The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1879-05-28
DOMESTIC ECONOMY.

! / don't suppose Emily and I would
have dreamed of marrying last May If
it had not been for old Miss Vantel-
. tuyfels legacy. The old lady left all her
household furniture, including her china,
silver and table linen, to Emily, who
was her favorite niece as well as name
! sake; and, of course, thatmade. US think
at once of setting up home of our own.
We had been engaged two years already,
there was no likelihood that my salary
would be. raised, and altogether we de-
cided that we might as well make be-
ginning.
i Emily's papa and mamma-in fact,
the whole amily-objected at first to
what they called our want of common
sense; but finding us quite unmoved by
their forebodings, they yielded, and be-
gan to make preparations for the we'd
"But now, Charles" said Emily to
me, as soon as everything was amicably
settled" now, Charles, we havea great
deal to learn. Suppose we begin by
studying domestic economy?"
"How?" I asked, somewhat be-
wildered by this proposition.
I'm this way" was the prompt an
swer. She drew from her pocket
small notebook, and placed it in my
hand. "See here" she added, proudly.
"that is my beginning, and I intend to
follow it up. You must have book
too, Charles,
glanced over the first pa ge and read:
Useful information. Heard Mr.. Smith
tell papa that beef was sold by farmers
for just half the price asked by city
butchers. Mem.--To buy our beef and
mutton always of a farmer. Might
order vegetables, milk and fresh eggs at
the same place"
"There, Charles dear, what do you
think of that?" asked Emily, trium-
phantly. Isn't that economy?- And
only think how you will enjoy nice
fresh-laid egg for your breakfast"
> "sBut, my dear girl, i said, trying to
look grave, we couldn't buy a whole
sheep or whole OK at once, you know"
"But if the whole animal didn't cost
: as much as half an animal at the butch
er's price, what then?" persisted Emily,
looking annoyed. r.
"Even then, my darling, I think it
would be cheaper to buy our chops and
outlets from the butcher" said I. per-
suasively; because, you see, we should
get so tired of a whole animal before we
had eaten it ALL" g.. .'..
"Well, we won't argue. You know l
don't approve of arguments, Charles"
replied Emily, feelingly, and so the sub
iect was dismissed. 't... ... ....
However, I took Emily's advice, and
began to study domestic economy. /
provided myself with notebook; ]
asked my married friends SO many ques-
tions about prices, values and quantities
that became positively tiresome; ! lost
no opportunity of adding to my stock of
knowledge as regarded fuel, provisions,
wages and house rent. All the informa
tion thus cleaned was carried duly to
Emily, and carefully classified by her
under various headings. .....
The evenings we. spent together were
no longer devoted to the "sweet moth
ngs" with which ordinary lovers are
wont to delight themselves. On th
contrary, we gave ourselves up to the
most abtruse and perplexing calcula-
tions, in which my slender salary was
divided and subdivided to suit our plans.
I should have enjoyed these evenings
muoh more if l could have persuaded
Emily to add up column of figures
without counting on her fingers, but l
could not.
Seventeen and six let me see -
ciziiteen, nineteen, twenty, twenty-one,
twenty-five, .twenty-three." she would
saw, drumming each finger on the table
until she reached the sum total, which
she gave with triumphant emphasis
always. ,...,.-, .-..--. ., ...,>
} However, finding that my remon-
strances seemed to hurt the dear girls
feelings, said no more. p
About this time our correspondence
lost much, of its distinctly 1over-like
character, and for the same reasons. I
used TO- send Emily so many scraps OF
useful information for her note book,
and get so many directions in return,
that the results were rather peculiar.
For instance, / would write thus:
"MY o. D. P. D. L. P.-Lamb is always
dearer than mutton, and does not 20 as far.
=, find that cream of tartar is certainly cheaper
BY the barrel, but Jones' wife says she never
buys but half pound at time.
"Ever yours, CHARLIE"
But perhaps you may not understand
the meaning of those six initial letters at
the beginning of my note. Why, that
was very simple and convenient ar
rangement to save time and space in
writing. Instead of having to write
over and over again, "My own dear
precious darling little pet" I just used
those initialletters, and Emily knew ex-
actly what I meant every time, 1t was
really capital idea, and we were the
originators; and the truth is, if it had
not been for the publicity involved ]
would have taken out a patent for the
invention.
In the same way she would write to