News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-08-12

| things in her early days of economizing,
| and Belle and l thought guiltily of
some elaborate gauze overdresses, broad
sashes, and expensive artificial flowers
which we had recently purchased with
view to arranging some cheap evening
toilets over two old silk skirts.
81 believe l have been doing the same
thing with the children, sighed MIS-
Lorton
81 believe you have" smiled her
friend, ''for only last Sunday | heard
Jenny tell her sister, very gravely, that
mamma was going to lengthen her blue
silk by putting on a new tounce'"
''That was my plan"
eyes, and then the blue silk would
demand plush jacket, and that would
call for a bonnet with ostrich plumes,
or some other bit of frail magnltlcence.
"What shall put on the girls y
"Two pretty tailor made suits"
"And waste the silk frocks because
they are trifle short p
Decidedly, or else they will waste q
great deal of money, and the children
be left without any suitable serviceable
garments for half the occasions on
which they wish to 60 out"
Aunt Abby was growing very eloquent
with her theme.
81 Think" she said, "'that a great
many of the worries, the wrinkles, and
gray hairs that vex the days and destroy
the beauty of our American matrons
grow out of this very want of harmony
and arrangement in our domestic af
fairs. Wealth has been bestowed SO
lavishly upon American people in the
past; we have enjoyed so much luxury,
and gratiied oul tastes and longings so
habitually, that as nation we know
very little of domestic economy. To
use rather vulgar saying, if we econo-
mize anywhere we are apt to ''save at
the spigot and let out at the bung."
We are wasteful in our kitchens, ex-
travagant in our wardrobes, and careless
of our furniture. Our attempts at saw
ing when the necessity comes suddenly
upon us are apt to be violent and spas
modic, and productive of very small
results
Aunt Abby smiled suddenly. 'T re-
member one instance" she went on, In
explanation of her amused expression,
"when proclaimed to my father, whose
household was the scene of my early
experiments in domestic economy, thai
for the last three months l had not
spent but fifty cents day for food, and
with a household of six. We'll, and
what have you now in the house in the
way of provision? he inquired, mildly.
What had II | Investigated my closets,
and found-well an empty flour barrel,
an empty sugar barrel, a butter tirkln
with scacely pound of butter in it, no
rice, no soap, no starch, no potatoes, no
coffee, no tea. In fact, | had simply
gone on exhausting our supplies until
everything had to be bought at once. My
fifty cents per day had simply paid fo1
milk, meat, vegetables, and such things
as must be purchased day by day.
shall never forget the mild glance of
inquiry wherewith my patient parent
went over nv accounts, which read,
january, February, March, SIS per
month; April, $65.' Our income was
very small one, and for some time had
to endure the impatience of tradesmen
who kept asking when [ would please
settle that little bill p
Another of my mistaken fancies,"
Aunt Abby proceeded, twas in regard
about a house as white curtains, fine
toilet tables with white muslin drapery,
and SO on? And the muslin costs so
little. Alas, yes! But when the bill
of one dollar for each window comes IN
from some Celestial, and All Wang, or
Chu Wal, or Lang Flu shakes his long
queue and mus habee him monee, )
then one begins to realize what luxuries
these pure white hangin2s are.
"Another point W here economy Is apt
to press sorely Is in the entertainment
of ones friends. One does so long to
give them something little better than
the ordinary fare, some one dainty dish
to do them honor and to show what an
accomplished housekeeper and cook
presides over the table! But when that
dainty dish must be shared by all at the
table, those terrible bills will show it if
the luxury is often indulged in"
"But one must entertain ones friends
"Indeed one must. But then, if we
reflect that it is our affection for our
selves, and not their appreciation of our
cuisine, that brings them, we shall feel
solicitude about producing any culi-
nary triumphs for their delectation."
"But, Aunt Abby" sighed Mrs. Lor-
ton, "would not life be very dreary
with only brown stuff dresses, bare win
dows, and diet of roast beef and cot
tage puddings p
"No, think not. LuXuries cease to
be pleasures when they bring care and
worry as to how they are to be paid 1
with them. Besides, there can be q
great deal of variety in the stuff dresses
all draperv does not require semi-annual
refreshing in the laundry; beef and cot
tage pudding are but two of the healthy,
nourishing, and inexpensive varieties oi
! food our markets provide.
"But must finish my sermon. 1t is
getting too long, and only that my aud
ience is too polite to yawn, they would
certainly do so. will simply sum up,
as old fashioned ministers used to say
at the conclusion of 'eighthly.' If you
want to economize, think well whether
! the thing you propose to do will not, in
addition to the original expenditure
i bring with it a train of expensive conse
quences. Remember that nothing il
cheap if it is not durable. Do not fancy
that you are economizing if you are
simply using up supplies that must b.
renewed at some time. Remember tha
in living beyond your income you haras'
yourself much more than you impress
others.
"There, good PEOPLE," laughed Aun
Abby as she gathered up her knitting
"you have results of a great many Sc
we're lessons that l once learned in 1
very severe school. y Christian Union
Trading a Sister for Wife.