Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1875-02-27
THE GREAT BAZAAR.

They were going to have bazaar in
town. There was good deal of distress
among the poor, for the panic came, and
hard times came, and the manufacturers
failed, and those who did not reduced
their working force, and a great many
operatives were out of employ, and were
wanting help. Economy and retrench-
ment were the order of the day. The
ladies, some of them, did their own
sewing. Some did with but one servant;
some did without any. They kept their
daughters out of school to retrench
school expenses, and the academy dis
missed one teacher, young lady with
an invalid mother. The ladies who kept
house managed very closely indeed, and
deserved much credit. Mrs. Millyun
concluded not to buy the ten-dollar silk
she longed for, and took one for four.
Even more, she got friend to smuggle
it from Europe, and it cost even less.
Everybody said, "What a good ex-
ample of economy Mrs. Millyun sets us
There it is not at all necessary, only it
makes it easier for us who are obliged to
do it"
But Mrs. Jones, the dressmaker,
missed the patronage of Mrs. Millyun,
and thought that her work, which had
always been good enough before, was
good enough now. But there was no
use to employ SO many hands if she were
not going to have the best custom, and
all of it too. So two of her sewing girls
were paid off weeks before the usual
dull season; and even then it was not
easy, with her sick husband and lame
little boy, to bring her profits up to the
expense point, let alone saving any
thing.
Then Judge Rochester set an example
of economy. His barn needed repairs;
but, although material was low and labor
plenty, it was no time to have extra ex-
penses; so he let it go. So poor Duff
tales little boy had no overcoat, and
staid out of school. 1t soon became
obvious that something would have to
be done for the poor to keep the wolf
from their doors, and "the bazaar" was
the talk of everybody. The tender
glow of benevolence pervaded society.
Judge Rochester gave fifty dollars, with
warm feeling round his heart that did
him credit. Mrs. Millyun gave hundred
toward paying expenses of getting it up;
and so on through society.
The young ladies worked early and
late over fancy work and the pretty cos
tunes in which they were to appear al
the bazaar. The wisest economy was
practiced. Everybody did everything
herself that could be done by unpro
fessional hands; and when necessity call
ed in skilled labor, it was always expected
that handsome deduction should bt
made, as it was charity" Sometimes
the employees grumbled, but dared not tc
offend rich patrons; and SO they did it
+. even though grudgingly.
"What blessed thing it is" sale
Mrs. George Allen, her fine eyessuffuset
with moisture, +" that we are getting OF
so well with the bazaar! Everybod,
seems SO willing. Thus Mrs. johnson
finds time to help lis, even with her sever
children; and Mrs. Trilobite has lent u
her grandmothers brocade for on
Marie Antoinette'; and Mrs. Millyul
has given SO much to bear out expenses
We shall not be obliged to hire anythin
done scarcely" |"
"Humph - said Miss Mary Bryant
who was Mrs. George Aliens single sis
ter, and had five thousand year OF he
OWE, and no questions asked. "Wh
makes the coffee this year," she asked
"Oh, we are going to do that oul
selves. Mrs. O'Lay asked us two dollar
night, and we are going to save that
and Mrs. Brown said she would do it,"
"I'll see to the coffee, remarked Mis-
Mary Bryant, dryly.
n" What you make coffee! What di
you say about cooking yesterdays
"Not at all. I'm going to pay MOI
OLny two dollars night for coffee an
frying oysters. Her husband is out
work, and she has six children. For IL
four nights of the bazaar it will be qui
lift, and she will come Sin at the deaf
and help clear up"
Well, of course, if you pay out
your own pocket, it is nobody's bus
ness, but the relief society won't pay nj
bills"
Generally speaking, pay my own