Frostburg mining journal., 1890-06-28
MISTAKEN ECONOMY.

or other, Josie" said my husband, tug
ging wildly at his whiskers.
"Yes, indeed, we must" l said, wiring
ing my hands. But am sure, my dear,
we are neither of us extravagant. We
must eat, we must drink, and we must
live"
Then we sat and looked at each other
in a sort of mild despair.
We had only been married six months,
Obadiah and l. We We're very young,
and perhaps we had begun the world too
early. Our relations told us we had no
business to marry but as their gratuitous
opinions We're all that they had ever
given us, or ever intended to give us, we
had not paid much attention to these
utteranceS.
We had taken little one story cottage,
Just on the high road, which was to let
cheap, because there We're only two rooms
and kitchen to it. But what did Obadiah
and | want with more than two rooms
and a kitchen? | had the furniture which
Grandmother Newcomb had given me,
and rag carpet which my poor mother
had woven the winter before she died.
To be sure, our accommodations were not
extensive, but we did not expect to hold
fashionable receptions or to give large
dinner parties.
Obadiah had plenty of work in the
woolen factory, down by the depot, and
l hung out my little sign, "Dressmaking
and Millinery, and hoped that some one
would see it, and come in and give me an
order. But no one came. | had plenty
of time after my housekeeping duties
were over in the morning. and couldn' t
be always beeswaxing the furniture,
arranging the china cupboard, or polish
ing the windows,
Il wish l coull get some dressmaking
to do" l said wistfully, and l did olong
for dollar or two of my own.
"Why don't you advertise in the village
paper?" said old Mr. Meggs.
Obadiah burst out laughing.
"Advertise!" said he. "Why, what on
earth do you take us for, Mr.. Meggs? 1t
costs deal of money to advertise.
at costs something certainly, said Mr..
Meggs, thoughtfully stroking his chin,
"but then it calls public attention to the
particular sort of iron you have in the
fire."
"A little local paper like that, said
Obadiah, rather contemptuously
Its local custom that your wife wants,
isn't it? 2" said Mr.. Meggs.
And never did think much of news
papers" added Obadiah.
So that settled the question; and after
ward, when the foreman of the wooden
factory cut down the wages of the work
men 20 per cent, and coal went up, and
the winter set in hard and cold, and we
begun to consider the question of how
and where we could economize, the local
paper was almost the very first thing upon
which my husband settled.
"That, at least, is an unnecessary ex-
travagance, he said
l WINGED little. The Boggsville
Herald lad been my companion for more
lonely evenings than cared dtoremember.
Its only Sl.5O year, Obadiah, and
really it's very interesting little paper,
l said.
"Just $1.50 too much," said my hus-
band curtly. "The subscription is just
out. I'll tell them we won't renew it.
If you care so much about it, Josie, you
can easily borrow Mrs. Meggs's paper.
l was silent. l never could make Oba'
diah understand the deeprooted aversion
to borrowing from any one, which had
inherited from my mother.
So we gave up the weekly paper, and
left off using butter, and burned candles
a penny a pound cheaper, and l sponged
and cleaned and rebound and new but
toned Obadiah's great coat, instead OF
buying new one, and left off going tC
church because my old cloak was SC
shabby and | couldn't afford anything
better. And oh, how did miss the Her
aid!
IF could only get little dressmak
ing to do" / said to myself, 81 woulC
subscribe again. But | can not bear tC
ask Obadiah for a cent of his hardearnet
money"
was sitting by the window, sad ant
lonely, one freezing February day, try
ing to mend an old waistcoat of Oba
diah's, so that it would last few day'
longer, whea travelling peddler with ;
huge basket of china ornaments on one
arm and bundle on his shoulder knocked
| at the door, He nodded at me in an in
sinuating manner as l answered th'
! summons.