American Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1855-1860, 1855-06-28

everything as We 60 along
80 it would, butwe hav'nt the money
to do it with. e
! 1t takes nearly my whole quarters sal
airy, regularly, to pay off the bills of three
months; and then there is no way to live
but to go on trust for almost every thing
for three months longer. It's bad system,
know, bat there appears to be no help for
it just now
And in the full conviction that there was
no help for it, Mr.. Hall drew his quar-
ter's salary of two hundred and fifty dol
lars, and went and paid off bills, and bor-
rowed money-debts amounting to two
hundred dollars. Then giving his wife
ten dollars to buy little things with, he
started with feeling Of Encouragement,
on new quarter, with but forty dollars in
his pocket. Although he had paid two
! hundred dollars of debts, there was almost
an equal amount still hanging over him.
Mr.. Hall was a clerk in bank, where
he was engaged, regularly, from eight
O'Clock in the morning until abou; four
O'Clock and sometimes five i'll the afternoon.
He lived ia house for which he paid two
hundred dollars year, and paid his tailor
| from hundred to hundred and fifty dol
lars annually. He carried gold lever
watch that had cost eighty dollars, and
wore chain for which he had paid forty.
He also INDUCED in one or two expensive
breast-pins, and before his family had be-
come as large as at present, had spent a
good deal of money in jewelry for his wife.
But the dropping in OF one child after an
other, until the number grew to five, inter-
fered with these little indulgences very
materially, and called so loudly for self
denial that the appeal could not be entirely
disregarded. But the self-denial was prac-
ticed more by Mrs. Hall-much more than
by her husband. She denied herself al
most every thing, even sufficient rest for
her overweayied body, while he went on,
in most things about the same as he did
when he ard his wife paid eight dollars
week for their boarding, and had 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.
On the day after Mr.. Hall had spoken to
his wife so despondngly, be spent for to-
hacco and cigars eighteen and three-quar-
ter cents; for II luncheon and glass of
wine sangaree, twelve and half cents
more; and in toys for the children, fifty
cents.
He also bought bottle Of wine. for
which he paid seventyfve cents These
items amounted to one dollar and ffty-six
and quarter cents, in single day. On
the next day, he paid his barber's bill for
three months, which was three dollars and
a half, and his boot blacks bill which was
two dollars. Luncheon, and some cakes
and candies for the children, cost twenty
FIVE cents; and very pretty paper-folder
that struck his fancy, the trifle 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 honora-
ble, geteel and praiseworthy, than to in
dulge in the luxury OF a barber and boot
black, and let his wife work herself half to
death. On the third day he hired chaise
and rode out with his family after he had
left bank in the afternoon. The chaiSe
hire was dollar and half, and toll gates
and refreshments for all, fifty cents more.
Already, in luncheon, cigars, and one or
two little matters, half dollar had been
expended by Mr.. Hall in the fore part of
the day, so that, on the third day of the
week, three dollars. were expended unnec-
essarily. During this time, for marketing,
shoes for one or two of the children, and
sundry expenses incident to large family,
six dollars melted from the hands of Mr..
Hall.
On the evening after the ride, Mr.. Hall
took out his pocket-book and counted his
money. To his utter astoDishments and
almost dismay, he found that he had only
about twenty three dollars and half. He
counted it over and over again, but could
not make it a cent more. Three days be-
fore he had forty dollars Where could
sixteen and half have flown to? He had
never spent it; that to his mind was per.
fectly clear. 4
Have you taken any money out of my
pocket book?' he asked of his wife.
No, certainly not, she replied what
should take money out of your pocket
book for. You gave me ten dollars, and l
have eight and half Of it Left
We'll. something's gone with about ten
dollars. l have but twenty-tbree and
half, and had forty, two or three days
ago. OF course, hay'nt spent sixteen
dollars and over in three days.
Certainly not. But where can it have
gone? Have you counted rightT
'Oh, yesp and Mr.. Hall went over the
money again to see if there was no mis-
take.
1t is too true. Ihave but twenty three
dollars and half
Are you sure you havn't spent it for
someLhing?' suggested Mrs. Hall. How
else could il have gomez
Some one must have given me wrong
change. Igave the carriage driver FIVE
dollar bill. Let me see. What change
did be give me? It was note, and 1 took
it for three dollars
Mr.. Hall ran over the money in his pock-
etbook.