Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1885-10-14

oIoub peuuiei-Noni"h VIM So''
along"
doesn't he make any allowance for
it in the housekeeping money" said
Ella.
"Not hel just look here!" Mrs.
Smart opened the drawer of the kitch-
en-table. This is where / keep the
house-money, which he gives me every
week-and he came here twice this
morning to get quarter for a lame
beggar. and to hunt up ten pennies
for that same outrageous paper of
pins"
And she cast baleful glance at the
article which still lay on the dresser.
"This is piracy" said Ella, judicially
ats highway robbery" declared
Mrs. Smart. "And there comes the
butcher cart, and 1 haven't money
enough left from my weeks allow
ance to buy single steak, and here 1t
is only Wednesday,"
Cant you buy on credit?'
"Neverw said Mrs. Smart. with
spirit. "It's thing that I never have
done, and that never will dol"
Elias brown eyes sparkled. as she
shook her head vehemently at the
butcher, who was just checking his old
horses at the door.
"Nothing to-day" said she. "Go on!'
Mrs. Smart dashed away tear.
"Give me some of that sheled corn,
Ella" said she. al suppose l can
catch chicken for dinner"
"Do nothing of the sort, my DEAR
said Ella Dale.
"But what are we to do?"
"Why, have a picked-up dinner, to-
be-sure" answered Ella "Just leave
me to manage it."
"But Pm afraid the deacon won't
like it,"
"Well, and if he doesn't? You don't
like the peddler business, do you?' re-
torted Ella Dale.
At one o'clock the table was all
spread, with three huge central plat
ters carefully shielded with the covers
which were ordinarily brought out
only on state occasions, and Mrs.
Smart and Ella were peepng out of
the window, and wondering what
kept the deacon so late.
There he comes now. said Mrs.
Smart. "Good gracious me! and there
is Willis Midmay with him! We never
counted on him bringing company to
dinner, Ella"
"What signifies company" said
Ella. stoutly maintaining her compos-
ure, although her pretty face had turn
ed pink all over, like a June rose.
willis Mildmay won't care when he
comprehends it all. Willis is a sensi-
bic man.
Come in, Mr.. Smart-comc in, Mr..
Mldnay," said Mrs. Smart you're
half an hour late, Ebenezer. Ella and
| could not Imagine what had become
of you."
81 hope | am not intruding! said
Mr.. Mildmay, looking at Ella Dale as
if a glance at her rosy face was all the
dinner that he wanted.
"Oh, not in the leastp' said Mrs.
Smart. Pray sit down. We have
but a plain dinner to-day; but it is all
that my housekeeping allowance
would admit"
mo apologies. my DEAR" said Dea-
con Smart-"no apologies Hunger is
the best sauce, as we well know"
Aud thereupon they all seated them
selves, and the deacon whisked off the
big platter covers, with a countenance
of expectation.
"Hello !" said the deacon.
There, upon the centre plate, lay the
eighteen pale-green papers of pins.
At the right and left, on smaller plat
tefs, were arranged the cards of porce-
lain buttons and the rolls of tape,
while the bottles of machine-oil and
packages of stove-blaciing were ar
ranged like child's block-house on a
side-table, beneath white napkin, by
way of dessert.
Ella Dale burst out laughing. Mrs.
Smart joined in. Willis Mildmay,
spurred on by this infectious sound,
laughed too, although he had not the
least idea what he was laughing at.
The deacon stared as if he had sudden
ly become all eyes.
"Juliana," said he, "what is the
meaning of thisp"
"It means, Ebenezer," his wife re-
sponded, shat you have spent my
housekeeping money for cheap ped
dler's wares, and that Ella and de-
termined to serve them up to you for
dinner And what you don't eat, We
are going to burn; and henceforward,
whatever is bought has got to be of a
good quality, or won't have it in the
house! Because l have come to the
conclusion that charity is one thing