Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1853-08-24

he appointed money-taker at the door.
and credited me, towards the purchase,
all the money received, after paying ex-
penses. after allowing me fifty dollars per
month, on which to support my family,
consisting of a wife and three children
This was my own proposition, as was
dete1pined to live that six hundred dol
lars per annum should defray all the en-
penses of my family until had paid for
the Museum, and my treasure of wife.
land such wife is a treasure gladly ex-
pressed her willingness to cut the expen
ses down to S4o0 per annum, if neces-
sary. One day, some six months after /
had purchased the Museum, my friend,
Mr.. olmsted, happening in at my office,
at about l2 o'clock, and found me alone.
eating my dinner, which consisted of a
few slices of corned beef and bread that
had brought from home in the morning.
''Is this the way yoa eat your dinner?"
he inquired.
"I have not eaten warm dinner since
bought the Museum, except on the
Sabbath" / replied, "and intend never
to eat another on week day until get
out of debt"
| AL you are Shlcs anu Will pay iOt
the Museum before the year is out" he
replied, slapping me fainiliarly on the
shoulder, and he was right, for in less
than year from that period was in full
possession of the Museum as my own
property, every cent paid out of the pro-
fits of the establishment. Had 1 been
less economical, and less determined. my
expenses you'd have kept pace with my
income should have lost much yalua-
BILE time in going home every day to my
dinner, and my present situation would
probably have been very different from
what it is.
Men and women, accustomed to graft
fy every whim and caprice, will find it
hard at first to cut down their various
unnecessary expenses, and will feel it a
great self-denial to live in a smaller
house than they have been accustomed
TO, with less expensive furniture, less
company, less expensive clothing, less
number of balls, parties, theatre-goings.
carriage ridings, pleasure excursions, ci-
gar-smokings, liquor drinkiugs, &c., &c;
but, after all, if they will try the plan of
, laying by "nest egg" or, in other
words, small sum OF money after paying
, all expenses, they will be surprised at
the pleasure to be derived from constant
ly adding to their little pile" as well as
from the economical habits which follow
in the pursuit of this peculiar pleasure.
The old suit of clothes and the old bon
, net and dress will answer for another
2 season; the Croton or spring water will
taste better than champagne a brisk
walk will prove more exhilarating than a
ride in the finest coach social family
chat, an evenings reading in the family
circle, or an hours play of "hunt the
slipper" or "blind mans buff" will b,
far more pleasant than fifty or five
| hundred dollar party, when the reflection
on the difference IN cost is indulged in by
those who begin TO know the pleasure of
saving.
Thousands of men are kept poor. and
tens of thousands are made so after they
had acquired sufficient to support them
/ well through life, in consequence of lay
ing their plans of living on two extensive
a platform. Some families in this coun-
try expend $4,000 per annum, and one
t much more, and would scarcely know
2 how to live on smaller sum. Prosperi-
ty is more severe ordeal than adversi.
t ty, especially sudden prosperity. " Easy
come, easy CO." is an old and true pro-
verb. Pride, when permitted full sway
is the great undying canker- worm which
, guawS the very vitals of n mans worldly
T possessions, let them be small or great.
hundreds or millions. Many persons, as
they begin TO prosper, Immediately com
mence expending for luxuries, until in a
. short time their expenses swallow up their
lOcOpoo oD1 tbar hnoOD,a y-finad IN thar
ridiculous attempts to keep up appear
ances, and make sensation"
L know a gentleman Of fortune, who
says that when he first began to prosper.
his wife ,0ould have a new and elegant
sofa. "That sofa," he says, "cost me
thirty thousand dollars 70 The riddle is
thus explained: When the sofa reached
the house, it was found necessary TO get
chairs "to MATCH" then sideboards, car
/ pets and tables "to correspond" with them,
and so on through the entire stock of fur
niture, when at last it was found that the
house itself was quite too old fashioned
for the furniture, and new one was built
"to correspond" with the sofas and a &C.
teras;; "thus," added my friend, running
up an outlay of thirty thousand dollars,
caused by that single sofa. and saddling
on me, in the shape of servants. equip:
page, and the necessary expenses atten--
dant on keeping up fine establish
ment." yearly outlay of eleven thou
sand dollars. and a tight pinch at that,
whereas, ten years ago, we lived with
much more real comfort, because with
much less care on as many hundreds
THE truth is.'' he continued, =" that so.
ia would have brought me to jnevitable
bankruptcy, had not most unexampled
tide Of prosperity kept me above it,