The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1907-09-28
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A PERIOD OF
DROUGHT.

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Every winter when Mrs. Bronson
whose throat was delicate, was pan
ished West or South, her cousin, har-
riet Kingsly, was engaged to motnei
the family.
Miss Kingsly made IN entirely
trustworthy guardian, yet she pos
sessed one striking popularity that
not only amused, but exasperated the
left-at-home Bronsons. Before her
mothers death, Cousin Harriet had
spent twenty years trying to live
within an income that was good
deal too small. Afterward the income
expanded to twice its former size,
but Harriet did not. She had been
cramped too long. Her sober. saving
mind refused to see her former dol
lars doubled: and she continued to
"scrimp" long after the necessity for
scrimping had ceased to exist.
During the luxurious months that
she kept house for her well-to-dO,
open-handed cousin, an employment
that she thoroughly enjoyed, she kept
1t after her own parsimonious fash
Ion. She saved scraps, turned down
all the gas-jets. ordered one pie when
circumstances really demanded two,
used all her matches twice, and by
cutting 1t in two beforehand, COM
PEELED a single beefsteak to serve for
two somewhat restricted meals.
In households where it was need
ed. Harriet's economy would have
proved a blessing; but under the
Bronsons' well-shingled roof frugal
lty seemed an exaggerated virtue. Al
practiced by Cousin Harriet, 1t GER
tainly added nothing whatever to the
Bronsons' comfort, whatever it may
have done toward increasing their
already ample bank account
, Nov, Harriet" Mr.. Bronson would
say. when the cream ran short,
there isn't any earthly reason why
we shouldn't take gallon of milk a
day II We need it. What are we get
ting? You've cut 1t down to .
quart! Dear, dear! And here we are
getting enough cream of one quart
for two able-bodied meals! Harriet.
you'll really be the death Of me!
My system won't stand cream in
such quantities"
But" said Harriet, triumphantly,
i've saved over half the household
allowance this month"
THAT" returned Mr.. Bronson,
would be entirely commendable If
there were any need of saving it;
but theer isn't I'm making it to
spend. I'd rather spend 1t. You
see, the milkman has to live, so does
the grocer, SO does the butcher. BY
the way, tell the cook to broil the
rest of this beefsteak. I'd like to
live myself; I'm sure shan't II l
have to go without cream in my cof-
fee. Why, Harriet, every time l part
with another acre of that mineral
land near Gogibic I'm afrand I'll dis
cover that I'm millionaire! Half of
one, anyway. We can't spent our
money but once. Let's have our
cream while it agrees with u.s.
Gradually good-natured Gershom
Bronson overruled his cousins too
parsimonious habits: not. however,
with entire success, because as fast
as he disposed of one, another broke
out where it was least expected. For
instance, by the time she was con-
vinced that he really could not see
to read with the gas turned down,
Harriet had rescued seven uncanceled
stamps from the waste-basket, soaked
them off and laid them, guiltless of
gum, on her busy cousins desk.
Having a saving sense of humor,-
his only saving quality, Harriet said,
Mr.. Bronson found his economical
relative amusing. And Cousin Har-
riet realized that so much genuine
kindness lurked beneath Gershom
Bronson's bantering that her feelings
were never hurt But she still per-
sisted in going to bed by candle-light
to save gas.
If we had forty Millions" NUT
tered seventeen-year-old Elyda, tying |
q parcel with cord from an astonish-
ingly knobby ball, Cousin Harriet |
would still hoard string. She's saved
enough to last forever. wonder
how It would feel to use brand-new
twine."
YOU'D miss the knots" giggled
Frances.
r See" said Mr.. Bronson. looking