The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1888-07-26
SELECTED.
A WIFE'S ECONOMY.


SELECTED.
AWIFE's ECONOMY.
Mr. and Mrs Blossom were new star
of a fine briliiancy but of small magni
tude in the society of Warrcnsburg
Alexander Blossom and Minnie Blossom
had been married for one short year
which time seemed to them just one Ion:
summers day. There are several married
people unlike Alexander and Minnie. TO
these were never happy except when they
were together, and when together they
were never unhappy for moment. Wher
Alexander came in from business he al
ways 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 a certain passage
way with gay laugh and ask him where
his eyes were. of course, under these
circumstances it was necessary for her to
take good, square look at his eyes to
determine if they were the same rs ever,
and then occurred some of those mani
festations which foolish people call fool
ishness, and which only stopped when the
dinner was served. OF course the house.
maid did not say, DINNER is served :.
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 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 more magnetic.
There was nothing wonderful about
! Alexander. You will comprehend Alex
ander 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 employers.
With 800 month the Blossoms had
to live. Fortunately, they had no rent to
pay; the market books, under Minnie's
care, figured up reasonably, and the do
nestle 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 out from the unexpected
place in which she always hid, caught
him around the neck, and asked him
where his eyes We're, put rapturous kiss
lust below his camels hair mustache, and
cried, "What do you Think
The sagacious husband implanted Il
rapturous kiss just below where Minnie
would have had a splendid brown mus
tache had she been in that line, and re-
piled that he didn't know. He also de-
manded advice as to what it was approp-
rate to think. Minnie then explained
that letter had come addressed to him,
that it looked like wedding cards-that
she had had opened it, aud that It wasn't
wedding cards after all.
Some men, hearing of a mysterious
letter opened by loving wife, would
have experienced feeling of vague I'M
rest Not so Alexander He silently
weighed the merits of some hasty false
hoods and inquired bravely what the let
ter was.
"An invitation to join the Warrens-
burg Social club said Minnie, land |
have been thinking of it all the after
noon" SO she had, in her womanly way;
she had been thinking what dresses she
could wear. "lsn't it nicey she cried.
"Now, say we can 60
"bf course we can 90.
The unguardedneSs of this answer was
essentially masculine. Women, on the
contrary, always begin by refusing, and
afterward allow themselves to be argued
into anything whatever.
Then you must get 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 getaways or
Prince Alberts How then, had he been
married. The explanation throws light
on Il very dark passage in Mr. Blossoms
lfe-his dress suit had been pawned; and
worse, the time of redemption had expir-
ed
Il can't CO." he said, resgning him
self to Fate with large +.
That's 1t" cried Minnie, delighted;
I've been figuring it all up and you can
go" Here she ran into the next room
and in one second she returned with
sheet of legal cap bearing very Illegal
looking figures NOW look ut this y
Alexander looked, and have TO record
that he was not shocked. The figures
and their method were about rs nearly
like those of an ordained book keeper as
Mr.. Blossoms own.
"We'ye got to be economical for two
months. you see, said Minnie. "Ihere 1t
is all on paper
The ndisputable document ran thus:
"Grocer, $50; Jane SD; butcher, So:
coal, s.; everything else, $40; altogcth-
| er, SIS SIS out of 500 leaves S22-say
$40, two months, $40.
| cone of those suits doesn't cost more
than that, does it? she asked, confident
ly.
COSTS So" replied the gloomy Alex
ander
"Humph! said Minnie. Cant YOU
manage? If it were a SO dress, $40
would be plenty.
Alexander shook his head.
"But the club meets early in the even
ing" persisted Minnie, Couldn't you
get one that would do-ready made or
something?'
Alexander was panied. He said he
trusted she did not speak in earnest.
Dear - cried Minnie, in despair, what
can we do? We can take boardcrs, and
YOU can't he Il book agent. | wish some
| body would leave MS some money.
$50 do l." murmured Alex with feel
| ing.
II know what" cried Minnie, with
sudden brightness
| Don't YOU ask your father for money,
said Mr.. Blossom, sternly.
| 81 don't intend to.
| Alexander seemed to think she might
| have been a little more iwlllfnl on TINS
point. But he tried to look much relieV-
ed, and issued another command that she
was not to 20 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
emporium of Warrensburg, and demand
ed the price of dress suits. The answer
was S75. She then asked the price OF the
cloth. This was great surprise to the
tailor. He affected to solve an intricate
problem, and finally coming out with
mathematical flourish of his pencil, said ;
Twenty dollars"
GLOW much for cutting OUT
| We'll" said the tailor, chem let me
see. You want 1t made up here you
think? Well coat vest, and-aboul
$500
IL should like to get the cloth and the
cutting both for $50, II you could" said
Minnie family.
well, answered the tailor, patroniz
inglv, that's it; we couldn't. You cam
get English goods, you know at Ameri
can prices. We have American goods
but
II should want this, ;" said Minnie
"Well, ~ the best figure on that III
ray e33 We don't make anything on
anyway"