Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1886-08-19
HOW TO ECONOMIZE.
BY MARY +. NANDINE.

The wrinkles of Mrs. Lorton's brow
were very deep, and IL was with an air
of WEAKNESS amounting almost to de-
spair that she laid down the pencil
wherewith size had been checking off a
series Of accounts.
Aunt Abby lifted her eyes from the
stocking which she had been darning
with such exquisite neatness, and gaz-
ed sympathetieally at her distressed
friend.
Il am afraid you. don't quite know
how
Mrs. Lorton looked astonished and
we girls, who were spending the holi-
days with our friend, wondered also
what the little lady could possibly
mean.
tDon't you know y Political econ
omy, am willing to admit, is a most
difficult science but | did not fancy
that domestic economy involved any
thing deeper than self denial and the a.
voidance of unnecessary expenditure.
Aunt Abby smiled. 1t may seem
that way in the beginning but real
ly doubt if there is any part of our dali
ly Lying that requires more tact, judg-
ment, and experience than this same
business of economizlng successfully
The results of my last years work
incline me to suspect something Of the
same kind sighed Mrs. Lorton. Il
clearly must have made a great many
mistakes somewhere, but just where |
am at loss to discover. l certainly
have tried very hard, and have done
without great many things | used to
think were quite necessary to the COM
fort and happiness Of the household !;
yet here the figures are, aid really the
sum total is very little less than it was
q year ago, when our income was so
much larger.'
Mrs. Lorton looked thoroughly dis
couraged. We who admired her so
much and TOOK such pleasure in the
intimate friendship to which she had
admitted us, sympathized with her
most thoroughly. She evidently saw
how we felt from the expression of our
faces, for she turned to us laughingly
and said
you young ladies must te very
much interested IN my financial tioub-
les. 1t is too bad to entertain you
with my laments over these unruly
ends that seem to require such an un.
due amount of stretching in order to
meet
We hastened to reply that anything
which concerned her could not fail to
interest US, when Aunt Abby IA rela-
tive, it should have been explained, of
Mrs. Lort0n's husband, gentle little
lady whose lie had been spent in dis.
tant city riYeted our attention at once
by saying
y was just about the age of these
young ladies when | first made ac-
quaintance with what | am now inolin-
ed to call the science Of domestic econ
omy, though, like you, when | first
found myself under the necessity of
mastering it, thought there was little
in it, save doing without many things
I was accustomed to-, and hearing the
discomfort as heroically as possible
'Well,' smiled Mrs. Lorton, what
are the great underlying principles lis
not that the phrase p, also the process.
es whereby we are to arriye at practi-
cal results namely, the bringing of our
expenses within my husbands meansT
well, echoed Aunt Abby, zone of
the leading principles is the abandon
ment of the velYet cloak l saw you
working at so industriously this morn
ing, and all garments of similar char
acter.'
what can you mean -? Why, have
worn that cloak two winters, and now
haye put new sleeves in it, and it is
quite as good as new. Surely nothing
could Re more economical than that.
Why, take immense credit to myself
for that performance
Precisely. 1t would have been very
extravagant to give or throw the cloak
away. You would have blamed your
self greatly, would you not ?"
'Of course should
well, let us emulate the famous
cow, and consider The cloak is of
Lyons velvet ; the nav sleeves required
yard of the same material, costing
$40. The cloak now IS quite as good
as new > but new or old, it can only
be worn in fair weather. There must
be cheaper one to save it, Again,
this velvet cloak requires handsome
dress under it, and a cheap bonnet
would be quite incompatible with it.
You require. therefore, to complete the
operative process resulting from the
underlying principle OF this velvet cloak.
the repairing of which was such an E.
economical measure, an expenditure OF
anywhere from $50 to 500 to produce