The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1890-11-08
A DANGEROUS RETRENCH-
MENT.

1t was the beglnnl 6 OF the year,
and Mr.. Archibald Wise had made
up his mind that he must economlze
somewhere. After debating the mat
ter for some time, he concluded to
give up taking %7gularly a daily
paper. Mrs. Wise. ventured a re-
monstrance.
Why not give up some personal
extravaganza, she said, instead OF
hitting upon something which will
affect the entire family! Cigars, for
instance; l have often thought 1t
would be a positive benefit could you
do without them.
Mr.. Wise was kind husband and
father, but like many another man,
once he had rt solved upon certa n
thing he was not easily turned aside.
The family, he began in reply,
consists only OF you and me, my
dear, 20 far as the use of the paper
is concerned. Our children are all
under IA years OF age. and not ex-
actly eager for rews, | take it; and
as to my getting along without
cigars | could far more easily go
without my coffee in the morning or
tea at night You cannot imagine
the solace contained in a cigar to a
tired or peIplexed business man.
But Mrs. Wise still demonstrated :
You are mistaken, she said, in think
ing that the children do not need
the daily paper. Indirectly they do;
l find great deal of instruction in
our paper with which to teach the
children. l really hope you will con-
slider the matter before actually
stopping it.
shall buy paper quite often, re-
piled MIR. Wise. Of course man
must know something OF what is
going on in the world about him,
but | think a daily of numerous
pages quite unnecessary, and must
be allowed to exercise my judgment
in the matter.
1t is an old saying that the re-
mark, allow me to judge, puts an
end to almost any discussion. Ac-
cordingly Mrs. Wise said no more,
but it depressed her to feel that the
friendly visit of her favorite daily
must be discontinued.
At first Mr.. Wise carried home a
little thin substitute for the old
favorite nearly every night, but by
| degrees even that came less and less
frequently. When he boasted to
bis wife that he really got the news
almost as completely as ever by
watching the bulletin and hearing
men talk, she replied rather dryly
that men did have considerable ad
vantage over women in the matter
of getting news without paying for
it. They could stand and gaze at
pleasure at great scrolls pasted on
the side of newspaper buildings and
CLEAN a good deal from other men.
Yes, it was real sharp way to econo.
mize without losing much, cheap
and perfectly nice, she supposed.
Although Mrs. Wise's manner
was Tranquil as a summer sea, yet
her words ruffled and irritated her
husband, and if the truth was known,
it was not all quite smooth sailing
for Mr.. Wise He did not actually
enjoy sitting in the station or horse
cars, empty-h ,nded, among groups
of men. all of them except himself
had open papers in their hands, SC
he resorted to the expedient o
carrying folded paper in the breas
pocket of his coat, that it might ap
pear as if he had a paper which
presumably had already been pc
rused.
One evening. as he was hurryins
toward the station, ragged gamin
with papers under his arm, squlntee
up into his face and cried:
Mister, want to read all about th'
c'lision?
What collision? i? asked Mr.. Wise
Oh, you buy paper and find out
said the urchin, his phiz in the al
and his little grimy paw held out
for pennies.
l have a paper said Mr. Wise
f glancing toward his breast pocket.