American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1880-01-17

My dear Lou! and waste two or
three dollars on what ! should need
only an honr or ,.yso, for have both at
. Zone. But l wish had-oh yes, wish
| had"
There is such mournful tone in her
last words that Lor ana / exchange
looks IF wonder. Then Lou says, 60 You
would have found it the truest economy,
aunty, unless you would have taken ii
carriage, and suppose you would not
have done that"
II wish | had,h signs aunty; "that
or any thing else. ] wish hid taken
six carriages. / wish
Dear aunty!' cries Lou, aghast.
''Surely your aspirations do not tend
funeralward. Six carriages! What
could yo" possibly want of them?''
81 didn't say l wanted them," says
Aunt Con. 81 said l wish had hired
them, which is quite different. And l
do. wish had bought diamond ear
rings, and patent refrigerators, and
ivory-backet brushes, and dog-collars,
ami mouse-traps and silk gowns, and
velvet mantcls, and arm-chairs, and sill
uer combs, and-and the dear knows
what.''
ssIs she quite mad?" says Lou, look
ing at me calmly, with an air of dis
passionate inquiry.
"Madp Who wouldn't be mad!"
cries Aunt Con, Historically. 81
hadn't spent an unnecessary cent all
day. Ihad weighed and balanced every
penny, starved myself, broiled myself,
tired myself to death, and all to put my
hand in my pocket, while 1 was waiting
for car, and find my purse gone.'
Gomez" we cry; and Aunt Con mods
grimly.
"Gone" she repeats. al Well, l
might as well confess at once, girls,
though you'll crow over me, know. 1
sewed my pocket with that cheap thread
from Carter's-the kind l wanted you
to buy, and you wouldn't-and it didn't
hold worth a cent. That's all. Luckily
l had put my return ticket into my
watch-pocket for safe-keeping, or how
ever l should have got home bothers
me-
Lou and do not "crow over her, J"
as she anticipated. We haven't the
heart to do so, in the face of her hum
BILE confession, and Aunt Con is duly
grateful.
The next day Aunt Con is down on
her back from the effects of the heat,
the fatigue, and the final drenching
which she has undergone. The doctor
is in constant requisition for ten days,
at the end of which time he orders
change of air to complete the cure.
Aunt Con looks grave.
"But l can not afford it, really can
not, girls" she says, earnestly. "This
mir is coed enough for any body"
"Just as flower-pots are good enough
for date-palms,'' 1 interrupt, rather
wickedly, am afraid.
swell, but really must economize, ;"
says Aunt Con, with slight flush.
"Aunty,'' says Lou, gravely, twill
you listen to me? 1 have been trying to
make a computation of your gain and
loss by your trip to New York, but
things are so mixed up that l can not
arrive at an altogether satisfactory re-
suit. Your fare to and from New York
was $3.50. You saved five cents by
going on that special day, but, as you
also encountered thunderstorm by so
doing think we may cross off that item
of saving. Now let us begin with what
you spoiled. Your boots cost
"Four dollars, and they were new, :"
says Aunt Con, sadly.
"a pair of India rubbers at fifty cents
would have saved them but you econ
omized, and thus lost $3.50. Your bon
| net
al made it myself, and the material
cost four dollars
"You saved the price of cheap UNI
brclla, say $3.50, and thus lost 80. so.
Your dress was worth, say SO; your
shawl-yak, wasn't itp-say 81 so, as it
was far from new. A cab at $3.50
would have saved both, and rendered
India rubbers and umbrella unnecessary.
(Really this calculation is getting too
much for my brain.) Say $3.50 for
loss on clothes, balanced by saving of
Il-oV III eau ililC. loi SdNcu oh youi
shopping
"Just enough to pay my fare," says
Aunt Con, dolefully.
"And some of the packages were lost
at the same time as your purse, and
some ruined by the ram. Say 60 cents
saved, which is an ample margin. Your
purse contained-'
"One hundred dollars-I thought I'd
better take enough groans Aunt Con
but Lou continues, remorsely:
(which we must set against your
economy in thread. You saved by buy
ing cheap thread, say ~ cents on
dozen spools, and thereby lost a hur
bred dollars. Then your doctors bill
ten visits at $3.50 a visit; your med
cines-how much did they come 10,
Aunt Comp"
Spare me! spare mel" cried Amt
Con, wildly. 81 see! see! My ecmo
my will be my ruin. No income cmld
stand it. l repent! l reform! Hence
forth L am spendthrift, and 1 shall be
rich before 1 die. will go to Sarasga,
to Newport, to Paris l will have my
ears pierced and wear diamond soil
taires. / will live on pate de .foie eras,
and ortolans, and dindoms h'ufes. Twill
wear velvets and silks and laces; l
will