Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1879-01-22
Mrs. Fay's Bargain.


to save enough out of it to buy your Aunt
Maria real nice New Years present There
are very good cloaks, shaggy and warm,
marked down TO ten and twelve dollars at
Morton Brier's, and am distressed Sum
day after Sunday, TO see her walk into church
in that old shawl. could draw the pattern
of it with my eyes shut, and know that
nothing but perversity keeps it from break
ing away on her poor, sharp shoulders"
"Well, do as you please; only make the
most you can of the money. Fifty dollars
do not grow on every bush in these times,
and should hardly have felt able TO give it
to you now but that Morton has been look.
ing at one of our steam heaters for his store,
though some parties down in Hartford of
fered him one at a discount. So buy the
cloak of him, by all means, if you get one"
Little Mrs. Fay turned the bills over and
over in her hand. She had scarcely heard
her husbands last words. lie was her
conscience in regard to money matters.
With the intricaces Of business she had
nothing TO do. Should she run around to
Mrs .Jupes at once and talk it over aud find
out exactly how TO send TO New YORK Tor
samples of dress-goods
The Jupes were stylish people who had
recently moved into the neighborhood, hav-
ing bought the very large lawn and the very
small cottage with the stable in the rear,
which gave an air of elegance to the street
of the pretty New England town where the
Fays lived. Between Mrs. Jupe and little
May Fay the most intimate relations had
been established. They ran back and forth
at all hours, blind gate having been dis
covered, at the foot of Mrs. Fay's tiny flower
garden, which opened directly upon Mrs.
Jupe's side lawn.
The latter had already advised in regard
to the new dress "You will never think
of buying it here she had said. Morton
& Brier's dress goods are so common Every
body in town dresses the same-like mourn
ers at a funeral Why not run down to New
York, aud buy something made upP You
would save it in your dress-maker's bill"
Run down to New York Mrs. Fay re-
garded visit to that metropolis as the event
of a lifetime-to be ardently desired, but
scarcely to be hoped for. And as for dress
maker, one day from such functionary, for
the purpose of basting and "trying on,
with three or four more from Susan james,
who went out for seventy-five cents-and
was thankful to get that in these hard times
was the limit of her desires.
"Well, let me see; you might send down
to any one of the large retail stores for
samples and order from these afterwards.
You know they each keep clerk for moth
ing in the world but to put up these sam
pies"
And Mrs. Fay had gone home filled with
a desire to do this. To send to New York,
to the envy of her less well-inforlned neigh
bors ! To appear in dress unlike any
thing displayed in the town She was not
nrIipariI,, hut Mrc E.yc
ambition took fire at this spark of a sugges-
ton. But Johns countenance assumed a
doubtful expression when the plan was
spread out before him.
al don't know about that !" he said slowly.
I" DO as you would be done by; is my motto,
and how should like to have everybody in
town run off to Hartford or New York 10
buy the goods have for sale. Patronize
home institutions, Annie spend your money
where you make it, and help to build up
your own town, | say"
"Yes, John but-the dress !" Exports
and imports were matters to be settled by
graver heads, or to settle themselves.
"Buy it at Morton & Brier's. They
trade with me, and | should like to turn my
money into their hands,
Z" But their goods are so common John.
And we all dress alike-like mutes at a
funeral"
Like what ?" John Fay burst into a
loud laugh. You are dear little woman,
Annie, but you never originated that re-
mark. ! don't like the style" he added
after pause. " But do as you please, dear. u
1t was hard to say "no" to this little
wife. AT least you can buy the cloak at
Morton & Brier's; and be sure to make the
money 90 as far as YOU cam"
81 will, John; it shall go as far as New
York p she replied, with a happy laugh
throwing her arms around his neck and
giving him an enthusiastic hug.
She wrote her letter to New York at Mrs
Jupe's dictation and the samples came in
due time.
John turned them over quizzically
"Couldn't you Judge better of the color and
quality to see them in wide piece, rather
than in such little scrap as this ?"
"Oh what silly John OF course not
when | can examine them at my leisure
now, with no saucy clerk to snatch them
out of my hands or to talk me into buying
what don't want at ALL
A long hour was spent in this inspection
"Do--do you not think it had better be
mixed goods or plain ?"
John was good-natured. He laid down
his newspaper to take the bits of cloth again
in his great hands. "Do you call that
mixed ?"-singling ont scrap all knob,
and long, loose hairs, aud vieing with 10
sephs coat in colors-the latest fashion OF
warm ugliness.
Yes, to be sure"
"Well then, dear, should say let us have
it planl"
So she chose soft, warm basket-cloth in
dull maroon. Six yards, eighteen dollars
But it was double width and these new
goods were expensive. The price ran a.
high as five dollars yard; three was mod
Grafton. And there would be enough for
long sacque and then-last consideration O
a prudent mind-it would "make over
admirably.
Then the silk-Qor this was to be a hand
some suiD, Mrs. Jupe had said that silk
were to be got at any price now. And no
to be mean or to buy poor quality. Mrs
Fay had fixed her price at a dollar and
half per yard.
But a scrap at two dollars just matche,
her cloth Aud, as she fancied the most o
the samples ranged at prices even higher
with an impetuosity which characterize
the movements of the small woman VIII
mildly ruled the Fay family, she decide
upon this. Seven yards,-no, eight; it wa
well TO have piece lett, and there shoul
be a bonnet to match. Eight, it must b,
She sent her order in haste and then awate
the result with an excitement which held i
it more and more repentance as the day
went by,
Early in the afternoon of the third, an e,
press wagon, a man and an enormous boo
appeared at her door. She ran to open i
/ t,nl tla ion ,aroal xuhfab h,r b.