The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1878-02-14
A HOME VIEW OF REINFORCEMENT.

HOW THE WIFE OF A COUNTRY MEMBER
OF THE LEGISLATURE WRITES TO HER
HUSBAND.
From the Harrison burg Commonwealth
January oath, 1878.
My DEAR HUSBAND Although | am
very busy, the weeks intending and darhins
not half done, must take time to write to
you, and do so with great anxiety What
:. toesit mean p Tcllme.sniy dear hasband,
and tell me quick, what does 1t mean, all
this see in the papers about reduction OF
your salarys 1t has 1brolenImy rest ii
has taken away my appetite !it has made
me miserable ! Do let me know the worst
at once. If we are to be reduced any lower
Tlltry to, bearsit. Iidil intend to buy a
myrtlegreen silk in q week or two my, old
brown one won't hold together much long
er, and I've made, it over twice anyhow
and Marie Isabel is really suffering for a
pair of bracelets, and | had thought I'd get
them. did expect to spend ten days or SO
at Springs this summer. Mrs. Cpl
onel Smith and Mrs. Captain Jones are both
going, and you know that stuck-np Mrs. Ma
ior Brown was tliere'two weeks last year. II
will be terrible disappointment to HE if l
can't go. | did want to have sister Sarah
Jane and her children and Ma and Aunt
. Magsz t0Speadtge qrTtlrse months with
me, and had set my heart on new car
pet for the parlor. But its all over now. |
= supposesI'll have stouetrenciH expense and
- re adjust the old red carpet. Dear, me
I've been retreilcling all mysdays. 'andl IN
tired of it. / thought when you was elect
ed to the Legislature that we were begin
ming to look up little, but can't see what
good its going to do us if this horrid bill
passes. If your pay is to be cut down.
some Of your old clothes must be cut up for
the boys at once, and those old socks you
left here must all be darned all over again
and sent to YOU in Richmond. wish we
had back the old boots you gave away be-
fore the election. and that gray coat and
the nat, Hheys would. DO for hhe' boys
sometime. However, suppose people must
make some sacrifices for the good OF the
State Shall | send you that old, white
satin vest Its pretty tight for you now
and | had saved it to make the baby cap,
but sou may need it to wear to the guber-
material dinners. | see he invites patches
of you 10 dine, and you can't afford to get Il
new one if this forrid bill passes. Hadn't
You better leave the hotel where you are
now and go to some cheaper place? I've
read of soup houses IN the cities, where you
can live on ten cents day. Don't they
have them in Richmond? Ireallyithink they
ought to be established for the benefit of the
Legislators those noble men who make
such sacrifices for the dear people. Couldn't
you pay the soup-house man in coupons !?
they are SO cheap you know. Soup is real
ly very nourishing too. Had you not better
retrench your washing bill little, by buy
ing big black scarf, such as good many
1.-THE gentlemen here wear, and wearing
Shirt, as long as possible, say about ten days,
orsometliing like that Ana don't bly, any
more linen collars and cuffs. ! think the
State might furnish her public servants with
paper ones, under the head of stationery.
Hadn't you better give up the use of to-
bacco altogether. and chew your tooth pick
after dinner, in the interests of economy,
ana like philosopher determined to dohis
dizzy? And, fortnercy's sake = don't smoke
any more cigars, as | see they are going to
put the bell punch on them too l thought
that bell punch was going to pay the State
debt, any how, so what's the use of this
horrid bill?
/, And them too, the ,winter has been and is
now SO pleasant and balmy couldn't yon all
sleep in the Capitol square Ats a lovely
place, with that big statue of Washington,
and surely the police will not modest the re-
pose Of such self-sacrilicing patriots. Then
St3ieI Father cot his lC6dntry, sAs &c Eka5ed
down from the monument and recalled the
sllierings of his followers at Trenton and
Valley Forge, might envy. the heroic devo-
ton Of our modern law givers.
Some of these retrenchments may be a
little lnconyenient, but l suppose you are
asterMine4 that the al,elerlt Ipon9fs of tYir-
ginia must and shall be preserved. | trust
you will not take cold, and I'rc heard that
providence tempers the wind to the shorn
Sheep or something like that's s,a,ss.p
may be mistaken, but it does seem to
me I've heard that members have been
known ts receive a consideration, or some
thing of the sort, for their votes. Perhaps
you could thrnsan honest pehhy Biatssw4y,
or is that sort of thing entirely oat of date
But whatever you may be induced to do for
the welfare Of the State, don't let them pay
you in coupons. .,ss
I read in the papers some time ago that
some distinguished public man, sgieatS fl
nancier, | suppose, said that if all the peo-
pie in Virginia who went to the Centennial
had stayed at home, the money spent that
way would have helped considerably in
paying the debtor was 1t the interest: If
all you public men think and talk that
way, your families will have to stay at
home all the time. I'll never get to The
Springs, and I'll never get that silk dress,
and suppose We'll have to use the old car
pet and give up the bracelets. till that
dreadful debt is paid, believe ting, General
Assembly is to have biennial sessions. Why
don't you amend thatso as to- meet once in
ten years, and save all that expense?
All, me when you were elected and went |
down there to settle this debt question, i |
was delighted. / watched your career, my
dear husband, with the most intense in
terest. Every day borrow the Richmond
papers and read over the ayes and noes to |
see your name in print, and it was with
emotions too deep for utterance that read
,ne day, "Mr. Smithers moved that the
House nowadjourn.' | was so proud and
happy to see you distinguishing yourself,
Ind did hope you would be able to save a
good deal OF money out of your pay-and
now-Oh, this abominable bill ! 1t seems
o me that s'the assembled wisdom of Vir-
siaia" in. this attempt at retfenchment are
rying tn buckle saddle girth around an
elephant. But do hope it won't pass :
ralk against it, my dear husband, work
gainst it, fight against it, kick against it.
peak against it. if you can, or never come
aot Ito uaLas