Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1886-01-23

week and that by dint of much stint
ing l had deposited in a savings bank
the princely sum of $65, she opened
her blue eyes in an ecstasy of surprise
and remarked: "Well-- I--never
-thought-you had-so- much !"
But was quite determined that l
would not take advantage her igno-
rance of the world. l compared my
paltry salary with the extensive ones
received by my friends, by her own
brothers, by anybody's 1 could think
of. But she never fiinched. If sue
ceeded in convincing her that real
ly was very poor young man and
by no means a "catch" in the matri-
monial market, she never allowed
me to perceive that fact. On the con-
trary, at the end of this financial dis
cussion, she thoroughly made me feel
that l was not so badly off after all,
and that / ought to be thankful that
things were as they were. So I felt
no further qualms in engaging my
self to her, and we fixed a very early
date for our marriage. Sissie-that
Is my wife-in the meantime kept
her eyes open, and was in all the fur
niture stores in the city looking about
her, and making wonderful calcula-
tons. At night, when was at the
house, she would frequently drop her
knitting, seize piece of paper, and
jot down something, subsequently
folding the paper and putting it into
her pocket.
SWELL" she said on one of these
occasions, "would you be satisfied to
commence housekeeping in very
moderate manner-not at all uncom-
Portable, but rather cheap?"
Housekeeping! had thought of
boarding with my wife. How could
we keep house on $40 a week? isis
sie," l said, 81 am afraid you don't
understand the value of money.
Don't you know that descent flat
costs SIS a month, furniture at the
very least $500, and food something
enormous ?"
No, Sissieknew nothing Of the kind.
She said i was foolish, like most men,
imagined that housekeeping involv-
ed the expenditure of fortune, and
for the sake of a little trouble at the
beginning preferred to indulge in the
slovenly habit, gaining so much
ground in America, popularity known
| as boarding." That is what Sissie
| said, but still thought that she was
rather Utopiah in her ideas.
"Draw your $65 from the savings
bank tomorrow morning, WILL" she
said calmly, "and call for me at II
o'clock. We will then settle every
thing, and you shall see that house
keeping is more than possible witt
your salary, and that every married
man with $40 week who boards is {
goose?"
l submitted. l drew my none,
from the bank the next day, and al
| hour afterwards Sissie and l wer,
walking through the streets, eacl
wearing resolute expression. occa
sionally tempered by a somewha
timid glance at the big stores and tn
crowds of wealthy shoppers. Well
Sissie first of all took me to a stree
in the Ninth ward, in the vicinity Q
West Tenth street, and there, in a de
lightful looking house, with all tn
appearance of comfort and dignife,
seclusion, we found a small apart
ment, consisting Of three rooms, 70
the sum of $l5 month, or, as Sissi
explained-in order to bring the pre-
, portion of the house rent within til
comprehension of my salary-$3.75
week.
: at is awfully empty" Isuggestet
discontentedly, as our feet pattere
2 along the uncarpeted floors, and on
} voices sounded strangely powerful i
/ the bare, square enclosure.
} "You've got $65, I believe" sh
said, as though that settled the ma
ter, 1 was led in wonderful stat
8 of surprise from the house after Sissi
e had informed the proprietor that W
, should occupy the apartment in
e months time. Sissie was a remark;
: BILE girl. | can't understand how 81
did it, but she actually contrived
q persuade the crabby old proprietor
: allow us to send in our furniture {
8 we bought it, even if we sent in son
s on that very day. That was virtua
/, ly giving us one months lodging fl
d nothing. "Don't take that as pr
t cedent," said the plump young ms