Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1888-07-20
A WIFES ECONOMY.

A WIFES ECONOMY.
Mr.. and Mrs Blossom were new stars of a
fine brilliancy but of small magnitude in the
society of Warrensburg. Alexander Blossom
and Minnie Blossom had been married for
one short year, which time seemed to them
Just one long summers day. There are sew
eral married people unlike Alexander and
Minnie, for these were never happy except
when they were together, and when they
were together never unhappy for moment.
When Alexander came in from business he
always instituted search for the brown
haired, brown eyed girl who was waiting for
him, and when he began to despair she,
would start out Of certain passageway
with a gay laugh and ask him where his
eyes WERE Of course, under these circum-
stances, it was necessary for her to take
good, square look at his eyes to determine
If they were the same as ever, and then
occurred some of those manifestations
which foolish people, call foolishness and
which only stopped when the genial house
maid came to announce that dinner was
served OF course, the housemaid did not
say. DINNER is served" her proclamation
verbatim was, "Come, now" but the mean
ing was the same. have omitted to say that
Minnie was not very tall; that she was re-
,markably healthy and deliciously plump. Her
lips were as near bursting with fullness as
cherries after rain; her forehead was low,
and her eyebrows, heavier than the ordinary,
made her Just so much the more magnetic
There was nothing wonderful about Alexan-
der You will comprehend Alexander at
once when say that he received 500
month, which he did not earn. However, he
firmly believed that in some mysterious way
his labor brought large returns to his en-
ployers.
With 800 a month the Blossoms had to
live. Fortunately, they had no rent to pay;
the market books, under Minnie's care, fig
ured up reasonably, and the domestic was
kind enough to demand but SIS month.
One day Alexander came home from his
alleged business looking nice and sweet, and
also looking for Minnie. The latter rushed
tout from the unexpected place in which she
always hid, caught him around the neck,
asked him where his eyes were, put raptur-
GUS kiss just below his camers hair mustache,
and cried, "What do you thinkp'
The sagacious husband implanted rap
furious kiss just below where Minnie would
have had splendid brown mustache had she
been in that line, and replied that he didn't
know. He also demanded advice as to what
lit was appropriate to think. Minnie then
explained that letter had come addressed to
him, that it looked like wedding cards, that
she had-had opened it, and that it wasn't
wedding cards after all.
Some men, hearing Of mysterious letter
opened by loving wife, would have expert
- Nofc
Alexander. He silently weighed the merits
of some hasty falsehoods and inquired bravely
what the letter was.
"An invitation to join the Warrensburg
Social club" said Minnie, ''and I have been
thinking Of it all the afternoon" So she
had, in her womanly way; she had been
thinking what dresses she could wear. "Isn't
it nice9" she cried. 'Now, say we can CO."
"Of course we can 60"
The unguardedness of this answer was
essentially masculine. Women on the con-
trary, always begin by refusing, and after
ward allow themselves to be argued into any
thing whatever.
"Then you must get dress suit, said Mrs.
Blossom.
| These were, indeed, strange words. They
conveyed the revolving idea that the fashion,
able Alexander had nothing in dress more
formal than getaways or Prince Alberts.
How, then, had he been married. The ex-
| PLANTATION throws light on a very dark pas
| sage in Mr.. Blossoms life-his dress suit had
been pawned; and worse, the time of redemp-
ton had expired.
81 can't CO." he said, resigning himself to
| Fate with large F.
"That's it," cried Minnie, delighted; GIVE
been figuring it all up, and you can CO."
| Here she ran into the next room, and in one
second returned with a sheet Of legal cap
bearing very illegal looking figures. "Now,
| look at thisl"
Alexander looked, and I have to record
| that he was not shocked The figures and
| their method were about as nearly like those
| of an ordained bookkeeper as Mr.. Blossoms
| own.
| "We've got to be economical for two
| months, you see," said Minnie. ''There it is,
| all on paper"
| The indisputable document ran thus:
''Grocer, $50; Jane, SIS; butcher SIS; coal;
| So; everything else, $40; altogether, s7s-s7S
out of 500 leaves S22-say $50; two months,
| $4O."
'One Of these suits doesn't cost more than
that, does ita' she asked, confidently.
''Costs $75," replied the gloomy Alexander.
"Humph!" cried Minnie. "Can't you man
agea If it were SIS dress, $40 would be
| plenty"
Alexander shook his head.
| sBut the club meets early in the evening"
persisted Minnie Couldn't you get one that
| would do-ready made, or something's"
| Alexander was panied He said he trusted
she did not speak in earnest.
| "Dearw cried Minnie in despair, "what can
we do2 We can't take boarders, and you
| can't be a book agent. I wish somebody
would leave us some money"
| $50 do T." murmured Alec with feeling.
II know what" cried Minnie with sudden
brightness.
'Dont you ask your father for money!"
said Mr.. Blossom, sternly.
81 don't intend to-" ,
| Alexander seemed to think she might have
been little more willful on this point But
he tried to look much relieved, and issued
another command that she was not to go in
debt Her assent to this was immediate'
Alexander had no more to say.
The next day Minnie, in pursuance of her
idea, went by stealth to the clothing en-
porium of Warrensburg and demanded the
price of dress SUITS The answer was SIS,
She then asked the price of the cloth. This
was n great surprise to the tailor. He
affected to solve an intricate problem, and
snelly coming out with mathematical
flourish of his pencil, said: "Twenty dollars. :"
"How much for cutting outa"
| "Well," said the tailor, chem! let me see.
You wouldn't want it made up here, you
think? Well, coat vest and--about 1880"
II should like to get the cloth and the cut
ting both for $50, if you could" said Minnie,
family.
''Well," answered the tailor, patronizingly,
'that's it; we couldn't. You can't get Eng
fish goods, you know, at American prices.
We have cheaper goods, butt
81 should want this" said Minnie.
''Well, as the best figure on that I'll say
$685. We don't mako anything on it, any
way"
Mrs. Blossom was not deceived, but she
pretended to be, and with another exertion
of courage asked for months credit. Then
she &;->>5:A 81 sz44a;ax ta - dn.a h@ 90