The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1884-09-13

mat makes seventeen or eighteen cents
a day"
"Tell him about the provisions" said
the husband, with a chuckle.
81 am coming to that part of the
story" said the little woman, with q
threatening glance at her husband.
Then addressing herself to the silent
guest, she said: Edward makes a
great deal of fun about my buying the
provisions for our table, because [ will
never let the cost of what we eat go
above q certain amount each week. If
we have an extra good dinner one day
we practice little self-denial for the
rest of the week. Some days we do not
eat any butter, other days we 90 with
out milk, and in warm weather we only
have meat once in four or five days.
How much do you think it costs me
week to supply our table? Please give
a rough guess"
go, about twelve or fourteen dol
lars, promptly answered the newspa-
per man, making what he thought was
low estimate.
81 spend four dollars week, and no
more, for provisions" replied Mrs. r.,
with an emphatic toss of the head. This
dinner to-day is extra, because we have
company, but shall not allow it to in
crease the aggregate cost of our food
for the week.
That's so, she won't" groaned Ed
ward. "To-morrow there will be moth
ing but herrings, soda crackers and
cold water on the table"
Il resent that imputation," said the
young wife, laughingly. Edward
knows that we always have plenty of
good, wholesome food. In fact, we
are obliged to have it, for both he and
l exercise great deal each day, and
then our baby is two years old, and she
has a ravenous appetite. / know that
to persons who have kept house it will
seem almost incredible that a family of
three can be well fed on sixty cents
worth of food each day. We could not
get along on what sixty cents would
buy if | should purchase my supplies
from day to day. But 90 to market,
sometimes twice a week and sometimes
once a week, and buy enough to last
two or, three days or week, as the case
may be. Flour buy by the bag, and
sugar ten or twenty pounds at time,
l make my own bread, cakes and
pastry, and I have learned how to dress
up fancy little dishes outof the simplest
kind of fare. We have ham quite often
One ham will last us q long while, yet
we do not get tired of it, because there
are dozen dilferentways preparingit
for the table. Whenever buy roast
of beef we have it in many different
forms. | can get a good roast at my
butchers for one dollar, and that will
last us three or four days. We will
have from that single piece a. meal of
roast beef, q meal of stewed meat with
potatoes, a platter of cold meat with
pickles, and perhaps some good beef
soup. We eat good deal of oatmeal,
cracked wheat, hominy andrice. Such
food is not only nourishing, but it costs
but little, and can be served in agreat
variety of ways. Fried hominy and
sirup or rice pudding makes very nice
dessert. BY the way, shall ask your
opinion of some of my rice pudding as
soon as you have finished your beef and
potatoes.
The pudding was served a few min
utes afterward, and it was truly a de-
licious compounded rice and egg and
sugared frosting.
'Now let me do a sum in addition, "
said the husband, taking out his pencil,
after the meal was over "My wife
says that we pay forty cents day for
rent, sixty cents day for provisions,
eighteen cents day for fuel and about
one cent a day for oil; that makes Just
one dollar and nineteen cents. Is there
anything else?'
80, yes" exclaimed the wife, ''there
is Kate, the washerwoman; l pay her
one dollar and twenty-five cents q week,
which is about eighteen cents a day"
"Well, that brings our necessary ex-
penses, not including clothing, up to
Sl.37 day" continued the young
man, putting on thoughtful air Ny
salary, as you say, is about 1913 day.
Last year we saved nearly $270, which
is trille more than seventy-three cents
day. Take that out and it leaves us
just about - day to live on. We have
already accounted for $1.37. What be-
comes of the restP"
ave spent about $50 for clothing
last year." suggested the wife you
lltI't JHttV 90 SulG anu your SuulneE sui
which cost $40, and | had dress and
my new cloak, which, with what the
baby had to have, and shoes and hats
for all of us brought the whole amount
up to nearly $3.50"
"That makes about forty cents dav
to be added to the Sl.37, making in all
Sl.78 of our -. There is twelve cents
a day or little over $43 yet to be ac-
counted for. That,I suppose we can
put down for incidentals."
The young wife nodded her head
ailirmatively, and the newspaper man
asked, with some surprise, whether it
was possible that the S43 would cover
whole years expenses for two per-
sons in car-fare, amusements, lunches
in New York, etc.
80, said Mrs. r. eagerly, "but we
don't have any such expenses. 1t is
very seldom that my husband or my
self has occasion to take street-car.
| walk to market and back; it is not
very far, and Edward always walks to
and from his place of business. His
daily expenses are just two cents-one
cent for crossing the bridge in the
morning and one cent for coming back
at night"
"But it is two miles and half from
your house to the bridge" exclaimed
tba romcnora,. MAN