Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1852-1852, 1852-07-02

unsettled bill at the provision store of fifteen or
twenty dollars, besides the rent, bread bill, the
milk bill, and don't know how many other
bills
Il wish these bills were not allowed to run on,
remarked Mrs. Hall: Il am sure it would be
great deal better to.pay for everything as we 60
along
so it would, but we havn't the money to do
it with
It 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 60 on
trust for almost everything for three months lon
ger It's bad system l know, but there ap
pears to be no help for it 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 feeling of discouragement, on a new quar-
ter with but forty dollars in his pocket. AL
though he had paid two hundred dollars 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 two hundred dollars a year, and
paid his tailor from hundred to hundred and
fifty dollars annually. He carried gold lever
watch that had cost eighty dollars, and wore
chain for which he had paid forty. He also in.
dulged in one or two expensive breast-pins and
before his family had become as large as at pre-
sent, 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, in
terfered with these little indulgencies very ma
terially, and called so loudly for selfdenia that
the appeal could not be entirely disregarded.
But the self denial was practiced more by Mrs.
Hall-much more than by her husband. She
denied herself almost everything, even sufficient
rest for her ovcrwearied body, while she went
on in most things about the same as he did when
he and his wife paid eight dollars week for their
boarding, and just the same income they had
at present. But let us look little more closely
into his way Of doing things, and see if it is
not possible to discover what appeared so great
mystery to him.
Yin the day after MIR. Hall had spoken to his
wife so despondingly, he spent for tobacco and
cigars eighteen and three-quarter cents; for
luncheon and glass of wine sangaree, twelve
and half cents more; and in toys for the chill
dren, fifty cents.
He also bought bottle of wine, for which he
paid seventy-fve cents These items amounted
to one dollar and tfty-six and quarter cents, in
single day. On the next day, he paid his bar
ber's bill for three months, which was three dol
lars and half, and his boot blacks BILL which
was two dollars.-Luncheon, and some cakes and
candies for the childIen, cost twenty-five cents,
and very pretty paper folder that struck his
fancy, a trife of twenty-five cents more. Here
were six dollars for the second day, nearly all of
which might have been saved if he had shaved
himself and brushed his own boots, to do either
of which would have been far more honorable,
gentee and praiseworthy, than to indulge in the
luxury of barber and boot-black and let his
wife work herself half to death. On the third
dav he hired a chaise and rode out with his fam
iy after he had left the bank in the afternoon.
The chaise hire was dollar and a half, and the
toll-gates and refreshments for all, fifty cents
more Alr2ady, in lulcs'eon, cigars, and one or
ITO little matters, a hall dollar had been expend-
ed by Mr. Hall in the fore part of the day, so
that on the third day of the week, three dollars
were expended unnecessarily. During this time,
for marketing, shoes for one or two OF the chill
dren, and sundry expenses incident to large
family six dollars melted from the hands of Mrs.
Hall.
On the evening after the ride, Mr.. Hall took
out his pocket-book and counted his money. To
his utter astonishment, and almost dismay, he
found that he had only about twenty-three dol
lars and halt. He counted over and over again,
but could not make it Q cent more Three days
before he had forty dollars,-Ntcr-ss asu!i -siS,
teen and half have flown to He had never
spent it that to his mind was perfectly clear.
Have you taken any money out of my pock-
et-book 2 he asked his wife.
No. certainly not she replied; what should
| take money out of yourpocket-hook for! You
gave me ten dollars, and have eight and a half
Of it left
well, something's gone with aboutten dollars.
I have but twcnty-three and half, and had
forty two or three days ago. Of course, Ihavn't
spent sixteen dollars and over in three days
Certainly not. But where can it have gone
Have you counted right?
'Oh, yes L and Mr.. Hall went over the money
again to see if there was no mistake.
Its too true. l have but twenty-three dol
lars and a half
'Arc you sure you havn't spent it for some
thing?' suggested Mrs. Hall, How else could
| - bo,,o oropo