Des Moines courier. ([Ottumwa] Iowa) 1848-1854, 1853-11-17

won't vou9 We Gun bo home by tea
time" 3..
II don't care If | do." replied Rivers.
81 wan, \ litle recreation badly"
A Ihought Of the expense, or whether
he could afford IL, never crossed his
mind. t....
Al four he was on The steamboat, after
hav wing spent shilling for cigars, which
were shared with his neighbor.
"Come, let's have glass of lemon
ade," said he. shortly after they were
on board the steamboat: and the two men
wen. TO the bar and each drank COO!
glass of lemonade. for which Rivers
settled. Shortly afterwards the fare
was called for. /. was only twenty
FIVE cents. ..
"Cheap enough" remarked Rivers.
"Yes, 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 well.
On arriving inthc city, between seven
and eight O'Clock in the evening. il oc-
Cured TO him that, as long as he had en-.
ljoyed himself so well, he ought to take
something home for his family that was
little nice. While wondering what
this should be he passed fruit shop, in
the window of which there was a large
display Of oranges.
"l'll take dozen oranges home--.ha,
will do" he said.
Aud so he went in and got dozen
oranges, for which he paid thirty seven
and-a-half cents; and bought. besides, a
fps worth of tobacco.
The extra spendings of Mr.. Rivers,
who could no, afford to take a magazine,
were, for that day, just one dollar and
twenty cents, or at The rate Of three hun
dred and sixty dollars a year! And yet
Mr.. Rivers thought himself a very eco
nomical man, and took merit TO himself
Tor saving on newspapers and maya
zines.
On the next day, Mr.. Rivers fel. as if
closely confined in his store-and as it
was dull, he could as easily be spared as
not So he hired horse and sulky for
dollar and half. aud took pleasan,
ride to himself. Previously TO his rid
ing out he spent a shilling in mineral
water. Daring the ride, stable. boys at
laverns where he stopped for lemonade.
and for what he drank and smoked, just
thirty. eight .cents. Ten cents in cakes
FOR The children. laid out to satisfy the
rather unpleasant sensation he felt at the
idea Of having INDUCED himself in a
completed this days extra expense of
the man who could not afford to take
periodical; the whole amount was Just
Two dollars.
On the day succeeding TO this, fifty
cents were spent in little self-lndulgen.
cies: on the mex, twenty cents. and
on the day after nearly a dollar. And SO
il went on, day after day and week after
week, while Mary continued to borrow
from Jane 'fompkins her magazines, pa
pers and books.
One day. shortly after tie new maga-
zines for the month had been announced.
Mary called as usual upon her friend
Jane. On her table lay "Goeey's" and
several other magazines.
"How much co envy you!" she said.
"What would not give if my father
would take the magazines for me as
yours does four you; but he always says
tha, he can't afford it,"
Then she turned over magazine after
magazine, examining and admiring the
beautiful engravings. When she was
going away she said-"Are you done
with the Lady's Book yeti"
Jane looked slightly confused as she
repI:ed-"lve read it. Mary, but papa
10 n, done with il yet."
mo mat,er-.Graham' or .Putnam'
will do"
"I'm sorry, Mary" and The color rose
to James face, ''bui can't let you have
either of them. The fact is, Mary, to
tell you the plain truth, papa has OBJ.
jec,ed for good while to my lending my
periodicals and literary newspapers, and
now positively forbids my doing so.-
But you can come and see me, and read
them here. shall be glad to have you.
But / need no. say ,ha,--you know !
will. wish papa wasn't SO particular;
bu: he is little curious about some
things"
Mary fel. burt, not with Jane. but a,
the fact. She went home feeling very
sorry.
"Your friend Miss Rivers didn't gel
her usual supply of reading" said Mr..
'rompkins to his daughter, shortly after
Mary had left the house.
"No, and l was sorry for her" re-
piled Jane. "She seemed hurt and NOR
tilted when told her tina, could mo-
lend them. I'm sure, papa, it would'nl
have hurt us a, all, and would have been
such qualification TO her."
| "Let her father subscribe for them, az
| do. He is just as able"
| .'But he thinks he cant afford il, and
now
Thinks be can, afford il, indeed!'
said Mr.. Tompkins. "A man who
spends two or three hundred dollars a
year in self IndulgeDcies of one kind OF