Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1852-08-05
CAN'T GET ALONG.

returned Mrs. Hall, sadly, for she felt
that her husbands remark was more than
half intended as refection'upon her
"I only keep one girl, and do nearly all
my own sewing"
81 don't blame you, Harriet" said Mr..
Hall, "I am sure I don't. I know you
work hard-too hard; [ often wish it was
easier for you. But what can / do! My
salary is only thousand dollars. And
yet that is all Hawkins receives, and he
seems to get along so smoothly, and even
lays by, he tells me, hundred dollars a
year"
"I don't know how they do it," replied
Mrs. Hall, ''I know that Mrs. hawkins
doesn't work half as hard as do, though
her house always looks in better order
thanmine. They have better furniture than
we have, and [ am sure Mrs Hawkins
clothes cost double what mine do l don't
think it is my fault"
/ {" don't say it is, Harriet 1 believe
you do your part the best you know how.
But something must be wrong, somewhere.
Other people can live very well on thous-
and dollars, while we are always owing
bills to this, that, and the other one
Here is the quarters bill for groceries,
amounting to sixty-fve dollars, and [ owe
twenty to my tailor besides Then there
is an unsettled bill at the provision store
of fifteen or twenty dollars, besides the
rent, bread bill, the milk bill, and 1 don't
know how many other bills"
| wish these bills we're not allowed
to run on, remarked Mrs. Hall: L am
sure it would be great deal better to
pay for everything as we 90 along"
So it would, but we havnt the mon
ey to do it with. 1t takes nearly my
whole quarters salary, regularly, to pay
off the bills of three months and then
there is no way to live, but to go on trust
for almost every thing for three months
longer. It's bad system, 1 know, but
there appears to be no help just now"
And in the full conviction that there
was no help for it, Mr.. Hall drew his
quarters salary of two hundred and fifty
dollars, and went and paid off bills and
borrowed money-debts amounting to
two hundred dollars.
Then giving his wife ten dollars to get
little things with, he started, under feel
ing of discouragement, on new quarter,
with but forty dollars in his pocket
Although he had paid two hundred dol
lars of debts, there was almost an equal
amount still hanging over him.
Mr.. Hall was clerk in bank, where
he was engaged, regularly, from eight o.
clock in the morning until about four o.
clock and sometimes FIVE in the afternoon.
He lived in house for which he paid
from a hundred to hundred and fifty
dollars annually. He carried gold le-
yer watch that had cost eighty dollars,
and wore chain for which he had paid
forty. He also INDUCED in one or two
breast pins, and before his fam
lily had become as large as at present, had
spent good deal of money in jewelry
for his wife. But the dropping in of one
child after another, until the number grew
to five interfered with these little indul-
gences very materially, and called so
oudly for self-denial that the appeal could
not be entirely disregarded. But the self
denial was practised more by Mrs. Hall
much more than by her husband. She
ienied herself almost every thing, even
sufficient rest for her over-wearied bod Y,
while he went on, in most things, about the
ame as he did when he had paid eight
lollars week for their boarding, and had
ust the same income they had at present.
But let us look little more closely into his {
Eay of doing things, and see if it is not
'ossible to discover what appeared sogreat
mystery to him. e
On the day after Mr.. Hall had spoken
D bis wife SO despOndingly, he spent for c
Or tobacco and cigars eighteen and three d
uarter cents for luncheon and glass s
{ wine-sangaree, twelve and half cents b
lore and in toys for the children, fifty
ents. L
He also bought bottle of wine, for e
hich he paid seventy-fve cents. These e.