The Harrison times. (Harrison, Boone Co., Ark) 1876-1938, 1886-09-25
How to Economic.
by MARY f. vANDYNE.

The wrinkles Of Mrs. LOTIONS
brow were very deep, and it was
with an air of WEAKNESS amounting
almost to despair that she laid
down the pencil wherewith she had
been checking off n series of nc
counts.
Aunt Abby lifted her eyes from
the stocking which she had been
darning with such exquisite neat
ness, and gazed sympathetieally at
her distressed friend.
II am afraid you don't quite
know how"
Mrs. Lorton looked astonished,
and we girls, who were spending
the holidays with our friend, Won
dered also, what the little lady
could possibly mean.
"'Don't know howl Political
economy, | am willing to admit, is
most difficult science; but | did
not fancy that domestic economy
involved anything deeper than
simply self-denial and the avoid
anee of unnecessary expenditures"
Aunt Abby smiled. at may
seem that way in the beginning,
but | really doubt if there is any
part Of our daily living that re-
quires more tact, judgment, and
experience than this same business
of economizing successfully"
"The results of my lust years
work inclined me to suspect some
thing of the same kind sighed
Mrs. Lorton. 81 clearly must have
made great many mistakes some
where, but Just where, | am at Il
loss to discover. [ certainly have
tried very hard, and have done
without a great many things used
to think were quite necessary to
the comfort and happiness of the
household; yet here the figures
are, and really the sum total is
very little less than it was year
ago, when our income was so much
larger"
Mrs Lorton looked thoroughly
discouraged. We who admired
her so much and took such plea
sure in the intimate friendship to
which she had admitted us, sympa-
thized 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 be very
much interested in my financial
troubles 1t is too bad to entertain
you with my lHments over these
unruly ends that seems to require
such an undue amount of stretch
ing in order to meet.
We fastened to reply that any.
c thing which concerned her could
not fail to interest us, when Aunt
] Abby Ga relative, it should have
. been explained, of Mrs. Lorton's
husband, gentle little lady whose
: life had been spent in distant
city, riveted our attention ut once
by saying:
Il was just about the age of
these young ladies when l first
made acquaintance with what | am
now inclined to call the science of
domestic economy, though, like
you, when | first found myself un-
der the necessity Of mastering it,
thought there was little in it,
save doing without many things |
was accustomed to, and bearing the
discomfort as heroically as posi-
BILE"
WELL" smiled Mrs. Lorton,
what are the great underlying
principles (isn't that the phraise?)
also the processes whereby we are
to arrive at practical results, name
lily, the bringing of our expenses
within my husbands means?"
"Well,' echoed Aunt Abby, zone
of the leading principles is the
abandonment of the velvet cloak |
saw you working Mt SO industrious
ly this morning, and all garments
Of a similar character"
"What can you mean? Why, l
have worn that cloak two winters,
and now l have put new sleeves in
IL and IL is quite as GOOD as new.