The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1880-01-16

don't poison US. That is too hunailiat-
ing"
Our dinner that day consisted of
corned beef and cabbage with the mer-
curry at 92o), potatoes favored with
rancid butter, the whole repast crowned
by plain rice-pudding, through the
whole of which the taste of the "sec-
ond-quality eggs is plainly diffused.
We struggle through one more meal up
on Aunt Cons plan, and then Lou takes
the reins back into her own hands.
"We can't afford it, Madge-we
really can't" she says, when we are
alone. ga week or two of Aunt Cons
system would ruin US in doctors bills,
not to speak Of the trifling fact that 1
have been obliged to throw away all the
stores of butter, eggs, coffee, tea, and
such things that she has laid in. Aunty's
economy is such a very expensive ar
rangement."
1 could not pretend to tell you half of
aunty's economical ideas. You should
see her account-book. Louis and mine
she looks upon as marvels of wastful-
ness, because we devote whole line to
each item, thus:
Buttons, doz.. .......................50
0 N Co
Muslin, yds a &c.. ..................39
Now, by dint of economy, the same
items in Cons book would read:
Butts, Soc Thr., 16c. Mus, 39c=$l.O5.
Thus, you see, she occupies only one
third of the space that we do, and her
book consequently lasts three times as
long. To be sure, after month or two,
she hasn't an idea what I" Butts, >"
eth" and "Mus.' originally stood
for, and, thanks to her way of crowd
ing her figures, she is continually max
ing mistakes in addition, so that her &C
counts, never, by any accident, balance.
There, too, is the wear and tear of eye
sight; but then, you see, her book lasts
three times as long as one of ours-a
clear gain of, say, ten cents year.
In summer she economies in ice, in
winter in coal, and in light at all sea-
sons. 1t is very amiable of her, as all her
economies 60 into our pockets-Lou's
and mine. 1 am afraid, however, that
we are not as grateful as we might be
when we come down into the parlor to
meet visitor on bitter cold day, and
find that Aunt Con has stolen in slyly
and shut off the hot air, thereby reduc-
ing the rooms to the temperature of
refrigerator, while all the rest of the
house is fearfully, gaspingly hot. Moth
ing will convince her that, whether all
the registers in the house are open or
shut, the amount of coal consumed is
the same, and that it costs no more to
maintain an equable temperature
throughout, than to keep one-half of
the house at -1Oo, and the other at 1IOo.
As a general thing, Lou and Ilet her
enjoy her economy in her way without
interference. If it pleases her to sicken
herself with tepid water while the re-
frigerator is full of ice, to freeze herself
while the furnace is full of coal, to put
out her eyes by the light of a single
candle in her own room while the par
lor is flooded with soft steady radiance
from the double students lamp, that is
her business, not ours.
81 am going to town to-day, my
dears," says Aunt Con, as we look in
wonder to see her come down, ready
bonneted and shawled, to the breakfast
table.
1t is broiling day early in August.
The mercury already, at a. m, stands
at sO0. What it will be at noon we can
only anticipate with sinkings of the
heart. Under the circumstances, Aunt
Cons announcement moves us to live
Hest expostulations, but all in vain. To
New York she must and to New York
she will 60, hot or cold, wet or dry.
"But why?" we ask; and Aunt Con
us. bit.
"Don't you know" she says, "that
the railway company raises
its fare? To-day return ticket costs
S1.SO; tomorrow and after, they will
cost S1.S5-a clear gain of five cents,
you see.'' -.
"Hardly worth burning your brains
out for" says Lou. "But why must
you 60 at all? What do you need that
Won oan not erot horo -,