Connecticut western news., 1890-01-08
WHAT TIT COST HER TO DRESS.
A Thousand Dollars a Year Now, but
 826O After the Wedding.


 $25O After the Wedding.
 The young man had been sitting in deep thought for several minutes look ing at his best girl and judging as well as he could by the dim light the cost of her apparel. They had been engaged for many months, and, having passed that period of ecstatic bliss which ob- scures all thoughts of worldly affairs, they were able, at odd moments, to speculate about the future. The par Tor was elaborately furnished, and everything about the dear girl, from the tips of her dainty patent leather shoes to the gold pin in her hair, was suggestive of wealth. The night was clear and cold, and this was one req son why the young man had the power to look at things in a cold, worldly fashion. The night on which he had Topped on one knee and laid his heart at the feet of the fair creature had been wild and stormy. She had ac- cepted him in particularly wild burst of rain and wind, and thereafter on every stormy night visions of bliss swept over him and made his rather poor prospects glitter with unnatural brilliancy. On this night, however, he saw things in their true light, and after the heavy tread of his dear girls mother had given way to low, rum- bling snore, he suddenly cried:
 ssHow much did that dress cost?"
 He touched the garment lightly, and looked beseechingly up in the girls face.
 ''The material cost $15; making it cost $18."
 ''Phewl Can you make dresses"
 tsThe idea! Of course not"
 "How many dresses do you get in 8 year?"
 "Well, she said, contemplatively, "when I go away in the country usu- ally take six new ones with me. They cost on an average $45 each. Then I give four receptions year, and, of course, new dress is necessary each time. The four cost about $24O. Then I suppose I have about five other dresses which come cheap; perhaps about @1O fo,. oooh ono
 The young man buried his face in his hands for minute, and then said !:
 "Hats and shoes pretty expensive?"
 "Oh, my; no," replied the girl, with little cry of scorn. ssI suppose nay hats and shoes do not cost more than $2OO year."
 'Now, look here, Jess," said the young man, desperately "what am trying to get at is how much it costs to dress you. You do little figuring and let me see what the result is.'
 Jess bent her dear littie head over an ivory tablet and scribblcd away indus triously and bit her pencil thoughtfully for five minutes. Then the submitted this table:
 Dresses. .........$710 Wraps. 50 Hats: Hats: s:..... ...... 12s Linen, etc...... 100 Snoes. 70 Gloves. s...... co. 20 Total. .$1 ,O8O
 The young man read these items over and over again.
 "Great Scott, Jess," he said, 'sthat's pretty steep, isn't it?"
 "Oh, I don't know," she replied. sThat is only small part of what I cost, for you have no idea of what an expensive girl I am. You know I usually spend month every summer at some watering place, and then get rid of an awful lot of money in help- ing the church along, in car fares, bon-bons and such things"
 "What does it cost to run this house, anyway?" asked the young man, sav- agely, for he felt that the idol of his heart was slipping away.
 "I don't know exactly" replied Jess, ssbut maybe $8, ,Oooa year will do itnicely."
 "Humph! let me do a little figur- ing."
 The young man's figuring was like this:
 LOWEST ESTIMATE. Probable cost of furniture, 5000;
 yearly instalments s..................$ 300 Rent of fiat Gin Brooklyn). ............. 400 Wages of servant. nt.........-........... 1SO Wife's clothing Cher estimate) ......... 1,OSO My clothing (my estimate) ........e.... 100 Necessary recreation, vacation, and cnarlty. 2OU Food. .................... 15O
 Total. .s2, ,41O My salary. ....................... 2,40O