Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1877-11-21
sARA's SHAWL.

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Jonas Pray was born stingy. He hid
his sweetmeats from his little brothers
when he was child, and smoked his ci-
gars alone when young man. By the
time he was forty he was very rich
man, though he lived as plainly as ever;
and somehow, about that age. the first
tender feelings he had ever known crept
/ into his heart. He fell in love with a
buxotn, good.natured young woman
named Sara Woolwich and offered him.
/ self to her. He was not an Unlocking
man, and, when he choose could make
himself agreeable. Sara liked him and
accepted him. - 81 r. J11 ( ( =
Jonas meant to be liberal to her at
| first ; but after brief honeymoon Of
happiness The old habits resumed their
sway. At last, the second winter of
| their. marriage life coming on, Sara found
that all her remarks about her shabby
summer hat had no effect whatever,
and that she might wall a long while
without having such a thing as COM
Portable cloak suggested to her. She
had been a poor girl, had no trousseau
Itospeak ogand she found it necessary to
put her pride in her-.pocket, and ask for
what she needed. It was enough for a.
| wife do that; but to be refused was
| something she had not calculated on.
/ She knew that her husband had large
bank account-that there was no reason
why she should not dress as well as any
| lady in the land ;but when she said plain
fully, Jonas, shall buy myself some
winter things to-day? [ need shawl
dreadfully - he answered Il thought
you were too sensible woman to run
after the fashions, Sara. I'm sure you
have very decent things, that YOU might
wear long time YETI
+ That shows how much men know
sara answered, determined to be pleas
ant and not to show that she was hurt.
~ GU would not like your wife to look
shabby, Jonas ?"
well, no." said Jonas no; but
really Sara, money is so scarce just
now. Don't YOU think you might make
what you have DO Little longer:n
How mucl, iongers'' she asked, |
quietly.
''Oh, don't know" said Jonas.
II had an aunt-who left me. some
thing when she died-who wore the
same shawl and bonnet sixteen years,
and boosted of it too"
His wife looked at him and said moth
ing.
Economy is great thing, Sara,"
said Jonas, uneasily. st would be
dreadful to die in the poorhouse, you
know. And you don't care for other
peoples admiration, do you, Sara when
your Jonas likes you just as we'll in
your well-saved clothes We won't
call them shabby, Sarah, only well
saved"
''Call them what you please, jonas
they merit both epithets."
She sat quietly, with her hands folded
on the table before her, for while. Her
temper was rising fast, but she had sense
enough to crush it down. .. 81
A miser is the victim Of vice that
mas tiers him, jus. as the drunkard is.
Jonas was ashamed of himself even as
he spoke. and she knew it. AS she
looked at him little while, grief came
instead ofanyeg. There was so much
that was good about Jonas. It was ter
rible to see this canker creeping over it
ALTO see the pinched lines about his
nouth-the strange, anxious look in his
eyes. Poor Sara remembered stories
she had read of misers show they starry
cd themselves while they counted their
| gold how some Of them died in the
da TX to save candles-and how through
long illness, enc Of the wealthlest Of
these men refused to have pillow
brought to him, Or even a little saucer
pan in which to eat his porridge. Would
Jonas grow to be as bad as these 2?
How could she tell z Once Or twice he
had found fault with the amount used,
and moaned over his butchers bill.
But men generally did something of
that sort, she had heard, and knew
nothing about dress. She rose softly,
went out Of the room, and brought back
her shawl and bonnet and put them be-
fore him on the table. @ A
Jonas, DEAR she said, Il don't
want to be unreasonable. Look at
these See how they are They were
nice when we were married ; but they
were cheap, very cheap. Cheap things
fade so Ihaye made everything l had
do for two years. do not like TO ask
for clothes. Ysu know you gave me
twopai Of gloves in our honeymoon, 1
have them STILL" w FEsB
What good, careful girl !" said
Jonas caressing her black hair, as she
came and sat on a low stool beside
him. --
Yes. / have been careful-it is my
nature to be careful" said Sara. Few
rich mems wives would have done so
much. Now. look at these things, my
dear"
! Jonas looked. There came time af-
terward when it seemed to him that the
faded tint of the shawl, its dingy palm
leaves of yellow-brown, and the wilted
flowers and shabby ribbon of the bon
net had been scared into his brain. He
looked at them long and lingeringly.