The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1877-04-26
iSAR4'S SH1WL.

Jonas Pray was born stingy; he hid
his sweetmeats from his little brothers
when he was child, and smoked his
cigars alone when he was young man.
By the time he was 40, Jonas Pray
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 buxom, good-temperedy young
woman named Sara Woolwich, and Of
fered himself to her. He was not an ILL
looking man, and when he chose could
make himself agreeable. Sara liked him
and accepted him.
Jonas meant to be liberal to her at
FIRST, but after brief honeymoon happi-
ness his old habits resumed their way,
and, at last, the second winter of their
married life coming on, Sara found that
all her remarks about her shabby sum-
mer hat had no effect whatever, and that
she might wait a long while without hay
ing such thing as a comfortable cloak
suggested to her. She had been poor
girl, and had no trousseau to speak of,
and she found it necessary to put her
pride in her pocket and ask for what she
needed.
It is hard enough for wife to do that,
but to be refused was something she had
not calculated on
She knew her husband had large
bank account-that there was no reason
she should not dress as well as any lady
in the land. But when she had said,
playfully, "Jonas, shall L buy myself
some winter things to-day? I need a
shawl dreadfully," he had answered, "I
thought you were too sensible woman
to run after the fashions, Sara? I'm
sure you have very decent things that
you might wear a long while yet
''That shows how much men know, -
Sara answered, determined to be pleas
ant and not to show that she was hurt.
"You would not like your wife to look
shabby, Jonas %
swell, no." said Jonas "no; but,
really, Sara, money is so scarce just
now. Don't you think you might make
what you have do a little longer -
"How much longer?" she asked,
quietly.
"Oh, don't know" said Jonas. "I
had an aunt who left me something when
she died. who wore the same shawl and
bonnet sixteen years, and boosted of it,
too ~
His wife looked at linn and said moth
ing.
Economy is a great thing, Sara, -
said Jonas, uneasily. cit would be
dreadful to die in the poor-housc, you
know and you don't care for other
peoples admiration, do you, Sara, when
know your Jonas likes you as well
in your well-saved clothesl We won t
call them shabby Sara, only we'll
saved.
s'Call them what you please, Jonas, >
said Sara. ''They merit both epithets. y
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.
A miser is the victim of a vice that
masters him iust as drunkard is.
Jonas was ashamed of himself even as
he spoke, and she knew it. As she
looked at him a little while grief came
instead of anger. There was so much
that was good about Jonas. 1t was ter
rible to see this canker creeping over it
mouth, the strange, anxious look in his
eyes. Poor Sara remembered stories
she had read of misers; how they starved
themselves while they counted their
gold; how some of them died in the dark
to save candles, and how, through long
illness, one of the wealthiest of these
men refused to have pillow bought fo1
him, or even little saucepan in which
to heat his porridge. Would Jonas grow
to be rs bad as these? How could she
tell !? Once or twice of late he had found
a1sd moaned over his butchers bill But
m. II generally did something of that sort
she had heard; and men knew nothing
about dress. She arose softly and went
! out of the room. AMI brought back hel
bonnet and shawl ana put them on the
table before him.
Jonas, dear" she said, Il don want
You tc think me unreasonable; look al
these, see how shabby they are. They
were nice when we were married, but
they were cheap, very cheap-cheaT
/ things fade SO. [ have made everything
I had do for two years. [ did not like
to ask. have not spent one penny Of
your money for clothes. You know yor
gave me two pairs of gloves in our honey
moon-I have them still"
| "What good, careful girl, saiC