Litchfield enquirer., 1842-01-13
New-HavepxAHeh9Esin~ Nt1e ? iladslpAia NasiOMal Casst:
 .ONT,Y HALF A DOLLAR"

3ONLY HALF A DOLLAh. -
 . nowrsrTc SKETCH ADAPTED TO THE TIMES: [ We dined with our friend !Tomson the olh- CT day, It was the first time we had been to see him since h0 quit hts large mouse In Walnut street, and moved to his present small one. Every thing looked comfortable enough about his new dwelling, except Mrs. Thomson, and she declared there was no' room enough to turn about in such IHtie hole. Tomson, however, has borne nls re, verses with admirable fortitude and s9oo huuor, considering how immensely rich ne | wns. or was supposed to be, which is the sanne thing, few years ago. Misery loves company. It is one thing to tal or curtaIl now.a.days: when nearly every one IS doing the same thing; but 1t was quNe anotnet thing four years ago, when all the world rooe a high horse. To return to our lriehd 1onl' son9his lands, his loans, have turned out to have no more substance than the father of Glenn's caponaceous compound. Ills Iour- teen sections in Illinois are for some cause or other-remoteness from the market. pre- valence of milk sickness in the neighbor- hood. or something of this kind-worth less than the original Government price. The IIug.a.mug and Derry Down Railroad Loan, and the stock of the FlipAap Bank, in which he was interested to the amount of forty- eight thousand dollars, are now quoted so low that he considers them worth little or nothing. 'rni ...a.. A....S,
 But as we remarked when we sat down to dinner, "every thing is so deprecated m value that no man can tell what he is worth" !" and SO we place no positive estimate upon his property. We have said the house IS comfortable, and so it is. He has persuaded Mrs. Tomson to part with few of the most splendid articles of her Furniture, purchased within the last five years, because Mrs. Tom son has the good taste to see that they do not become her present contracted establish ment. As we were dining, the conversation was partly about the change in MT. Tom son style of living. We have always been very intimate, and he tells us all about his affairs. srts rt s ..,u s.I4y.. s. .;.,.
 "I have told Mrs. Tomson," said he in the course of the talk, eat least one hundred times, within the last month, that find that our expenditures must not exceed two thou. sand five hundred dollars a year" "Iwill vouch for your having said so a thousand times," rejoined our hostess. "1 hear no- thing but retrenchment, economy, and re- form! The cry is as loud and frequent in this house as it used 10 be among the Harri-' son men beforethe election.",- Mrs, Tomson then addressed herself to us particularly: "Why, sir, I asked Mr. Tomson to order a quart of ice-cream. He knew you would dine with us-but no-it would cost eighty- seven and half cents-and so he must econ. omise, and now we have no ice-cream !'- After the delivery of this speech, Tomson took out his pocket-book and made memo. Tandum init. r.,. ,g-., B, ...-.,a,,. .s,.,..ii
 We remarked that the streets had not look ed very nice recently, and ventured to sug- gest that the new city administration had not yet got warm enough in their places to take a peep out of the windows and see in what . dirty condition are the thoroughfares. ITO, this remark Mrs. TOmson aSsentcd, and add, ed that for her spart,she regretted nothing so much as the giving up. of her carthage ."Jndeed" she added, "I hate cabs, but this morning was out shoppiEa, and the streets were SO uncleanly that got into n cab in Second street, and rode home" "Were you tired, my dear, 50 that you could not walk '" asked Tomson. :" No, but didn't want to walk, and the cab was only 25 cents." Tom- other aemorandam of h.; ,ey ,..., ~, Q You were out, my deap, shopping this morning, you say. What did you buy ," in- quired Tomson. |" Nothing at all, saw fifty things ! wanted, but knew you would be- gin lecture about economy the instant you should see them" " We'll admire your self-denial in buying nothing" :" Nothing! Oh, no. Thought this little pink plush era vat for myself-'he cheapest thing l ever saw. They ask 8 dollar, and quarter in Chesnut street for the same article, and what do you think gave for it?" "Well." re- piled Tomson, "have you not a pink silk one, and do you need this new one?'' Mot positively, but then 1t was only three quarters of dollar" Tomson took out his pocket. book and made another memorandum in it.
 "Welt, Mrs. Tomson," said we, you cer. tainiy have not given your husband cause to 1ectureyou to day on retrenchment, economy and reform, if three quarters of a dollar is the amount of all your shopping" "Siop," exclaimed the lady, Il have not shown you one purchascI made--cheaper4 than the plush cravat. Doiyon see this pair of mitts !-. What do you think l gave for them ?' We could not guess, but Mr. Tomson asked, of what use they were. |" Oh, none at all, an. swercd his wife, but they are so pretty and so very cheap. gave only half dollar for them" Tomson took out his pocket book and made another memorandum in it.
 3tn Tomson what are you writing in that book" asked we inquisitiyely. ,ssWell, I wiil show you" said he, and then placed the book in our hands, where we read in pencil 1he following entries;--a q h .y.gs,,..r' " Credit J. T. for ice.cream not ,', -. '', | 'S bought, 67 7l-2cts. .-., ...+ .hs. Charge Mrs. Y. for cab hire -ia8 n when she could walk, ,,y, only 25 cts. Charge Mrs. T. for pink plush l''~'' nf cravat, not wanted, .., only 75 cts Charge Mrs. T. for mil,s, not
 '"4 wanted. only 50 cts.
 
 't-sit..a --e y,4a@aF n ,i s.t, jsl .k0 After we had examined these entries, dur. ing which time MF. and Mrs. Tomsorl sat silent. he took the book. wrote something mora in if and then retaarnat ii to ,,s ,,;,S