Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1886-06-05


view to arranging some cheap evening
toilets over two old silk skirts.
Il believe have been doing the same
thing with the children sighed Mrs.
Lorton.
Il believe you have" smiled her
friend, flor only last Sunday l heard
Jenny tell her sister, very gravely, that
mamma was going to lengthen her blue
silk by putting on a new flounce."
THAT was my plan.
"Yes, and then the blue silk would
demand plush jacket, and that would
call for bonnet with ostrich plumes.
or some other bit of frail magnificence.
''Wha: shall put on the girls?'
1.-Two pretty tailor-made suits. J"
"And waste the silk frocks because
they are trihc short?''
Decidedly, or else they viii waste
great deal of money. and the children
be left without any suitable, serviceable
garments for half the occasions on which
they wish to go out
Aunt Abby was growing very elo-
quent with her theme.
Il think" she said, ''that a great
many of the worries, the wrinkles and
the gray hairs that vex the days and de-
stroy the beauty of our American
matrons grow out of this very want of
harmony and arrangements in our
domestic affairs. Wealth has been be-
slowed so lavishly upon our American
people in the past: We have enjoyed SO
much luxury, and gratified our tastes and
longings so habitually, that as Nation
we know very little of domestic econ
omy. To use a rather vulgar saying, if
VIC economize anywhere We are apt
to ''save at the spigot and let out
at the bung." We are wasteful in
our kitchens, extrayagant in our ward
robes and careless of our furniture.
Our attempts at saving when the neces-
sity comes suddenly upon us are apt to
be violent and spasmodic. and product
i've of very small results.
Aunt Abby smiled suddenly. Il 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 ex-
periments in domestic economy, that for
the three last 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 pro-
visions?' he inquired, mildly. What
had 1? l investigated my closets, and
found-well. an empty flour barrel, an
empty sugar barrel, butter firkin with
scarcely pound of butter in it, no rice,
no soap, no starch, no potatoes. no
coffee, no tea. In fact, l had simply
gone on exhausting our supplies until
every thing had to be bought at once.
My Fifty cents per day had simply paid
for milk, meat, vegetables, and such
things as must be purchased day by day.
] shall never forget the glance of inquiry
wherewith my patient parent went yer
my accounts, which read, January,
February, March, fifteen dollars per
month; April, sixty-five dollars. Our
income was very small one, and for
sometime had to endure the Impotence
of tradcsmcn who kept asking when l
would please settle that little bill?'
Another of my mistaken fancies,"
Aunt Abby proceeded, twas in regard
to laundry work. What is SO pretty
about house as white curtains, fine
toilet tables with muslin drapery, and so
on? And the muslin costs so little.
Alas, yes. But when the bill of one dol
lar for each window comes in from some
Celestial, and All Wang, or Chu Wah,
or Lang Flu shakes his long queue and
mus habee him moonee,' then one be-
gins to realize what luxuries these pure
white hangings are.
Another point where economy is
apt to press sorely is in the enter tain
ment of ones friends. One does o
long to give them something's little bet
ter 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 INDUCED
in"
..But one must entertain ones
friends"
.Indeed one must. But then, if we
reflect that it is affection for ourselves,
and not the reputation of our cuisine,
that brings them, we shall feel less
solicitude about producing any culinary
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 reast beef and cot
tage puddings?"
mo. l think not LuXuries cease to
be pleasures when they bring care and
worry as to how they are to be paid for
with them. Besides, there can be a
great deal of variety in the stuff dresses;
all drapery does not require semi-an-
nual refreshing in the laundry; beef and
cottage pudding are but two of the
healthy, nourishing and inexpensive
varieties Of food our markets provide.
But must finish my sermon. 1t is
getting too long, and only that my au-
dience is too polite to yawn, they would
certainly do so. l 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,
bring with it train of expensive con.
sequences. Remember that nothing is
cheap if it is not durable. Do not fancy
that you are economizing if you are
simply using up supplies that must DO
renewed at some time. Remember that
in living beyond your income you harass
yourself much more than you impress
others
There. good people," laughed Aunt
Abby as she gathered up her knitting,
lyon have results of a great many Sc
we're lessons that once learned in a
x-ar,- c,,-ara sabool ~ H,r,f T. Tr,.