The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1897-11-27
CLEO SAVED EVERY CENT.
Dancers Mother Had Many Economical Devices
Besides Washing Her Clothes.

From the New York Journal
BY the theater-goeIs of New York Cleo
De IMerode was pronounced a 'frost."
By the servants of the Imperial hotel the
mother of Cleo was pronounced "a fam
ine." If economy is a necessary road
Ito wealth, the hotel chambermaids and
walters ait the hotel aver that Mere Me
rode lis travelling THAT thoroughnare at a
break-nack speed. Tt is probable that the
worthy and watchful mamma of the ear
less dancs.r took back with her to France
about flve-sixths of her daughters salary
in addition to a hearty disgust ait the
prices of the necessities of life.
Mamma" said Cleo one day i'm the
hearing Of tha French chambermaid 81
must have a new pair of slippers. See,
these are dreadfully ripped at the sides"
New slippers?" The good Mrs. Mr.
ode was horror-strfcken. ''Whiat exrav-
agance is this!' she exclaimed. New
slippers, indeed. 1 shall lake those to
SHOEMAKER and have them repa red. Or,
better STILL win fix them myself"
Then the good Mrs. Merode rang for
the hall boy, and a itranslated colloquy
took place. Had the garcon a-what you
cabbage needle. No? Could III get
one, and would he be SO good as to get
some heavy black thread?
The youth, seeing no Gal4c backEiheesh
forthcoming, and not feeling DIT a part of
his duty to provide guests with needles
and thread failed to procure the neces-
sary articles. The porter was appealed
to. Not having much experience with
guests in the upper regions, he proved
easy prey. He provided needles and
waxed thread, and for half a day there
after,the worthy Mother Merode worked
at her daughters foo.gear.
Not only this, but she repaired her
own, and wipan the porter called again
he received the needle in two broken
halves, and never a bit of thread. "Ze
bad needle broke" explained Mrs. Mer-
ode. through the chambermaid. Then
she closed the door without so much as
giving the porter the price of beer.
"She was thu stingiest thing l ever
busted a room for" said one of the maids
a few days ago; ST have seen her sitting
at the window da ming stockings that
were little better than patch anyway.
I wish you could have stem some of Mrs.
Microbes stockings. I remember one of
them in particular. Between the patches
of it ON the foot there was not a bit of
surs-enough stocking left. Cleofs were a
little better, but 1 have seen her get mad
at her mother many time ON account of
her st.ngiDess. That is, the maid and
me was friends, and she told me.
"'You need not get mad my daughter
Mrs. Merode would say. Some time you
VIII b. old and wrinlkled, and men will
not smile upon you. Then we will have
our own coach, and cam turn up our
noses as we ride along the Bois.'
"But even this would not pacify Clio.
I watched all the time she was her= and
I never saw her. i'm the company of
man without her mother was there to
hear what was going on. Time enough
for you to fall in love and get married
after you cannot dance any more Mrs.
Mero3e would say.
"Stingy? Why You never saw amy
thing like it. AS long as she was in this
house she never loosened up to a SER
want, or gav- one cent. La! She was
that n-ean she laiid awake thinking how
to malss one cent do the work of two.