The true northerner., 1884-11-20
VAN DORA'S LESSON.

Iheres Nd use talking, SAID Van
Dorm, carelessly, mo use whatever If.
q woman had a hundred dollars day
given her for household and other
necessary expenses, it wouldn't be half
enough, and in weeks time she would
be begging to have the allowance in
creased"
"Try it a little while, Dick" re-
torted Mrs. Van Dorm Il won't ask for
q hundred dollars day; but give me
reasonable amount and see if you are
asked to increase it.
"No use trying" returned Van Dorm,
stufling his hands deep into his breeches
pockets, and staring apprevingly at the
reflection OF his handsome self in the
mirror opposite, Il tell you what,
Maria, no woman on top of the ground
is qualified to carry purse of her own.
The mania for spending money seems
to be inherent in the female organiZa-
tion, for no sooner does O woman get
hold of a dollar than it burns in her
hands until it is spent Giving my
hardearned ducats into your dear little
paws would be exactly like pouring
water into sieve with the expectation
of it's staying there. No, no, my angel; I;
ask me for anything but money and it
shall be yours right from the word
Ego.' But my money, like my life, is
not to be parted with, unless in case of
the most dire emergency"
Mrs. Van Dorm put her hand to her
heart TO conceal the tears that would
come in spite of her efforts to keep
them back. A line or two of the mar
riage service, with all my worldly
goods / thee endow," persisted in ring
ing in her ears as her husband thus
settled the veSed question of money
matters to his satisfaction.
Besides" went on Van Dorm, warm
ing to the subject in hand, Il can't see
what in the world married woman
wants with money. You are at no ex-
pense whatever. l provide everything
for you that you would buy yourself if
you had the handling of the pocket
book. You have your board and good
home without having to give a thought
toward contributing to the necessary
outlay to procure either, and yet there
is hardly a week passes by but you
want money. I'm afraid, Maria, that
for poor mans wife, you desire to
buy too many fol-de-rols and expensive
knick-knacks. Come, own up, now, if
it isn't so.
1t wasn't so, but Mrs Van Dorm said
nothing. She wished fervently enough
that she could have dollar for every
time during their five years of welded
life Dick had dwelt upon that same
subject and used the language he now
did she would he rich woman. 1t
was always the same old cry of home,
and clothes, and board, coupled with
the implied limit of woman's useless
ness in the general economy of life.
Dick did not mean to be unkind, but
she was tired of it, the pinching, the
saving. the trying to make one dollar
do the duty of ten. She gave all her
time and strength to the keeping of
Dicks home, TO the care of himself and
his children. and she felt that no wage
receiver worked harder for her money
than Dick Van Dorn's wife did for her
board and clothes; and when it came
to the subject of clothes, Dick had
really very little to boast of in the way
of purchase. The gossips could have
told Dick easily enough just how many
times Mrs. Van Dorn's wedding silk
had been made over, and that she had
taken two old cashmeres to the dyer's
in order to make one "new" gown from
the "best parts" of both of them; that
her new hats and equally new bonnets
came from the sacred precincts of her
bed chamber, and that her boots were
never renewed save when the old ones
were far gone in general decay. But
there were the three little boys, the
two twins, and the three months old
baby. Two pairs of restless lit
tie feet to be shod, two
merry, mischievous bodies to be
clad in warm jackets, two hungry
mouths to be fed-and everything cost
money; and slch O lot OF money, now
that size had TO ask Dick for every
penny. Mr.. Van Dorm Lit 15-cent CT.
gar, preparatory to going out. He al.
ways smoked good cigars, and could
not exist, he said, with less than three
per day at the least calculation; STILL
he had insisted upon his wife's giving
up her favoritc magazine, because tc
pay 81 year for magazine was q
sheer extravaganza and he could not
afford 1t, and would not.
II hope, Maria, that some day you
will view this subject from my point oi
view," said he, carefully adjusting his
hat before the mirror and admiring its
natty appearance; "but I'll tell you
what il is, dear, few women, If any
realize the full value of money!
Il will never ask you again for mon
'ey, Dick N neverl" said she as ht
strolled away.
Mrs. raa Dorm looked ut her caro-
less, good-nstured husband with an
expression that haunted him ever
among the ledgers in his counting
room.
"Can't think what the little woman
means Vn sure. Not ask me for
money-gadl 1 ody hope she won'