Rensselaer Union and Jasper Republican, Volume 8, Number 22, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 February 1876 — "Reduce or Bast.” [ARTICLE]

"Reduce or Bast.”

He bad been telling her for weeks past that times were tight, money scarce, bankruptcy stalking abroad throngh the land, and so forth, and she had consented to the discharge of the nurse-girl and the up-stairs girl, and had wheedled the cook into doing the general housework. That wasn’t enough. He came home one night and said he was going to discharge the hostler; that money had gone up to thirty per cent; that he couldn’t afford to carry his life insurance any longer; that she musn’t ask for any more new clothes for a year. She went over the house and pinched expenses down again, and tilings ran along until the other day, when he remarked: “ We’ve got to reduce still further or bust!” „ She was pondering over his remarks late that evening when he came home. He was so long getting his overcoat off that she went into the hall. He gave the coat one awful jerk just then and fell over. “ What on earth ails you!” she exclaimed, as she tried to help him up. “ Nozzinghe replied. , As he got up she peered into his face. The fact was as plain as if it had been written oft a whitewashed fence with “colored” tar. “You are drunk!” she said, as she drew back. He gazed at her without replying. “Here you’ve been yelling ‘reduce! reduce!’ all winter, and while I’m trying to reduce you go and get drunk! You’d • Better reduce your whisky!” •i Yi said anvzing ’bout rejuce?” he asked. “ Yes, you have!” “ Wnuz want rejuce for?” “ Only to day you said we’d either got to reduce or bust.” “ Dj say zatT” “Yes, you did.” “Well, ju rejuce?” “No; how could I?” “Zendidn’t I bust?” She laid him on the lounge and went off to bed, and yesterday she was -advertising for an upstairs girl and a nurse.— Detroit Free Pre*t.

Breakfast Pufrs.—Beat up two eggs very light, adding to them one quart or sweet milk, and gradually creaming into it sifted Hour and a little Shit until it is of the consistency of waffle batter. Bake quickly in tin puff-pans, and you will find them closely to resemble- the famed Lapland cakes, for which the Bazar has already furnished a recipe. ij '*