The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1914-01-16
The FRUGAL PAST
4 Pair of Trousers Went a Long
Way In the Good Old Days.
Wall OF A MAN IN A CROUCH.
His Wife's Reckless Gift to Tramp Of
Ono Of His Battered CastoH Gar.
nnents Moved Him to Touching Dis

Ono of His Battered Castoff Gar.
nnents Moved Him to Touching Dis
eourse on the Vice of Extravaeancs.
"A poor man came to the door this
afternoon and asked if had any ole
clothes | could spare" said Mrs. James
worthy. 81 gave him those gray trou.
sers Of yours, as they were too badly
worn out for you to use them again
They were all faded and full of holes. y
''TLe next time you undertake to dis.
tribute my raiment among the prole
tariat, Mrs. Jamesworthy." returned
her grouchy husband, you might at
least consult me. You are assuming
altogether too much when you take 1t
for granted that ! am done with a
pair OF trousers. AS things are going
now In the business world | find Ii ex-
| pedlent to wear such garments SO long
as there is any way TO fasten my sus-
! penders to them.
"Times are growing worse and
worse. and the financial stringency Is
breaking all records. and the man who
strives to support his family has
troubles enough without coming home
to find that the wife Of his bosom has
given his purple and fine linen to some
body's wandering boy.
81 had expected to get two seasons
wear out Of those trousers. and had
sentimental fondness for them. as
wore those trousers on that red letter
day when. three years ago. | stood in
the White House and proudly shook
hands with the illustrious president OF
this great and glorious republic.
hoped to hand them down to my chill
dren's children. so that when am
cold In my grave they might contem-
plate those historic trousers with
streaming eyes and recall the glorious
occasion ! have referred TO. Now | no
longer have a souvenir OF my meeting
with the president, and postcrity is
robbed Of great privilege by reason
Of your Needless course
I'D never think of giving away
anything of yours without your up.
proval. Mrs. Jamesworthy Time and
again ! have been tempted To call i'm
some poor but respectable widow with
large family to support and give her
your false hair, which has become an
eyesore to me. as | find II lying aroHnd |
wherever ] go. but | felt 1t would be |
doing you an injustice and refrained. |
Yet when an unknown hobo comes to |
our door asking for refreshments you
hand him my cherished trousers, which |
are more to me than pride of ancestry
or pomp OF power
Your action Is fair sample OF the
extravaganza which keeps men for
ever walking I'm the shadow OF the
poorhouse have no doubt that my
sainted mother would roll over in ne,
grave If she could know of such dolngs
Under her wise and skillfu manage
ment my father had chance to ac-
cumulate n few piasters for his old
age He wore his trousers until they
were full OF holes; then my mother
took them and half soled them and
made them as good as new. and he
wore them for another term of years
|
their original color might have been
when they were too far gone for
further use mother made them over
SO the older son could wear them, and
when he had used them five or six
years there still was enough sound ma.
terial In them to make n pair for the
son. was that youngest
son. and all through my boyhood and
even In early manhood | was wearing
expurgated editions Of my fathers
trousers.
You may make as many faces as
you please. Mrs Jamesworthy. and
point the finger OF scorn until the cows
come home. but that doesn't change
the fact that Ii was economy of this
sort that kept our parents in ignorance
,f such things as the bankruptcy court
Ind the associated charities When |
lad worn those historic trousers for
Few summers and winters, until they
would answer the purpose no longer,
ny mother cut them up into strips and
made rag carpets of them and those
rag carpets were more sensible and
more serviceable than the tailor made
affairs you have strewn over these
loors.
AFTER this. please. you will call me
nto executive session before giving
iway any OF my habiliments. Mrs.
Mason in Chi
ago News.