Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1904-11-18
THE psAcoN's DINNER.
How Q Good Husband Was Cured o.
His One Weakness.

How q Good Husband Was Cured OF
His One Weakness.
Mrs. Smart was getting her best
china ready for a large dinner she
was about to give. and her cousin
Ella Dale, was helping her, when
Deacon Smart stuck his bald heaa
| In at the door.
"My dear" he said, there's paper
of pins for you."
Mrs. Smart nearly dropped sau-
Ger in CONSERVATION.
what, again? More pinsy she
asked.
eyes. my dear" said the deacon
unctpously pins are always use
full" Go.
"oh, yes, pins!" said Mrs. Smart
giving her glass towel II toss as sne
wiped the last globule of moisture
from n goblet. "But not rows OF rusty
wire, I do say for 1t, Ebenezer-'
'pm going to Glen Depot, my dear
the deacon somewhat hurriediy inter-
rupted at this juncture; and perhaps
7 shan't be home till one O'CLOCK
He withdrew, and Mrs. smart
turned to Ella with a half laugh.
"There. my dear" said she, throw
ing down the faded green roll OF PIN
naper on the dresser-"there you De-
hold the secret of my domestic I'M
banniness-the skeleton In my cioset'
ella opened her round. hazea eyes
very wide. p.
'I can't think what you mean, Ju-
LANAI she said, you unhappy, ana
the dear deacon such truly goou
MANI" A..
.That's the trouble" said MIS-
Smart: 'he is too good"
But / don't hardly see how that
can be possible" protested Ella, more
perplexed than ever.
"And it's all at my expense, salo
Mrs. smart, dolefully. do you see
the paper of pins?" -,
"Why. of course l see it, said
Ella.
"weu Mr.. Smart has bought that
naper of pins of pedler at the door,
ia Ngrs smart 'Pedlers always
come here. This house is Mecca TO
the race of pedlers. They know that
Mr.. Smart always buys of them-ne
too good hearted to say no; or rain
er-let us speak the truth, and Shame
him who shall be nameless between
us-he is really too indolent to resist
their opportunities"
Ella burst out laughing.
"TH,t what an insignificant little
trial." she said.
eOh. yes, dare say!" said Mrs.
cr,ort ..Tha sting of a hornet isn't
so very terrible in itself, but when a
whole swarm is loose upon you, what
them"
"a whole swarm?" repeated inno-
cent Ella.
"Mv dear" said Mrs. Smart, lower
ing her voice to a confidential WIS
ner. "up stairs in my bedroom closet
II have IS papers of just such cheap
nins-utterly useless for anything pu'
to bend themselves up double wnen
Won try to put them through a single
| thickness of calico and to deprive you
of your temper just when you need II
most; six cards Of porcelain buttons
an article which / never use; nine
nackages Of stove backing, 13 bottles
of machine oil, five papers OF rusty
needless a dozen pairs of shoe strings
and eight rolls Of tape, which is an
to get ten pennies for that same out
rageous paper of pins!'
And she cast baleful glance az
the article, which still lay on the
dresser.
"This is piracy" said Ella, judic-
tally.
cts highway robbery" declared
Mrs Smart. "And there comes the
butchers cart, and I haven't money
enough left from my weeks allowance
to buy a single steak and here II is
only Wednesday,"
cant you buy on credit"
"Neyer!" said Mrs. Smart, with
spirit. "It's thing l never nave done
and never will do"
Elias hazel eyes sparkled as she
shook her head vehemently at the
insult to ones common sense! Ii
could reconcile it to my conscience
Ira fling the whole collection into the
fire: but 1 was brought up to econo-
mize What do you think, Ella
Would it be a sin to annihilate al
these pitfalls to my equanimityT
"Its rather a hard problem said
Ella, soberly.
"And with all this" said Mrs
Smart. waxing vehement as she wen'
on, "Ebenezer is unwilling to give me
money to buy decent darning needles
and resnectable tape. He wonders
WHY 1 can't make my dresses last
little longer and thinks I am extrava-
CANT in wanting a new feather 1oi
my old velvet bonnet. He says tha'
I use too many raisins and spices
and asks me why I can't raise poul-
try and have eggs in exchange fol
groceries at the village store. Anc
yet-oh, the inconsistency Of men--ht
expects me to give a bowl of coffee
and sandwich, to say nothing o.
wedges of apple-pie and three-cor'
nered bits of cake to every able-bod-
led tramp and stout pedler woman
who happen to come along"
Doesn't he make any allowance FOL
it in the housekeeping money!" asked
Ella.
mot he! Just look here!" Mrs
Smart opened the drawer of th'
kitchen table. "This is where l keel
the housekeeping money-which M
pives me every week: and he came