Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1880-02-19

were three little wrinkles between her eyes
and dozen gray hairs about her temples.
Greatheart. stirring his coffee in the vain hope
of extracting little more sweetness from
the bottom of his cup. watched her compass
sionately.
NV dear" he asked gently. show long is
this thing to last?'
Mrs Greatheart would have scorned to
ask What thing" There was for her but
one object of thought, and she answered
promptly. AS long as the debt lasts"
Greatheart sighed.
did 1t ever occur to YOU, my dear. that
YOU might not last? You are growing per-
forehead; YOU eat less than healthy canary;
YOU talk in your sleep of interest and mort
cages and weekly payments. believe
another wear will Kill YOU"
Mrs. Grea,heart smiled compassionately
as martyrs have smiled when adjured to give
up their faith TO escape torment.
..Greatheart." said she absently, will YOU
call a, the office Of the Trumpet. and leave
this notice for our meeting of managers? |
have a new plan that will eclipse all our
former undertakings"
The meeting of managers was not enthu-
siastic. Mrs. Jones had the rheumatism,
Mrs. Smiths baby was threatened with the
Group. Mrs. Smar, had left a house full of
visitors. and Miss Sally Volatile was going
East for the winter. The few who were
present listened TO Mrs. Greathear,'s plan in
ominous silence. and Mrs. Timorous fused
and tidgeted. and at last spoke:
1.-The fact is, ladies'. sometimes wonder
if all this paws. Ny husband saws it doesn't t
and he hasn't particle Of patience with the
whole thing; so that fairl, dread TO let him
know of fair or a festival. lie saws it all
comes out Of men an, how, either in grocery
hills or doctor bills. or busing things after
We have half killed ourselves in making
them; and that any man would sooner pay
FIVE dollars out of his pocket than have his
wife try TO earn it when she has all she can
do already. And he says woman who
wouldn't think she could give half dollar
will bake n cake that costs seventy five cents.
and make herself sick in doing il, and then
expect her husband to pay fifty cents more
for a little piece OF it and dish OF ice cream
tha, some other woman donated. and out of
II all. the church gets about twenty five
cents. and he can't Sce where the profit comes
IN"
Mrs Grcatheari laughed.
I'VE have heard all sorts oftalk II sounds
reasonable; but the trouble j.. when YOU
come To test them. the men will not take the
FIVE dollars out of their pocket: they ALWAYS
mean some other mans pocket OF course.
the money comes out of somebody; so do
the profits in grocery store or bank. A.
for its being simply an exchange from one
hand into the other. that is all nonsense
The gain l. a percentage on the skill and
ingenuity and sclf-den,ing labor Of the la
dies. and call il a shame for ANYBODY to
DENY them the lull credit of actual earnings
The men give IT. indeed should like 10
see them earning an extra dollar in the way
their wives do
Wouldn't it bc funny" laughed Mis-
sally. Now crochc;cd those mats while
was rocking Jcnny's baby To sleep, and
wanted desperately to read George Elliot
And ! took my lunch to school for two
weeks To save time at noon to cmhroidcr
those lamhrequin>. le, and begged the
pieces besides
Il made every stitch Of that toilet set after
the children were in bed said Mrs Dimplc
NV elc> used To get 80 tired that saw
cro~s->iitches all night, but il was lovely"
Just fancy Your husband running over OF
an evening 10 saw wood for a ncighbur. or
Mr.. Jones working an hour every night at
shoemaking. or Squire Buncombe taking
order, for the grocery before he went to his
office. or Colonel Wise sho,eling paths on
his way to lunch. and all for the sake OF
earning little money for the church. with
out trespassing on any other funds. They'd
see the church turned into junk shop first
declare have great mind to propose TO
them TO try H.
Mrs Greathear,'s ewes flashed ominously,
and the meeting went into secret conclaye,
from which all reporters were excluded by
dropping the curtains, closing the chimney,
filling the KEY hole with cotton, and station
ing a savage dog upon the steps
The next number of the Trumpet an
nounced the fact that the ladies had retired
from the field and called meeting of the
brethren to consider the emergency.
The brethren were presen, in force. and
commenced operations by appointing five
committees; one 10 consult the pastor. one
TO interview the architect, one to canvas the
membership. one TO prepare a statement for
the official board, and one to correspond with
Rev. Stunning in reference to securing his
aid for some Sabbath. There was some talk
about taking the FIVE dollars out of their
pockets, but most of them were painfully
conscious that the five dollars was not there,
and. for their lives, they could hit upon no
expedient save the verv one whose fallacy
they had so clearly demonstrated TO their
wives; and Greatheart-moved. il is feared.
by malice forethought-actually proposed
it.
Il do not see that it would be any harder
for us than for them. You, Brother Nerd.
could make your own fires and sweep Your
own Office, and so save your janitor's fees;
Brother Hill could do copying at home in
the evening; Brother Dale could attend to
Jobs of vanishing and repairing in his odd
minutes Brother Frost could raise vegetables
in his back ward, and Brother Ward could
rise an hour earlier and work at his old
trade of type setting"
The brethern looked at each other and
smiled feebly.
This is the wav our wives have earned
money /; by adding some productive industry
to regular labors of the day. and turning
into account the odd hours and minutes that
usually pass for nothing in our lives. i see
no reason why we should not do the same.
and ;f my nronos;t;on is accented I will i'm