St. Landry democrat., 1886-01-23

keep them until 60 into mourning.
Perhaps shall never have such chance
again And you never know when
you'n require them Now" said the
strong minded lady, energetically, "do
you call that the act Of a sane woman!
My dear child, her intellect had been
touched by her husbands misfortunes,
though no one recognized that fact but
myself. Her doctor always said that she
was the healthiest and most clear-minded
woman he had ever seen. She reminds
me of the fictitious case Of Mrs. Smith,
which isn't half as ridiculous as you
might think at first. Mrs. Smith went
to sale and saw very cheap door
plate with the name, Mrs. Jones, upon
it. She bought it. My dear girl
said friend to whom she spoke of her
purchase, what did you buy that use
less thing for?' It's not useless, said
Mrs Smith, Indignantly. My husband
might die and | might marry man
named Mr.. Jones. And it's awfully
cheap
':But don't compare those sensible
ladies shopping on Sixth avenue to the
cranks you have Just mentioned, said
tuc youthful nStCLSl,
''The principle is the same, dear-the
principle is precisely the same, > said the
strong minded lady, emphaticahy. 'But
to continue with my Aunt Lizzie. One
day she came home with huge pink
sheet, which she had folded into as
small compass as she possibly could,
and stuffed under her sealskin jacket.
Look here, Philip, she said to her hls-
band, isn't this a deliciously cheap
thing? Fancy! / only paid penny
per yard
"'What's it for?' said Philip, with
grunt. L don't see what the use of it is
It may be cheap, but what's it forP'
".Well, dear, said Lizzie, meditative-
ly, i don't know what it's for, I'm sure,
but it would have been perfect sin to let
it go by at such a ridiculously low price.
It'll come in useful some time
s.She had wardrobe continued the
strong minded lady, perfectly full of
remnants she had bought at sales and
subsequently made into dresses. Some
times she kept the remnants for years
before she had them made up. They
were consequently most old fashioned,
and frequently have heard people say:
There is Lizzie with one of the dresses
Noah wife wore when she came out of
the ark In other points my aunt was
perfectly sensible. She could talk poll
tics like a professional politician, was
well versed on the literature of the day,
and entertained friends in graceful and
charming manner. But to see her rise
at an early hour of the morning and 60
off to sale at the same time her hus-
band left for business, not to return un-
til he did, late at night, was heart
rending spectacle. I couldn't reason
her out OF such proceedings, though I
tried my hardest to do so. She was
quite obdurate. suppose you know"
continued the strongminded lady, ''that
bargain-hunters are really the most un-
worldly people living. A lady, let us
say, can obtain certain article at Har-
lem for fifty-two cents. Very good.
She hears, however, that in Twenty
third street the same thing is sold at
forty-eight cents. At once she jumps
up and goes down town. She pays ten
cents to the elevated road for her jour-
ney down and ten cents for her return.
But she says: Ihave gotwhat wanted
for forty-eight cents, while at Harlem it
would have cost four cents more She
has positively no idea that the article in
reality has cost her sixty-eight cents.
She would laugh at you if you were to
endeavor to convince her of that fact. -
'sShe's an exception" said the young
companion, with smile.
s.Don't you believe it," commanded
the lady of the vigorous mind, almost
stirring the bottom out of the cup which
contained her chocolate. "She's no ex-
ception. / don't say, either, that she's
the rule, but assert that she represents
very large class of bargain-hunting
ladies. should recommend complete
course of logic as a remedy of what I
must consider as an abnormal state of
mind. Doctors may say what they like
about female foibles, but I'm female,
and know what those foibles should be.
I suppose you have never heard that
there exist ladies who make it part of
their daily duty to visit the principal
stores of the city, look at quantities of
goods, and never buy cents worth. /
assure you that's fact. Some of the
big stores here have made that discovery,
and have, moreover, by engaging the
services of keen-eyed and observant
shop-walkers, so arranged things that
these ladies become known to the sales
men, who consequently decline to waste
their time with them. In large
Twenty third street store the other day
was told that whenever one of these
ladies comes into the establishment the
shop-Walker conducts her to the desired
counter, says to the salesman the word
cave which, Of course, you know,
dear, means beware and leaves her,
satisfied that she will not remain very
long in the store. When salesman re-