Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1892-11-10
DOROTHY'S PRESENT.
q REALLY "REALn AMERICAN GIFT TO
AN AMERICAN BRIDE.

Brides, Past, Present and Prospective.
Of Course No Horrid Man Should
Read 1t.
So she was to be married on the
18th" and was invited to be present"
l knew it, for l was to be her brides
maid, and we had spent weeks and
months in planning it all, from the most
insignificant ruff1e to the very veil itself.
But here was documentary evidence Of
ia formal invitation.
Then it occurred to me that my we'd
ding offering was still unsolicited.
must have been waiting for a special
dispensation, l think, for l longed to
give her something real-really real.
Something bright and pure and spark
ling and dainty and useful, like her.
self. And my income, compared with
my aspirations, was ridiculously small,
as it so often happens. But no one
would think of Dorothy and ''imita-
ton" in the same breath. My gift must
be dainty" Small then. 1t must be
sparkling" Glass or china then.
pure" White of course. ''Useful."
Cups and saucers. Exactly! And they
ought to be Belleek, but that costs so
much. Dorothy and I had asked the
price of beautiful imported cup at a
pretentious shop on Fifth avenue, near
Thirtieth street, and we felt like thieves
for even touching it when the attendant
said the price was 1925 for one. No, the
outlook was not encouraging, but there's
nothing like trying again." as my
grandmother used to say, and started
for town at once.
81 would like to see some white Bel
leek cups" l said to an attendant in a
fashionable store not far from Broad
way. Certainly" and he took from
glass case the dearest little, pure white,
scintillating bit of a cup with gold
brim and as light as feather. 1t was
my dream materialized, and I almost
screamed with delight when he let me
hold it. ''This," he explained, sis Amer
lean china" ooh, dear, how provok-
ing" said 1, almost letting the bijou
tumble; II want it real-not any Amer
lean stuff" l think his eyes twinkled,
but he replied very gravely and politely:
"This is real. You doubtless know
clever many that 'Belleek' is the name
Of town in Ireland where this ware
was first produced. The proper clays
are found in this country in abundance,
and ten years ago ex-Congressman J. H.
Brewer, of New Jersey, paid a man
three times as much as he was receiving
in Ireland to come here and work for
h, L,
men as good wages, have found out the
secret since, and there is no more deli
cate china made in the world than some
we get from Trenton, and none so
cheaply sold in the United States as the
American"
"Well, l should think that American
potters must be very good men to pay
their workers three times as much as
they could get in Europe, but how can
they afford it,"
"The protective tariff
"You are going to tell me about that
Mckinley bill"
''Do you object to it?'
con, don't know anything about it,
really; but it must be very good or a
very bad thing, people talk about it so
much"
Here are the facts; you shall judge
of it's goodness OF badness yourself:
The Mckinley bill forces the foreign
potter to pay sixty cents for the priv
lege of selling 100 cents worth of dec
grated china in this country-that is,
there is tariff of 60 per cent. on that
class Of goods. This is so that the work
man here may be paid sixty cents more
for a dollars worth of work than are
the same class of people in Europe.
That enables our working potters to live
better and happier lives than do those in
Europe, and brings class of men among
us who are encouraged to produce the
most artistic results. There is so much
competition among the native potters
that the price to customers is low. The
price is eighty cents EACH"
eighty cents and real, and l saw
an imported one for 1925! Well, 1
think the Mckinley bill is a very good
thing indeed. Give me half dozen of
them right away, please" 1t seemed so
wonderful that by buying this cup,
which was the very thing wanted, for
eighty cents, instead of paying 1925 for
an imported one, was helping one of
my own countrymen and his family to
live three times as well as they could do
in Europe.
1t had never before occurred to me
that that tariff had anything to do with
us girls. l thought it was all about tin
pans-plate, l mean-and it seemed to
me then and now that if we begun our
encouragement at home ''charity be-
ginnings" would take care of themselves.
Why, it is SO simple [ feel as if 1 must
take a hand at voting happiness and
comfort to working people.
I went home with a light heart. [
had found what was looking for and
much more. With yard of white
satin and another of rose colored l
covered a case for the precious cups.
My present cost $3.50, cups and all.
This note came from Dorothy:
HESTER, You DEAR GIRL-It's the prettiest
and daintiest thing l have had. But you
shouldn't have spent so much money on me.
Ned says it makes him think of me, being
pink and white and bright, and-but he says i
good many perfectly absurd things anyway.
l am so happy about everything, and so
pleased with your gift. It's just what wanted
most. You must show me how you make that
delicious tea, and we will christen my beau
tiful china together. Always your
DOROTHY
There. l say, and so will Dorothy,
when ! tell her my experience, Long
may the protective tariff wave" We
girls are not ungrateful to our Uncle