Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1852-04-23
sally Lyons First and Last Visit 10 the
' Ale-lIOuse.
4Y Z. s. ARTHUR

BY I. s.. ARTHUR
This story IS founded upon brief narrative
whi,h met the authors eve in an English pa
per.
When Sally Lester gave her hand in mar
riage to RALPH Lyon, she was a delicate. timd
pll of eighteen. who had passed the spring
t,ac of life happily beneath her fathers roof.
| 70 her, care. and anxiety, a1d trouble were yet
strangers. The first few years of her married
| life passed happily-for Ralph was one of the
aindcst of husbands, and suffered his wife to
lean upon him so steadily, that the native
strength of her own character remained unde-
yeloped.
Ralph Lyon was an industrious mechanic,
who always had steady work and good wages.
Still he did not seem to get ahead as some 9TH
ers did, notwithstanding Sally was frugal
wife and did all her own work, instead of put
ting him to the expense of help in the family
OF course, this being TIE case, it was evident
there was a leak somewhere, but where 1t was,
neither Ralph nor his wife could tell.
! Thomas Jones has bought tie piece of
ground next 10 his cottage said Ralph, one
| day to Sally, and says that next year he hopes
to be able to put up small farm house, large
enough for them to live in. He lad sixty dol
lars for the lot. and it is at least quarter OF
an acre. lie is going TO put it all IN garden
! this spring, and he says he will raise enough
to give him potatoes and other vegetables for
a wear to come. It puzzles me to know how
ne saves money. He doesn't get any better
wages than do, aud his family is quite as
large
4 am sure returned Sally. who felt thai there
was something like reflection upon her in
what her husband said taat Nancy Jones does
rot spend her husbands earnings more frugal
" than do mine. Every week she has wo>
man to help her wash, and do it all myself.
4 am sure it isn't your fault--at least don't
tkink it is, replied Ralph, but something Is
wrong somewhere. doi.'t spend anything at
all, except fo. a glass or two every day. md a
little tobacco and this, of course, couldn't
make the difference
Sally said nothing. 4 few glasses day and
tlbacco. she knew must cost something, tho
Ike her husband she did not believe 1t would
mike the difference of buWng quarter OF an
acre of ground, and building snug cottage IN
the course of few years.
Let lis see how this is Perhaps we ccn ind
out the leak that wasted Tie substance OF Ralph
Iivon lie never drank less than three glasses
=, lav. and sometimes four, and his tobacco cost
faf smoking and chewing, Just twelve and a
+ half cents "A week. Now, how much would
this amount to: Why, to Just si%ty-tive dol
lars a year, provided but three glasses DAY
, we're taken, and aothlng was spent III ueh'ihg
a friend. But the limit was rot always ooaerV-
ed. and the consequence was that, take Tue
Jear through, at least eighty dollars were spent
in drinking, smoking and chewing, uhucr-
standing this tie thing is very plain. In four
years, eighty dollars saved IN eacn year Wo"lu
give the handsome sum of three hundred ana
L. lu IDups x.
smoked r.or chcwcd, and consequently not only
saved money enough i'll few years to bnlIG
himself u suur little house, bIt could afford
during thf time, TO let ms wife have washer
woman to help her every wee, and to dress heF-
self much more comfortable 'AaA oa''y hyoA
had been able to 90.
The difference N the condition OF the TWO
families st 'rs lyon to tnlnkIhT very serious
ly about ti:, matter. and thlnKing ana Caicu'd'
ting soon i.ladc the cause quite pam 10 her -
1t was the drinking ana tne Smoking D"'
with discov' ry OF me cVlI ala NOT come
cheering CONSCIOUSNESS OF It's easy removai.-
How could she ask Ralph to give up MS giaSS'
and his tobacco to both OF winch he seemed
so strongly welded. lie worked hard Tor MS
money. and f he choose to ENJOY 1t n that
way. she had no heart to Interfere with him.
But from the time that Ralph discovered no"
well his nelghbor Jones was getting along
while he, llkc horse in mill, had been toll
ing and sweGtlng Tor years, ana YET $1,000 III tNe
same place, he became dl.satiSied' ana o'ter
expressed his dissatisfaction to Sally, at inc
same time declaring his inability to tell where
the money he earned went to.
At length Sally vcntured to hint at the truth
But Ralph met 1t with
Pooh nonsense. Don't tell me that glass
of liquor now and then. and bit OF tobacco
, are going to make the difference. IT lsn rea-
sonable. Besides, work very hard and Ger
iaiTly ought to have little comfort with 1T
Wen am tired, glass warns me up, an(
makes me bright again and am sure coul'
not do without my pipe
\ don't ask you to do so, Ralph replied Sal
ly, i only said what did, that you might SCI
why we couldn't save money like our nelghbo
Jones' am sure am very careful IN our eN
penses. ar.l havn't bought myself new cow
- for long time, although am very hard q
clothes.'
The wcy in which Ralph replied to HI
wfcs suggestion of the cause of the evil com
planned of determined her to say ne more an
as he felt some convictions On the subject