Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1848-10-18

EY T. 8. ARTATR.

"CANT afford II! loo many mouths u
feod-ioo many backs 10 cover lis q
luxury should very much like to ind bulge
in-no man fonder Of reading than am
blu, can't afford it, SIR
''Is's only three dollars q year. Less
than six-pence a week."
81 know. But three dollars q year
will buy half q barrel Of flour and give
my family bread for month. It's no
use to talk, my friend. know exactly
my own ability. and know that | can.
afford to take the mugazine.''
And then Mr.. Rivers closed the. matter
with pcrsevcring ''canvasser." who was
industriously trying to add to tho subscriP-
ton list Of a certain highly popular maya
zinc.
81 think you might have taken it, papa
said Mary Rivers, greatly disappointed.
II never SEQ a magazine or newspaper
unless ] borrow from Jane Tompkins. and
know her father grumbles ut her hem
ever he catches her lending them"
81 might do n great many things, child d.
it | was made Of money, which am very
sorry 10 say is t the case," returned
would take all the magazines and news
papers III mo Country, Out eau duo 81
that ends the matter"
And thus ending it, Mr.. Rivers turned
away from his disappointed daughter and
left the house.
Mary Rivers was extremely fonl Of
reading and Ind. dozens Of times, begged
her father to take Cooley" or some OF
the other magazines or papers, but his
uniform answer was, IL can't afford it,
50 che was forced to borrow from Jane
rompkins, whose father subscribed for
half q dozen mogazines and newspapers.
and thought the monev we'll laid out
10 have 10 borrow she thought bad enough.
but tho worst Of the matter was, no sooner
did she bring n magazine or newspaper
into tho house, than il was caught up by
one hungry member after another. Away 5
INC iuding her father, and its contents de-
vourcd by each, and this often before she
could get ciinnco TO read half q dozen
pnges or columns. The newspaper, maya
zine, whichever It might be, never pa ssed
through the entire family Of Mr.. Rivers
without being considerably the worse for
wear. The papers were sol!eJ, rump'ed.
the folds worn through or torn, while the
ma "a zines were sent homo often sadly
d stigured. Al this to Mary was very
mor.ify ing, md often prevented her from
asking to borrow the new numbers of the
magazines, although. to use her own
words, sometimes, she was ''dying 10 see
,hem."
1, was n warm day in July, and Mr..
Rivers, who had, about six months before,
Joined the temperance society, felt very
dry as he walked along the street. Before
-. liz, Il t,.~~y N nd
a similar state Of thirst with an iced puach
or u mint-julcp. Now he merely stepped
into druggists and called for glass OF
mineral water, for which he paid his ftp,
thinking. if he thought at all about tho
expense, that it was tho merest trIt1e IN The
world. An hour afterwards he INDUCED
in the luxury Of couple Of oranges, at
four cents each, which tempted hlm as he
passed a fruit stall.
"Rivers," said a neighbor. stepping in
to his store after dinner, ''l,'s terrible hot,
and as there is nothing doing. I've made
up my mind to take a little excursion
down the river in tho steamboat that
leaves at four o'clock. Come-on along.
won't you! We con be homo by toa-
time"
81 don't caro- if do,' replied Rivers,
IL want little recreation badly"
A thought Of tho expense or whether
he could afford it never crossed his mind.
At four no was on board the steamboat.
after having spent shilling for cigars
which were sha red with his neighbor.
"Come, let's have glass of Lemonade
he said, shortly after they were on boa I'd
the steamboat; and tho two mon went to
the bar and zach drank a COOL glass OF
lemonade, for which Rivers settled
Shortly afterwards the fare was called for.
II was only twenty-five cents.
''Cheap enough" remarked Rivers.
Eyes, cheap as dirt. No wonder the
boat is crowded"
Twelve and a half cents more were spen,
turned from the excursion. He could
afford this very we'll.
On arriving in the city, between seven
and eight O'Clock in the evening, it occur
red to him that, rs long as he had been
enjoying himself go we'll, he ought to take
something home for his family that was
a little nice. While wondering what tins
should be. he passed fruit shop. in the
window Of which was large display Of
oranges.
I'LL take a dozen oranges home-tha
will do" he said.
And 50 he went in and got q dozen
oranges, for which he paid thirsy-sever
and a half cents; and bought besides ftp:
worth of tobacco.
The extra spendings Of Mr.. Rivers. who
could not afford to take magazine, were
for that day. just one dollar and t~en',
cents. or ut the rate Of three hundred ant
sixty dollars year! And We, Mr.. Rivers
thought himself very economical man
and took merit to himself for saving OF
ne wspapcrs and magazines.
| On the next day. Mr.. Rivers felt as /
| he needed a little exercise-he was 81
closely confined in his store-and as |
/ was dull, he could as easily be spared a
not. So he hired horse and sulky for I
dollar and half, and took pleasant rid
to himself. Previously TO his riding out
ne spen, q shilling in mineral water