The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1853-11-26
"CAN'T AFFORD IT."

to teed-too many backs to cover. It's a
luxury | should very much ike to in
dulge in-no man Ionder of reading than
am-but can't afford it, sir"
"l's only three dollars years. Less
| than siXpence week"
81 know. But three dollars year
will buy half a barrel OF flour aud give
my family brea! for month. It's no
use to talk, my friend. know exactly
my own ability, and known that cam
afford TO take the magazine"
And thus Mr.. Rivers closed the mat
ter with a persever'ng ''canvasser," who
was Industriously trying to add to the
subscription list of certain highly pop
ular magazine.
/ 81 think you might have taken it,
papa" said Mary Rivers, greatly disap-
pointed. 81 never see magazine or IA
newspaper, unless borrow from Jane
! TomIkins, and know her father grunl.
bIeS at her wheneverhe catches her lend
! ing them"
a might do great many things,
child. if was made OF money, which |
am very sorry TO say is not the case, "
returned Mr.. Rivers. III | could afford
II, would take all the magazines and
newspapers in the. country; but | can't,
and so that ends the Natter
And thus ending it, Mr.. Rivers turn
ed away from his disappointed daughter
and left the house
Mary Rivers was extremely fond of
reading. and had time and again begged
her father to take some the magazines,
or papers, bat his uniform answer was,
~ can't afford it, so she was forced to
borrow from Jane Tompkns whose father
subscribed for half dozen, and thought
the money we'll laid out. 70 have to
4 borrow she thought bad enough, but the
worst Of the matter was, no sooner did
she bring a magazine or newspaper into
! the house than it was caught up by one
! hungry member after another, always
| including her father, aud its contents
devcured by each, and this often brlo re
she could get chance to read hat d
dozen pages or columns. The news
/ paper or magazine, whichever it might
BE-, never passed through the entire fam
lily Of Mr.. Rivers without being consid.
eraGly the worse for wear. The papers
were soiled, rumplrd, the folds worn
through or torn, while the magazines
were sent home often sadly disIigured.
/ All this to Mary Was very notifying,
and often prevented her from asking 10
borrow the new numbers of the maya
zines, although. to Use her own words,
sometimes, she was dying 20 see them
1t was warm day in July, and Mr..
| Rivers, who had, about six months be-
fore, joined the tempe rance society, felt
very dry as hr walked along the street.
Before signing the pledge, he would
have qurnched similar state of thirst
with an iced punch or a mint julep.
Now he merely stepped into druggist S
and called for a. glass Of mineral water,
( for which he paid his ftp, thinking, If he
! thought at all about the expense, that it
| was the interest trihe in the world.
An hour afterwards he lndulgcd in the
luxury of a couple OF oranges, at four
cents each. which tempted him as he
passed IA fruit stall.
"Rivers," said neighbor, stepping
into his store after dinner, ''It terrible
hot, and as there Is nothing doing, I've
made up my mind to take little ex-
curSOn down the river in the steamboat
that leaves at four O'Clock. Come-go
along, won't you! We can be home by
teatime."
81 don't care if do" replied Rivers.
81 want little recreation badly
A thought Of the expense, or whether
he could afford it, never crossed his
mind.
At four he was on board the steamboat
after having spent shilling for cigars,
which were shared with his neighbor.
Come, let's have glass OF lemonade, y
he said, shortly after they were on board
the steamboat; and the two men went to
the bar and each drank cool glass OF
lemonade, for which Rivers settled
Shortly afterwards the fare was called
lo'. 1t 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
spent by Rivers for an ice cream before
( he returned from the excursion. He
could afford this very we'll.
On arriving in The city, between seven
and eight O'Clock in the eveing, il occurr-
ed to him that, as long as he had been
enjoy ing himself so we'll, he ought to
take something home to his family :hat
was a little nice. While wonder ing
what this should be, he passed a fruit
shop, in the window of which was a
large disl lay OF oranges.
"l'll take dozen oranges home-that
will do" he said.
And so he went in and got dozen