The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1888-09-27
A WIFE'S ECONOMY.

A WIFE'S ECONOMY.
Mr. and Mrs. Blossom were new
stars of a fine brilliancy, but of small
magnitude, in the society of WaITens-
burg. Alexander Blossom and Minnie
Blossom had been married for one short
year, which time seemed to them Just
one long summers day. There are
several married people unlike Alex
ander and Minnie, for these were never
happy except when they were to-
gether, and when they were together
never unhappy for a moment. When
Alexander came in from business he
always instituted a search for the
brown-haired, brown-eyed girl who
was waiting for him, and when he be-
gan to despair she would start out of a
certain passageway with a gay laugh
and ask him where his eyes were. OF
course, under these circumstances, it
was necessary for her to take a 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 foolishncss,
and which only stopped when the
genial housemaid came to announce
that dinner was served. OF course, the
housemaid did not say: Dinner is
served;n her proclamation verbatim
was: Come now" but the meaning
was the same. | have omitted to say
that Minnie was not very tall; that she
was remarkably healthy and delicious
" plump. Her lips were as near
bursting with fuliness as cherries after
a rain; her forehead was low and her
eyebrows. heavier than the ordinary,
made her just so much the more
magnetic. There was nothing won
derful about Alexander. You will
comprehend Alexander st once when
say that he received 800 month,
which he did not earn. However, he
firmly believed that in some mysterious
way his labor brought large returns to
his employers.
With 800 a month the Blossoms had
to live. Fortunately they had no rent
to pay; the market books, figured up
reasonably, and the domestic was kind
enough TO demand but Sl5 month.
One day Alexander came home from
his alleged business looking nice and
sweet, and also looking for Minnie.
The latter rushed out from the une1-
pected place in which she always hid,
and caught him around the neck,
asked him where his eyes were, put 4
rapturous kiss just below his camel's
hair mustache, and cried, What do
you think?n
The sagacious husband implanted a
rapturous 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 it
was appropriate TO think. Minnie then
explained that letter had come ad-
dressed to him that looked like we'd
ding cards; that she had-had opened
il. and it wasn't wedding cards after
all.
Some men hearing of mysterious
letter opened by loving wife. would
have experienced a feeling of vague
unrest. Not so Alexander. He silent
" weighed the merits of some hasty
falsehoods and inquired bravely what
the letter was.
''An invitation d Join the Warrens-
burg Social Club. said Minnie, land
| have been thinking OF it all the
afternoon SO she had, in her woman
" way; she had been thinking what
dresses she would wear. Isn't it
nice?" she cried Now, say we caR
60"
'tef course we can 60"
The unguardedBcss of this answer
was essentially masculine. Women,
on the contrary. always begin by re-
fusimg, and afterwara allow them
selves to be argued into anything what
ever.
Then You must get a dress suit
said Mrs Blossom.
These were. indeed. strange words.
They conveyed the revolving idea that
the fashionable Alexander had nothing
in dress more formal than cutaways or
Prince Albcrts How then. had lie
been married? The explanation throws
light on a very dark passage in Mr..
Blossoms life-his dress suit had been
pawned: and worse the time of redemp-
ton had expired.
Il can't GO he said resigning him.
self TO Fate with large +.
That's it, cried Minnie, delighted;
I've been figuring it all up, and you
can go Here size ran into the next
room, and in one second returned with
4 sheet of legal cap bearing very
illegal-looking figures. Now, look at
thiS"'
Alexander looked; and | have to
record that he was pot shocked. The
| figures and their method were about as
nearly like those of an ordained book
keeper as Mr.. Blossoms own.
We've got to be economical for two
months, YOU see." said Minnie. There
it is. ali on paper"
The indisputable document ran
thus:
Grocer, $50; Jane, SIS; butcher,
SIS: coal, s.; everything else. SO; al
together, s7S-e7S out of 800 leaves
$.2-say $40; two months, 40"
.'0ne of thess suits doesn't cost more
than that, does it?" she asked, con-
tidently.
Alexander.
..Humph,' cried Minnie. Cant
you manage? If it were a $50 dress,
$40 would be plenty"
Alexander shook his head
But the club meets early in the