
she was very pruden. in regard TO her p-i-
/ vate expenses.
Certainly, Msria." replied Edward
Il hope you are going 10 buy new
silk"
Il am
He handed her the money, aud hoped
she would dress herself great deal better
than before. for couldn't he afford il:
Il am going 10 spend as much money as
\ ] can she replied.
That is right. Maria. do added the
reckless husband. And Edward soon had
reason 10 repent this advice, for Maria now
seemed 70 spend all her spare time in ask
ing for money. He was too reckless too
magnanimous to deny her or TO suggest
that she was exceeding the bounds Of rea-
| son.
cue W as lltINlltsS III utT
him, and TO supply her demands. for he
had not the courage TO refuse her modest
request, he was obliged to curtail his own
| private expenses. On several occasions
he had been obliged to borrow money to
meet her acquisitions upon his purse; and
| being an honest man, he had 10 cut of
lu1uries in order TO pay this loan.
What had got into Maria? She was ex-
trsyagant, and yet she did not seem TO be
dressed much better or his house to be
supplied with many additional luxuries.-
But he was too proud to complain. He did
hint but she did not take hint.
A year passed by and there was no i'm
proyement in the reckless woman. For
tuuately for him. his salary was raised to
two thousand. but it was scarcely done be-
fore Maria demanded a hfty-dollar bill.
You spend more money than you used
to spend. Maria
What is the use for Inc to pinch my
self II you spend all you can get?' smiled
Maria, SO sweetly he could not say another
word Il want 10 have the good Of the
money while it is going as well as you"
Edward had some doubts as to the con-
sequences. but what puzzled him most
was to know what became Of the money.
Another year passed by. and the danger OF
running in debt stared him In the face.
| Mafia. we are living TOO last. am
afraid" ;" he observed in melancholy tone.
81 am afraid we are. for yesterday you
brought home pair OF chickens for which
you paid twenty cents a pound" replied
Maria. with her usual smile.
Pooh, Maria, l don't mean these little
things. We must have something to eat
and while my salary is two thousand dol
lars year l mean to live WELL"
Great trees from little acorns grow"
Let us stop the bung hole FIRST" con-
tinued Edward warmly. Would you be-
lieve me my dear. that have given you
six hundred dollars year for the last two
yearsir
what is six hundred dollars year for
a ladyf You were reading the other day
that great many ladies in New York spend
two thousand dollars . year for dress
alone. You certainly caunot complain Of
six hundred"
"Oh, no, by no means. do not mean
to complain" replied Edward.
Il knew you didn't. Whatever spend
goes to good cause"
81 suppose SO; but | don't care any
thing about 1t, only that am getting lit
tie short. There IL DR.. Smiths bill, Of six