The Literary echo, and Pawcatuck advertiser. [volume] (Westerly, R.I.) 1851-1854, 1851-11-06
Selected.
CAN'T GET ALONG.
BY T. s. ARTHUR.
frnnclnInI


Mrs. Hall did not reply for some mo-
ments, and then she said
Il will do so, provided you let me man
age things in my own way for year; and
also, provided you will be content with five
dollars a quarter for your tobacco and Sc
gars; also, provided that you will shave
yourself and black your own bo It's or let
me do it for you; and also take your lun-
cheon from home instead of buying it; by
all of which about sixty dollars a year can
be saved.'
Sixty dollars 1t don't cost half of that
sum, Harriet
Count it up for yourself, Felix. Why
shilling day for lunch amounts to thir-
ty-seven dollars year,
$50 it does How little things do count
up. Well, wife, if you'll take hold in good
earnest, I'll do just as you say for
one year, and if you bring down the cost
of living as much as hundred dollars, l
will let you manage money matters ever
AFTER
IF 1 don't bring it down three hundred
dollars, am Mistaken replied Mrs. Hall
in confident tone for light had suddenly
broken into her mind. The account which
her husband had given of three days. dis
pensation of money, under his system,
showed her where the leak was.
Here are twenty dollars to begin with,
all that 1 have left from my last quarters
salary, after keeping three dollars and a
half for MY tobacco and segars during the
next three months. When it is gone, ]
will borrow as much as you want to carry
you on until l can draw more money!
At the rate Hall was going on, it woulc
have taken little over week to have
entirely emptied his pocket book but i
was a month before his wife asked for ;
fresh supply.
One of Mrs. Halls first acts was to buy
backing and brushes, and discharge thu
boot black. For week she brushed hel
husbands boots every morning, before he
discovered that the boot black had beer
dismissed then he accidently caught hel
in the act of frightening his leather under
standings, very greatly to his surprise
After that he shaved himself and blacked
his own boots without feeling himself in the
least degraded thereby.
Five dollars a quarter for tobacco, Sc
gars, and other little nicknackeries, Mr.
Hall found to be a rather limited income
but, as he had agreed to meet his extra ex.
penses with this sum, he felt some pride ii
doing so. In order to accomplish it, how,
ever, he bad to abate many glasses of wine
and mineral water, and limit himself to g
certain number of segars daily.
At the end of the first quarter, Mrs Hal
received one hundred and seventy dollars
from her husband. Eighty dollars she
had received before, and as this had
been borrowed by her husband, he kept
that amount from his three months salary
in order to pay it back.
BY extra cxertions, and system of al
most pinching economy, Mrs. Hall manag
ed to pay the rent and few small bills
and get through without asking her hus
band for cent more so that when the
salary became due again she had mucl
larger sum to start with. From that time
not even bakers bill was permitted tc
accumulate; and her milk bill was settled
once week.
Mr.. Hall sometimes complained little
at his wife's short commons as he called
them, and at being cut off from all plea.
sure-taking, but she consoled him by tell.
ing him, good humoredly, to wait awhile
that there was a good time coming
The year for which Mrs. Hall had un-
dertaken to mango affairs at last came to
close, and one evening she said to her
husband
Here are my accounts for the year.
They are not very neatly kept, but l pre-
sumo you will find all correct
Accounts Have you kept accounts'
asked Mr.. Hall.