Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1884-06-02
Farmer GOrdOn's Economy

| Broad acres, fertile lands, and money
at interest, were his, but with all this
he was always talking economy. "We
must economize'' in this or that or
the other, was always his theme. His
family consisted of wife and three
| BOYS, and an uncle of his, an old
man of more than seventy years.
One morning he entered the kitch-
en- where his wife had just been work
ing over butter, and had the great
balls already for market.
"My Hannah What butterl 1t
makes a fellows mouth water to look
at it, and I've got forty cents pound
all winter; it's so much better'n most
folks butter, they are willing to pay
a good price fort. How much have
you made this month pa
s'This makes forty pounds this
month";
:sWell, that amt bad this time of
the year.
"No, but it's real hard to work
over so much butter by hand this
cold weather. If l only had q butter
worker, it would be ever so much
easier it makes me so tired every
time | work over ten or fifteen pounds.
l don't get over it in two or three
days, my arms and back are so lame.
Can't I have a butter-worker, Ste
phen?''
"Nonsense, wife l suppose you
want me to pay five dollars for a but
ter-worker, don't you? Why, my
mother had a large dairy, and she
never wanted a butter-wo1ker, she
preferred to do it with her hands and
save the money than spend it on ev-
cry new thing that came along"
"Well, your father had more grass
to NOW than ever you had, and he
never had a moving machine or 6
raking machine, and you have both. ,
"Well don't you see how mucl
time and labor they save? Why,
should have to hire twice the men
do now, if it wasn't for them.
"And don't you suppose it woulC
save me time and strength too?'
"Well, perhaps you can have on'
sometime, but | have got so man,
things to buy this spring; I've got t.
have a new horse and wagon, anC
several new fences, and l don't know
what. / tell you, wife, we must econ
omize all we can," said Stephen, a
he left the room.
Yes, that was always the way whel
she wanted anything; perhaps sh
might have it sometime, but now sh
must economize. This her husban,
said five years ago, when she wante'
new stove, and she was using th
old cracked stove yet. 1t was jus
, so about everything in the house
Her home was bare and comfortless
: Didn't she economize in every thing
7 Wasn't her own wardrobe thread
t bare, and also that of the boys? Did
MT she patch their clothes until
J was time wasted to patch them more
Didn't she economize in everythin!
: but her table? Oh yes and the littl
t woman ratified her dishes in a wa
Z. that surprised Uncle Moses in th
corner. She would economize so q
=, to make Mr.. Gordon feel it
"Hannah, you shall have butter
a worker if you want it" said Uncl
y Moses.
d ''No, uncle; 1 will have one, br
you shan't give it to me. Stephe
y can afford it, or ! would not hay
n asked him. 1 have taken too muc
J. from you already, but now am g
y inc to economize so | can have all
Il need. Husband is always talkin
economy to his family, but 1 can
10 see any way that he practices it hin
q self but he is going to-
y The next day at dinner Mr.. Gordo
n said, "I guess you forgot to p1
n cream on this boiled ham, Hannah
mo, / didn't forget, but l a
u saving my cream foc butter. I mu
, make all | can, for we must econ,
ID mize"
" And little later:
J. ''Im ready for the pie now, wifi
Perhaps you've got one of those MI
d. puddings that are just what | like. >
he ''No, Stephen, [ have neither.
: : costs a good deal to make pastry al
~ puddings, and it takes time, to-
a We must economic you know"
e. "Papa, can't 1 have a sled? "
said last winter perhaps l might tn
Is WINTER" said little Willie, the si
;, year-old.
:. "And can't have pair of skates
" said Fred boy of ten, cit is su,
n good skating, please buy them f
me, papa
It, "No, indeed, boys, we must eco
he mize. [ never had a sled or skate
ne and l CUES you can do without them
. "You must have lost lots of fl
We then; I'm real sorry for you." sa
n Willie, with tears in his eyes.
"a shan't let my boys 60 without VIII
In I'm man."
lal A week passed by. In that til
al the Gordon family had no pastr
cakes or puddings. Now Mr.. Ge
,v don liked all kinds of sweetmeat
or and it was hard for him to do wit
lis out them. He craved them so mu
X that when he went to the store
en bought half-a-pound of block sug
and filed his pockatc Ha bad ne