Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1875-11-17
What Aunt Sally Thought.

" Uncle Sam, think you are too hard
upon the women-kind" said Aunt Sally, and
she pursed up her lips and gave her head a
sagacious little nod, which always meant
that she was in earnest, and had something
to say.
Now, though Aunt Sally sat by the fire
side Of an ordinary little country home, sur
rounded by the plainest Of furniture, und
the painest accessories Of domestic life, she
had seen something Of the world. On the
contrary, Uncle Sam had been welded TO the
village Of Lansel for nearly sixty years, and
it takes such people, mainly, to prate on the
extravaganza of the times.
lie had been reading about the wedding
Of the daughter Of a great man, and at the
close, holding up his hands in holy horror,
he launched out on the extravagance OF
women, and Of city girls in particular, till
Aunt Sally's ire was raised. And when she
does suspend her knitting, and rests on her
needles, something has got 10 be said.
"If Miss Smiths wedding dress cost ten
thousand dollars or twenty" said Aunt
Sally, slowly what's that to us She's
rich mans darter, and we naturally look for
an outlay when such people are married
OF course, girls didn't do so in your day"
"Their trusses. if that's what you call it,
consisted Of cartloads of spun goods, and
the weddiu' dress was expected to outlast
them, aud 20 down for best dress TO mum
berless grandchildren.
"Then was the times when manufactur-
ers were honest, aud didn't give shoddy for
silk and don't think, Samuel, you ought
to blame the girls so much. Why, I've got
my grandmother's quilted silk petticoat TO-
day and it would take pretty lively sew
ing machine TO come up with the hand
stitching that's done on that piece Of work.
I've got part of dress that had one hundred
and twenty rows of rufles on it, counting in
the sleeves. and don't believe any fashion
able dressmaker OF to-day can beat that
But that isn't what | was going 10 say.
know something OF the world, and young
girls, and don't believe there's great deal
more extravaganza now than there ever was.
In my opinion, many girl who looks as if
she had hundred dollars on her back, hasn't
got twenty.
" If YOU knew how girls cut and contrive
to look so nice, two-thirds Of 'em, you wouldn't
say so much. Why, look at sister Milly's
children There's three of 'em; and then
look at your brother Jacobs family son
and one daughter
Jacob makes fortin' every year, guess,
and Milly's husband gets a salary of two thou
sand, which amt much, you'll allow, for
New York. Now Milly's girls, three of 'em,
look Jest as nice and fashionable as Jacobs
daughter, who spends mint Of money on her
clothes.
Ii beats all, what girls viii do to be in
the fashion, and what genius some folks
has for dressing. Those three girls make all
their own dresses aud they'll alter an old one
80 that you'd think it was new Why,
have seen dresses that have had six years
service come out with all the modern inn
provements, under the hands Of such girls,
and bonnets that looked worth twenty-five
dollars, that didn't cost fivel
"The fact is, the girls put in their wits in
stead Of money and do think it's too bad
to blame 'em when they make themselves
look so nice and pretty.
"Why don't you say something about the
Young men ? Who ever heard of their max
ing old coats overY And yet, some of EN-
have enough suits 10 make one pity their
tailor.
"The fact is. Samuel, it's the men who
spend the money. Women don't play bill
lizards on their slim little purses, nor smoke
expensive cigars. nor drink at fashionable
bars, nor 20 to the theatre six nights out of
seven, nor spend thirty dollars week on a
twenty-dollar salary.
They don't rob the till, or forge the
names Of their employers, or cheat poor
widows by selling them worthless stock, or
forget to pay their washerwoman.
at comes natural to them to cut and con
trive, to brighten up silks, to color ribbons,
to mend aces, TO bleach muslin, TO make a
little 90 a great ways and because they do
that, and come out looking fresh and tasty
and pretty, YOU men talk about their extrav-
aganoe, The fact is, you don't know any
thing about it II
Uncle Samuel looked wise but | noticed
he didn't say anything more and that when
he took out his paper of " fine cut, he went
across the room to put it in his mouth, and
that he carried his ancient black pipe with
him for a walk, instead of smoking it in the
chimney corner, as is his wont.
No one can accuse poor old Uncle Sam
uel of extravaganza, to be sure but then
think Aunt Sally's remarks were good In
the main, and I'd rather see little ex,
travagance in dress, than in such things as
billiards and cards and drink and tobacco
- Youths Companion