Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1848-12-01
MISCELLANEOUS.
From Godey's Lady's Book.
Can't Afford ii.
PY T. S. ARTHUR.

u OniN bll't uOlldls d 1edIs bCSS lidl
s~ixpcnce a week.
Il know. But three dollars a year will
buy half a barrel Of flour and give my family
bread for a month. It's no use to talk, my
friend. | know exactly my own ability, as
know that ! can't afford to take the maya
ZIue.'
Il think you might have taken it, papa
said Mary Rivers, greatly disappointed. Il
never see a magazine or newspaper unless
borrow from Jane Tompkins, and | know her
father grumbles at her whenever he catches
her lending them
i might do a great many things, child, if
! was made of money, which am very sor-
nv 10 say is not the case returned Mr.. Ri
vers. If | could afford it, ! would take all
the magazines and newspapers in the coun-
try; but ] can't, and SO that cTds the mat
ter
And thus ending it, Mr.. Rivers turned
away from his disappointed daughter and LETT
the house.
Mary Rivers was extremely fond Of read
ing, and had, dozens of times, begged her
father 10 take Cooley or some OF the other
magazines or papers, but his uniform answer
was, . | can't afford it, so she was forced 10
borrow from Jane Tompkins, whose father
subscribed for half a dozen magazines and
3 nv W hAAo INV ~ WV '@ffN - '''1
out. To have TO borrow she thought bad
enough, but the worst of the matter was, no
sooner did she bring a magazine or newspa-
per into the house, than it was caught up by
one hungry member after another, always M
Guiding her father, and its contents devourCd
by each, and this often before she could get
q chance to read half a dozen pages or col
INNS. The newspaper or magazine, which,
ever it might be, never passed through the
entire family Of Mr.. Rivers without being
considerably the worse for wear. The pa
pers were seiled, rumpled, the folds worn
through or torn, while The magazines were
sent home often sadly disfiguered. All this
TO Mary was very Notifying, and often pre-
vented her from asking to borrow the new
numbers of the magazines, although, TO use
her " words, sometimes, she was dying
to see them.'
1t was a warm day in July, and Mr.. ri.
vers, who had, about six months before, Join
ed The Temperance society, felt very dry as he
walked along the street. Before siguing the
pledge, he would have quenched a similar
thirst with an iced punch or a mint.julep.-
Now he merely stepped into a druggists and
called for a glass of mineral water, Tor which
he paid his ftp, thinking, if he thought at all
about the expense, that 1t was the merest tri-
fe III the world. An hour afterwards he in
dulged in the luxury of a couple of oranges,
al four cents each, which tempted him as he
passed a fruit stall.
Rivers said a neighbor, stepping into
his store after dinner, it's terrible hot, and
AS there is nothing doing, Pve made up my
mind to take a little excursion down the river
in the steamboat that leaves at four o'clock.
Come-go along, won't you? We can be
home by iea-time.'
Il don't care if | do replied Rivers. Il
want a little recreation badly
y thought Of the expense or whether he
could afford il never crossed his mind.
At -four he was on board the steamboat, af.
ter having spent a shilling for cigars, which
were shared with his neiglibor.
Come, let's have a glass Of Lemonade
he said, shortly after they were on board the
steamboat; and the two men went 10 the bar
and each drank a cool glass of lemonade, for
which Rivers settled. Shortly afterwards
the fare was called for. 1t was only twenty
FIVE cents.
Cheap enough remarked Rivers.
YES, cheap as dirt. No wonder the boat
is crowded.
Twelve and a half cents more were spent
by Rivers for an ice cream before he return
ed from the excursion. lie could afford this
very well.
On arriving in the city, between seven and
eight o'clock in the evening, it occurred 10
him that, so long as he had been enjoying
himself so well, he ought to take something
home for his family that was a little nice
While wondering what this should be, he
passed a fruit shop, in the window Of which
was a large display Of oranges.
III take a dozen oranges home-that will
do, he said.
And SO he went in and got a dozen oran-
ges, Tor which he paid thlrty-seven and a half
cents; and bought, besides, a fps worth Of
tobacco.
The extra spendings OF Mr.. Rivers, who
could not afford TO take a magazine, were, for