New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1890-04-30
J, WHAT IT COST HER 10 DRESS.
IA thousand Dollars a Year Now, but $3.50
Would Do After the Wedding.

a thousand Dollars Year Now, but $3.50
Would Do 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
Tor several months, and, having passed
| that period of ecstatic bliss which OBJ
seures all thoughts of worldly affairs,
! they were able at odd moments to
speculate about the future. The parlor
/ was deliberately furnished, and every
. thing about the dear girl. from the tips
OF her dainty patent leather shoes to
to gold pin in her hair, was suggestive
of wealth. The night was clear and
cold, and this was one reason why the
young man had the power to look at
things in a cold, worldly fashion. The
night on which he had Hoped on one
knee and laid his heart at the feet of
the fair creature had been wild and
stormy. She had accepted him in a
particularly wild burst of rain and
wind, and thereafter on everv stormy
night visions of bliss swept over him
and made his rather poor prospects
glitter with unnatural brilliancv. On
this night, however, he saw things in
their true light, and after the heavy
tread of his dear girls mother had
gwen way to a low, rumbling snore he
suddenly cried:
How much did that dress cost?"
He touched the garment lightly, and
looked beseechingly up in the girls
face.
The material cost s15; making it
cost $19."
"Phew! Can you make dresses?"
The ideal Of course not.''
How many dresses do you get in a
year?"
WELL" she said, contemplatively,
when go away in the country l usu-
ally take six new ones with me. They
cost on an average $45 each. Then T
give four receptions a year, and, of
course, new dress is necessary each
time. The four cost about $24O. Then
suppose have about five other dresses
which come cheap; perhaps about $40
for each one"
The young man buried his face in his
hands for minute, and then said:
''Hats and shoes pretty expensive?''
80, my; no. y replied the girl, with a
little cry of scorn. Il suppose nv hats
and shoes do not cost more than 5000 a
year."
Now, look here, JESS" said the
young man desperately, ''what I am
trying to get at is how much it costs to
dress you. You do little figuring and
let me see what the result isl
Jess bent her dear little head over an
,iTory tablet and scribbled away indus
p triously, and bit her pencil thoughtful
ly for tive minutes. Then she sub
mitted this table:
Dresses s71O Wraps $50
Hats 125 Linen, etc., 100
Gloves 20 Total s10So
The young man read these items over
and over again.
Great Scott, Jess" he said, .that's
pretty steep, isn't it?"
80, I don't know" she replied.
THAT is only small part of what I
cost, for YOU have no idea of what an
expensive girl I am. You know I usu-
ally spend a month every summer at
some watering place, and then I get rid
of an awful lot of money in helping the
church along, in car fares, bonbons, and
, such things.' 80.
What does it cost to run this house,
anyway" asked the young man, saw
agely, for he felt that the idol of his
heart was slipping away.
II don't know exactly" replied Jess,
but maybe $4,000 a year will do it
nicely"
''Humph! let me do a little figuring"
The young mans figuring was like
this:
LOWEST ESTIMATE.
Probable cost of furniture, 81, 90; yearly
installments 800
Rent of fat Gin Brooklyn 40G
Wages Of servant 1G
Wife's clothing cher estimate) 1850
My clothing (my estimate) 10G
Necessary recreation, VACATIONS and
charity 200
Food 150
Total 81, 41O
My salary 2,4oo
\ Deficit 10
4 Jess bent he1 head over this table
and studied it intently.
'Are you estimating whatit will cost
Us 10 keep house?n she asked.
Yes, )" was the dreary reply.
II think I can improve on that list, ~
she said. Now, cut off from my esti-
mate of clothing $3.50 and add $3.50 to
your estimate of your clothing, deduct
500 from the cost of recreation and so
forth and another 500 off the rent.
Reduce the servants wages $50. I am
sure our furniture won't cost more than