Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1884-05-24


sternation to see, as he seated himself at
the table, nothing but bread and butter,
cold boiled ham and apple sauce.
"Well," said Mr.. Gordon to his wife,
"I am afraid the pastor will think your
supper 4 scanty one"
"I'm sorry, Stephen, but the fact is, we
| have been economizing lately, and they
came so late had 10 time to prepare any
! thing different"
''This delicious bread and butter needs
no apology, to say nothing Of the other
good things" said the clergyman.
Poor Stephen! His pride was deeply
hurt as he contrasted his table with others
! that had been spread.
''Haye you met with losses lately"
asked the pastors wife, with concern.
"Oh, no." said Mrs. Gordon; "but in
the spring, on farm, there are great
many things wanted, and we are econo-
mizing in order to meet expenses"
The next morning Mr.. Gordon called
on a neighbor, Mr.. Jones, to pay him for
a pair of young cattle. "llere is the money
for the steers" said Mr.. Gordon, handing
| him roll of bills.
Mrs. Jones was working over her butter
in the kitchen. She had butter-worker,
and it was astonishing how fast she made
the butter into cakes and stamped them,
draining out every drop Of buttermilk
without hardly any eXertion, while Mr..
Gordon watched her.
''Got 4 butter-worker, l sec."
eyes; and | don't how l ever lived
without one. 1t is so easy working butter
now compared to what it used to be-"
'Here, wife, is twenty dollars you
wanted for cloak. Give Mr.. Gordon
receipt for fifty dollars"
Mr.. Gordon stared. Twenty dollars for
4 cloak. When had he given his wife that
sum for anything? He looked around the
kitchen. Here was = model range, and
everything convenient and handy with
Which the farmers wife could do her
work. What contrast TO Hannah'S
kitchen! lie well knew that he was bet
ter able to afford such an outfit than his
neighbOr was.
On returning, Mr.. Gordon stopped at
the barn. Here everything was in order
and everything convenient to work with.
Was it possible that he had made Hannah
do all the cconomizingr In one corner OF
the shed was something that looked Il lit
tie like sled. His little boy had been
trying to make one, and the words OF the
child rang in his ears, 81 shan't let my
boys 90 without when Pm man." lie
then went into the house. "Whcrc Is
Hannah 2" he inquired of Uncle Moses.
"She's gone over to see Stiles sick
child"
The farmer sat down and took his paper,
but his thoughts were too busy to read.
He had never looked so mean in his own
eyes before. lie was still angry with his
wife for humJling him so the night be-
fore, by giving The minister and his wife
such q supper. Yet now as he thought it
over, he wondered how he could have
blamed her.
'Unclc Moses, how much do you think
it would cost to clothe a woman for
ycar?"
cts never cost much to clothc your'n,"
said he, his black eyes swapping. 81 never
thought you could be so mean and stingy
with any one as you have been with her.
She's too good for ye, and it's time ye
found it out. You've got enough to keep
her like lady, but instead Of that she
can t even have things to work with. Yell
never get II cent from me; what 4 have,
I'll settle on Hannah and the boys"
That's all right, but why did you not
tell me how selfish was before"
"IIaven't been telling ye all the time,
and what good did it do? flyer stomach
hadn't been pinched little, yer never
would have found ont how good it was to
follow what yer alters a-preacbin' 10 her.
sWe must economize; we must econo-
mize!"
"Well, cid miss the goodies, but that
wasn't all the reason, and it's never too
late to mend"
After dinner Mrs. Gordon went back to
the dying child, and her husband went TO
town. In about two hours he returned
with tinsmith, 4 new stove, new churn
and a butter worker; new sled for Will
lie, and two pairs of skates for the other
boys.
When Mrs. Gordon came home she
found the children rejoicing over their
presents, aud Uncle Moses and Mr. Cor
don busy getting tea.
"why, where did that stove come
from 2" and as her eyes fell upon the new
churn and butter-worker, she exclaimed:
"Why, what does it mean?"
at means that we have done 'economiz-
ing for the present, and that you are to
have the money to yourself for all the
butter you make. This is your capital to
begin on, said her husband, as he handed
her twenty-five dollars.
After this Mr.. Gordon never told his
family again: eve must economize," aud
Hannah never gave him any cause to do
so.
"IIere's yer nice roast chick'n.' cried
an aged colored man, as the cars stopped
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