The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1875-01-28
The Campaign Of the Cali.
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BY HARRIET PRESCOTT sPoFFORD.
] suppose we are one of the most
economical families that ever lived
in theory. But when it comes to exc
cutiOn-Yell, that ISN'T altogether our
fault; for If we mean to do right, yet
find ourselves unable, nature would
Y seem to bear a share OF the response
. bility. Isn't there poet who bids us
hope
"Thst some slight good is also wrought
Beyond selfsatisfaction,
When we are simply good in thought,
Howe'er we fail IN action 2"
However, it isn't merely a matter
of goodness, but of necessity, with US,
for we have only just O'mueh money,
and money is one of the things that
> won't stretch, and can't be pieced
out (; and if we spend too freely here,
we must go without there, and that's
all about it.
Well, we always agree that the
/ place for real economy is in our
clothes. To save at the table, we are
sure, is the worst economy, for il only
makes poor flesh and blood, and poor
flesh and blood make a score of hills
for journeys and medicines and dain-
ties, and so there is nothing gained
after all.
And we don't believe much in
economizing in our pleasures, in our
concerts and lectures and drives, be-
cause they secure mental health and
keep up the spirits, and make it easier
to do without the other things and
what in the world should we live for
if we just passed dull round, with no
pleasures to hope for or remember ?
So we are always of one mind, you
see, about the merit of an inexpensive
wardrobe = we ell believe in having
everything we want, but in not want
ing any thing that costs too much !!
And it is in this view of the subject
that every fall Aunt Mst-she is our
guardian-and Aunt Lucy begin the
campaign of the calico.
1t is just, I say, as the Indian sum-
mer weather comes on that Aunt Mat
says 'Who is going down town to-
day 4? Are you, Ilda ?" Ida is named
for Aunt Mat, and her sponsor, Ida
declares, seems to think she was born
for the express purpose of running her
errands. 81 want" says Aunt Mat,
"sOme specimens of ca.icOes."
"0h, Aunt Mat :" cries Ida, impa-
tiently, ''is it the calico again ? Is it
really time ?'
"Why, certainly it is p' cries Aunt
Lucy, with her usual explosive en-
phasis.
SIT is close upon cold weather now"
continued Aunt Mat. And 1 always
have a new dress to go about the
house in mornings, and / had better
begin at once"
"And so must l." CALCULATES Aunt
Lucy.
81 do despise a calico,n says Ida,
with a shrug.
"I don't know 7Fhy, my dear" an
swers Aunt Mat. ''It is the most USE
ful dress in the world. 1t washes so,
you know. And a person can't be
rinsing out the breakfast cups and
cleaning the ornaments, attending to
plants and wiping books and going
about mornings when the cOal-duts
of the fires is flying, in a dress that
won't wash. On yes, indeed, there is
no such economy IN anything as there
is in a Calico"
Certainly p' explodes Aunt Lucy
| again. ave have always had cali
Goes since time began, and Il for one
shall never give in to the new tangled
notion that a calico is contemplate.
A calico is good enough for me ~
"BUt there's no warmth in a cali
co." observe.
mo" says Ida; "it's as cold as
shroud."
''Ilda ~ explOdes Aunt Lucy, snap
ping her shears together, like Atropos.
"Ilda :" cries Aunt Mat.
"Well, find me anything COLDER"
fYoU find me some pretty patterns"
says Aunt Mat. Then, laughing at
Ida's saucy face, Something dark
but cheerful, stout and fine"
Ozark but cheerful" repeats Ida,
''stOut and fine ; that is to say, black
but white, thick but thin. Ill do nay
best" And Ida looked at me and
laughed-we had been through too
many campaigns of the calico not to
know how they usually turned out
for Aunt Mats ideal of calico was
simply an impossibility.
81 don't want any thing, YOU know,
with a border" said Aunt. Mat, re-
flectively, as Ida put the dagger
through her hat preparatory to going.
''I hate pretenses. l don't make be-
lieve my cslicO's cashmere"
'iPm sure think border is . nee
essary finish," said one of US.
81 can finish it soon enough my
self" answered Aunt Mat, "and bor-
der only makes it look like patchwork.
No, don't want 8 border at all. Look
at Bridget's with a border like two
rows of lace round the skirt I
shouldn't trim a calico with lace If I
was as rich as Croesus.n
mo border w said Aunt Lucy, Bit
ing her thread.
"Wel, tell me exactly what you do
want, them" said the shopper.
81 want a dozen patterns warm
and bright-loOking, and not easily soil
ed. Something neat"
81 know. Dirt-color, to hide the
dirt."e
"pm ashamed of you Ida :" explod-
ed Aunt Lucy agGin. "YOu are shock
ing I'
PPM ashamed of getting a perfect
bedquilt of patterns, and then, ten to
one, never buying any," said Ida, still
coquetting with her hat and hair be-
fore the glass. "Anybody'd suppose l
was just going round and begging
rags for the rag-bag.n
Now the rsg-bag was Aunt Lucy's
especial perquisite. She was always
telling us that penny saved was
penny earned, as she emptied the var
ious receptacles for rags all oyer the
house and she was always quarrel
ing with the ragman and vowing he
gave her poor weight, while he de-
clared she wouldn't be satisfied even
il he let her wet the rags. And after
her sales she was always showing US
the bit Of money the rags brought in
always q very dirty rag itself-and
laying out that money to such an eX-
tent that, like Pharaoh's kline, it seem.
ed to eat up all the rest of the income.
So this was an especial insult.
/ "YOu needn't get any patterns at
: all for me-" cried Aunt Lucy, in
wrath, and withdrawing her forces
from the campaign.
al shall" returned Ida.
) 81 shan't look at them il you DO,
and l shan't take them on any ac-
count"
81 don't believe you can resist, {"
says Ida, gayly, ''if 1 bring up a
{ bright blue check with q yellow dot in
it, or a scarlet ground with a green
palm leaf"
Don't you bring up any patterns
lOE Luc, cde-
! ''Ob, LueyD expostulated Aunt Mat.
''I don't care. 1 never had any
opinion of her taste, and 1 wouldn't
trust it now to buy duster. After all
pve done for the little mink And
you can tell Lawrence Frink I said
so !' cried Aunt Lucy, snger burning
up her laehrymose inclination. Talk
Of taste, aud being willing TO wear
such a name as Frink r'
"I lever said was willing TO wear
it." returned IlGa. "a persons
dOwn-trodden wOman-can't say she's
willing till she's asked"
II don't suppose it's possible" said
/ Aunt Lucy, "that you'd like to 90 the
asking yOurselfo
'You give me credit, ma'aD." said
Ida, sweeping her courtesy. And it
was in this amiable fashion that we
usually began the campaign of the