Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1881-06-30
FALSE ECONOMY.

Kate Landman spoke carefully, for
she knew her husband had not much
money to spare; yet she spoke earnest
lv, and there was world of entreaty in
her look.
"What do you want seventy-five
cents for?" asked Albert.
al want to get some braid for my
new dress"
81 thought you had all the material
on hand for that"
$50 l thought had; but Mrs.
Smith and Mrs. Thompson both have a
trimming of braid upon theirs, and it
looks very pretty. 1t is very fashion
able, and adds very much to the beauty
of adress."
Plague take these women's fash
ions Your endless trimmings and
thing -majigs cost more than the dress
is worth. It's nothing but shell out
money when once woman thinks of
new dress"
al don't have many new dresses. l
do certainly try to be as economical as l
can"
at is funny kind of economy, at
all events. But if you must have it l
suppose you must"
And Albert Landman took out his
wallet and counted out the seventy-five
cents; but he gave it grudgingly, and
when he put his wallet back into lis
pocket he did it with an emphasis
which seemed to say that he would not
take it out again for week.
When Albert reached the outer door
on his way to work he found the weather
SO threatening that he concluded to go
back and get his umbrella; and upon re-
entering the sitting-room he found his
wife in tears. She tried to hide the
fact that she had been weeping, but he
had caught her in the act, and asked
what it meant.
Good gracious !" cried the husband,
al should like to know il you are crying
at what l said about the dress?"
al was not crying at what you said,
Albert" replied Kate, tremulously;
"but you were so reluctant to grant me
the favor. 1 was thinking how hard ]
had to work; I am tied to the house;
how many little things have to perplex
me, then to think"
"Pshaw what do you want to be so
foolish for?"
And away started Albert Landman a
second time; but he was not to escape
so easily. In the hall he was met by
his daughter Lizzie, bright-eyed, rosy
checked girl of ten years.
"Oh, papa, give me fifteen cents!"
"What ?"
"Oh, 1 want fifteen cents. Do please
give it to me-"
"What in the world do you want with
itP Are they changing school-books
again 2"
"No, want to buy hoop. Ellen
Smith has got one, and 80 has Mary
Ruck and Sarah Allen. Mr.. Grant has
got some real pretty ones to sell. Can't
I have one?"
"Nonsense II you want hoop, go
and get one off some ash barrel. 1 can't
afford to be buying hoops for you TO
trundle about the street"
"Please, papa"
"No. / told you"
The blue eyes filled with tears, and
Che child's sobbing broke upon his ear.
Albert Landman hurried from the
house with some very impatient words
npon his lips.
This was in the morning. At noon
when he came home to dinner there
was n cloud over the household. His
wife was sober, and even little Lizzie,
usually gay and blithesome, was sad
and silent.
But these things could not last long
in that household, for the husband and
wife really loved each other devoted ly,
and were at heart kind and forbeaFing.
When Albert came home TO his supper
Kate greeted him with kiss, and In
moment sunshine came back; and had
the lesson ended there the husband
might have fancied that he had done
nothing wrong, and the cloud had been
nothing but the exhalation of n domes-
tic ferment, for which no one was par
ticularIy responsible, and might have
cherished the conviction that women's