The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1893-07-04

1t was not simplicity and thoughtful
ness for me that inspired this idea. 1t
was the cunning of madness. That
other paper published most of the dry
goods advertisements.
'Anita's mornings were now spent In
| the study of the newspaper. would
come into the little parlor of our fiat to
find her porting over them, and she
always had one beside her at the break
fast table. She became distracted, and
sometimes careless Thinking that she
was interested in the current news, ]
| tried to draw her into conversation on
political or social topics. You know
| am not of serious nature
The bright and trivial events Of
| life have their value for me. |
had never seen any very great
depth in my wife, but believing
that an absorbing interest in the ques-
tions of general discussion was filing
her mind and disturbing her thoughts,
l made 1t point from time to time to
take up some current topic, after due
preparation, to discuss it with her. But
l never seemed to be able to find one
| that was pleasing Her ideas on the
CHILEAN question were most vague and
indefinite; her knowledge of what was
being done in congress was super
| fetal; the business world seemed 30
claim little of her interest, and Grim
inal and religious topics were alike
blank to her. She tried to fall in with
my thoughts, and seemed pleased to
hear what | had to sayS but | always
found that was better informed than
she. At last one morning she preached
to me the subject of her thoughts;
though at the time did not appreciate
the Importance of what she said. l had
asked her again and again if could
not get something for her to make her
happier; but she always answered:
No, am quite content knew, in
time, that she was struggling vainly
with the mania which finally became
too strong for her. 1t broke out first
on that particular morning.
John she said, In her pleading,
tender way, may / have little money
TO 90 shopping with this morningY
GAS much as you wish, my dear l
answered. I am glad you have discov-
cred something that you want. l have
been trying to, these many days
set is not just something that
want John, she said, but they are
selling out all-wool ohallies at Burns
at such low price that think ought
to get enough for dress. l may need it
In the spring.
'As you can imagine, 'all-wool chal-
lies was rather unintelligible to me, so
fresh from bachelorhood; but whatever
it was | was determined that my wife
should have all that she wanted of 1t.
So took out a ten-dollar bill and asked
her If that would be enough. She in
sisted that she did not need so much;
but pressed it on her, and finally she
took it. That night came home with
tickets for the opera and bunch of
great big Baroness Rothsohild roses.
"'Oh, you extravagant boyl she ex-
claimed, as s he met me with kiss.
Come in and let me show you how 1
have been saving money for you while
you have been spending it,
"She took me into the little parlor
and spread before me some figured
cloth. 1t was quite pretty, suppose;
am not much of judge In such mat
tiers. 1t cost only forty cents yard,
john she said, with laugh, and it
should have been fifty, at least. That
was six dollars; and with the rest of
the money here she drew me laugh
ingly down the hall to the door of our
little dining-room with the rest,
john she said. pointing triumphantly
at heap of plated ware on the table,
i got such a splendid bargainl Just
think of spoons at lightweight cents
dozen, and knives and forks almost as
cheapp
"'But Anita, darling, I said, what
are you going to do with that of solid
silver my father gave us? and the case
that came from my old chums of the
law school? We thought we had more
silverware than we could use up in all
our lives
You dear silly goosep she answered,
putting her arms about my neck; I'VE
don't want to use that solid silver for
every day. And, besides, one of these
days we may want some of this plated
ware, and we would have to pay twice
as much for It,.
81 kissed her on both cheeks, and told
her she was a very thoughtful little
girl. She was filed with quite glow
Of pride that evening, and l think the
memory of my words made PATHS sing
ing all the sweeter to her. For two or
three days she subdued her molina
lions; but one morning they became
too strong for her. She startled me at
the breakfast table with the announce
ment that she was going to get a cop
per- bottomed tea-kettle at Chase's. I
said: I think our kitchen outfit is quite
complete, my dear. My mother is an
old housekeeper, and she fitted up our
kitchen herself
eyes, know she said. 1T was SO
sweet of your mother; and am quite
sure there is everything that we actual
ly need. But they are selling house
hold goods for almost nothing at
Chase's to-day, and we'll never get
tea-kettle for twenty-nine cents again.
And there are two or three other things
In this advertisement / think I'll get
And she did. They came home that
evening-so many OF them that heard
our kitchen maid protesting that there
was no room for them in the little
pantry.
1.-TWO days later my wife said that
she was going to get banquet lamp.
| Better let me get it for YOU sug-
gested. i can have a much larger Sc
| lection to choose from at the down
| town wholesale stores No, you ex-
travagant boyP she said, you would
spend twice as much as is necessary. !
| They are selling them at McCraw's to-
day for two dollars and ninety-seven.
cents They are part of the holiday
stock, left over made no further OBJ
lection, and the next day we had a ban,
quet lamp In our little parlor. 1t was,
all out of harmony with the dainty fur,
nishings which my sisters had selected
for me; but then, my wife said, 1t was
worth at least Ave dollars, and SO we
had made quite saving in getting it.
my wife's passion for the bargain
counter now began to rage unre-
strained. Every day think she found
something In the advertising columns
OF the papers which fed her appetite for
shopping and satisfied this craving for
saving money! as she called it. One
day she would buy a quantity of green
ribbon, and explain to me that she
thought she might want a green dress
some day; then she would haunt the
stores for the material for that green
dress. Her taste ranged through the
whole catalogue of purchasable arti-
cles.
zone evening my mother met me on
my way home. 4 have Just left Anita,
she said Tell me, John, why You have
crowded all those ugly chairs and things
into your pretty apartment. There is
hardly room to turn around. l made