St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-06-04
THEIR PET PARSIMONTES.
Confessions of Number of WOm-
en- Concerning Stinginess.


There were six of them who had met
at bargain counter and had joined
forces for luncheon. As they sat about
the restaurant table after they had
given their orders and tarried the wait
er's leisure, their talk drifted from bar
gains to economies, says the New York
Recorder.
IF am stingy about anything it is
about gloves" said the woman with the
eyeglasses, surveying her very shabby
giants de Suede. al like to have my
hands look nice, too, but l cannot bear
to wear good gloves shopping"
"Oh. l never think of ecOnomfZing on
Gloves" said the stout woman. ''Shoes
are my economy. 1t always seems to
| | wear mine until they are positively
| dlsreputable and | feel as if / were
! bound for the dentists when | 60 to the
shoe shop to buy a new pair
dear me, what dIgnified econOmieSw
said the little schoolmistress, who was
taking advantage of Good Friday to do
her spring shopping. Now my pet
stinginess is smaller than either of
yours 1t is paper. never get a letter
with blank half-sheet that l don't tear
off that half sheet and lay it away for
future use. If a bundle come to the
house, | carefully fold the wrapping
paper it comes in and save it and the
twlne, even although L am sure can
never use it."
Il am nearly as bad about boxes. The
closet in my room at the boarding house
is cIuttered with pasteboard boxes of all
sizes, shapes and descriptions. Every
thing comes home in box now, you
know. from anew gown to six shirt but
tons, and l can't bear to throw away
one. | have always heard that any
woman would be wealthy if she saved
her paper and Irvine, but. in spite of all
l have kept, L am still a pauper," and
she buttered a roll and began eating it,
as if that morSel were all that stood be-
tween her and starvation.
Il don't know what my especial per-
sonal economy is" said the minister's
wife. thoughtfully. II have SO many
that it would be hard to name any par
ticular one. But l have household
stinginess and that iS-milk. So much
milk is left every day by the milkman,
and | take it for granted that it will all
be used. But when the cook tells me
that | must get a quart of milk extra,
the iron enters into my soul, and the six
cents that quart of milk costs look
larger than dollar would if spent for
anything else.
mo, mamma. you know you hate to
have things left Oh the plates" struck
in her daughter. mamma always
scolds if we don't eat all we take" she
went on. "She asks us what we took it
for if we didn't mean to eat it,
The minister's wife flushed and
looked so embarrassed that the school,
mistress took pity upon her.
Haven't men any pet parslmOniesT'
she asked. ''or are they entirely made
up of eXtravagant impulses?'
Mercy, no'' said the stout woman.
"Mr. Potts, my first husband, was one
of the most generous men that ever
lived, but he would walk three miles
any day in the week to save five cents
car fare. Coming home from church
he'd say: DO you care to ride?' OF
course [ do I'd say. DO you suppose
person of my figure wants to tramp
twelve blocks to church and twelve
back?' And do you know he'd put me
in the car, and walk home by himself
just to save the car fare"
The hearers looked trifie uncertain
as to whether they should smile or sigh
at this "reminiscences of the defunct
Potts, and the newspaper woman came
to the rescue.
"My stinginess is postage stamps" she
said solemnly. 81 will beg, borrow Or
well-almOst steal postage stamp be-
fore / will buy one. l will ask my
friends to stamp and post my letters in
the most barefaced manner. always |