Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1877-01-26
THE ELECTION.
FROM A DOMESTIC POINT OF VIEW.

I never until this fall realized the deb
we W the press. and | never appreciated
the advantages of living in a country thai
elects it's own rulers. My husband is {
democrat, and my father, who boards witt
US, is a republican. On the 18th of Novem.
Der [ took dowa my last winters cloak
and L couldn't keep back the tears.
That cloak cost $25, but it was short, and
OF course [ couldn't wear 1t this season.
1t didn't seem as ifIcould wear my double
rPaisle shawl all winter, but I thought of
the suffeiings of the poor, our heavy church
depbt, and Of the many obligations Will
lam had to meet the first Of January, and
l concluded | wouldn't say a word about
it. l might be q dowdy, but | would 60
camiv forward-up the church aisle-shp~
ported by the smile of an approving con-
science.
When William came home that night he
said New York had gone for Tilden, and
there was q glow upon his brow and a
light within his eyeI hadn't seen for years.
IL OAoSuAtp WCiS llSIU 10 IL 1CdUIGI, anu
said I civilian what do yon think I
had better Go about a cloak this winter ?
You know they don't wear short cloaks
l suppose you don't feel as if you could af-
ford q new one 2"
"See about it," said William, scraping
the last drop of peach juice from the pres
serve plate. That's a d~readfully5 vulgar
habit, and I've told William so over and
over again, and I do wonder that, being a
genuine, elegant democrat, he will persist
in it.
The next morning when I passed
through the sittingsroom, William sat
shivering over a closed register in his
stocking feet, his hair uncombed, but he.
cried out from the top of his paper, "Dem~
ocratic victories everywhere !" "The
country gone en- masse for Tilden I" I'm.
tense excitement and rejolceiug - We
had Waffles and maple molasses for break
fast, and I made the coffee myself. Will
liam had made one earnest dab at his head
with the hair brush, but had evidently
missed. Father called for toast and said
he had neuralgia pains streaking all down
the left side of his face. William read
soothing morsels from the democratic pas
per, such as Indiana gives Tilden 1O, 1000
majority
What do you think this morning about
my having a new cloak, William /?
"Of course you can have a new cloak,
if you need one. "Full returnsnot yet re-
ceived from Oregon, Nevada, Florida and
Louisiana, but they are u%ndoubtly ours !"
"Um !" said father.
felt a good deal of anxiety about fam.
lily prayer. William isn't a professor. Fa-
the leads devotions. and [ was afraid he
would be too supplicatory, but he prayed
mostly for the heather, Jews, and such
like, but didn't refer to the democrats,
and only once-just after the heathen-
alluded to our suffering country.
When William came home to dinner, he
said returns Of Democratic majorities were
pouring in from all quarters, and said L:
civilian, I've been thinking the matter
over, and L do believe it would be the best
economy to buy a fur cloak. Everybody
is wearing fur. It might cost more at
first, but it would be cheapest in the end :;
fur is so durable"
elbow much will it cost ?"
"Mrs. Col. fuckers sealskin sacque was
! 5000 last winter, but I don't feel as if in
our circumstances we can afford that.
Furs are cheaper than last fall, and I think
l could get a good, desirable article, not SO
rich as ONE but still good enough foc peo-
pie in our circumstances for $780,
"U11" said father.
William had taken out a blank check and
was rejecting, when in whisked the presi>
dent Of the Democratic club, and said
Florida and South Carolina had gon e for
Tilden, and William was wanted down to
the club room to see about the illumina-
ton. He filled out the check, and [ went
Immediately down street and selected the
| cloak.
That evening a shade Of anxiety, a
scarcely perceptible tinge Of melancholy,
had settled on Williams countenance,
while fathers neuralgia was better. Will
liam asked if [ had done anything about
my cloak, and if [ hadn't he should sug-
gest waiting awhile, furs might be cheaper.
He said when I asked him about it, the il
Elimination had been postponed.
The next morning I heard the boys in
the street screaming that Hayes was elects
ed, and when l went down father was sits
/ 4ios on Tho frout cfoirc .oootJo,. ,-J Ill
his vest on one shoulder, while William
balanced himself on the edge OF the hat
stand. Both patriots were stocking -foots
ed. They had just taken in the morning
papers. Very little conversation was made
at the. breakfast table, but father was x
tremely polite to William, and said he did
not know when he had eaten buckwheat
cakes that tasted so much as they did when
he was a boy.
At noon William didn't stay to desert,
but father, having eaten mis- own pudding,
drew Williams untasted plate to himself.
The tears were yelling to my eyes, and
and father kindly inquired why 1 wept.
1--WE been thinking my old hat fixed over
won't look at all suitable with my new
cloak, but William is SO blue I can't bear
to ask him for more money"
"Mercy on mel" said father, "don't CRY
over a bonnet. Go down and g ct what
you want, and bring the bill to. me-"
My hat was to be of sealsbrown. s.sTwo
.eathers or three ?" asked the milliner, 7
thought Of the hundreds out of employs
ment, of the restitution and want the
winter would behold, Of the vanity and
pride of dress, but while I hesitated a
newsboy just out with the afternoon papers
yelled "Florida and Louisiana both sure