Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1856-02-08
Fifteen dollars was the answer.

4
reading his customer at glance, said
For the price, sir. they're the cheap
c., pair of vases in the store. sold Mrs.
Gardcner--she lives ou, walnu, street
Just such q pair for eighteen dollars.
She says she wouldn't take twenty for
them. They're very chas,e in design
And the dealer handled the vases dcx-
tcrously. anil showed them to the best
advantage
They're handsome enough. and I
should like very well To own them. but
money is money, nowadays. We look
q, fifteen dollars twice, before we conclude
to spend tha, sum for an article we may
do without,
Take them for fourteen. said the deal
cr; that is only little above cost
Mr.. Jones could not rcsis. this temp
tation.
Very well. Send them home. said he
.hrusting his hand into his poeko, and
drawing out his purse.
What pleasant surprise | will give
Mary thought Mr.. Jones, as he stepped
from the china dealers store. Our par
lor mantlc-pieces need some ornaments,
and these vases are just the thing. And
they are so cheap.
Fourteen dollars from twenty left but
the small balance Of six. Mr. Jones was
expert at figures, and it did not take him
long to do this sum in subtraction. He
felt considerably poorer on reaching his
place of business. and half inclined to
call himself a fool for spending so much
money for an article in no way necessary
for home comfort The presentation Of
bill of ten dollars from blind maker,
who had been called upon early in the
spring to give better appearance to the
parlor windows. depressed the thcrmom-
eter of his feelings somewhere in the
ncighborhood Of zero. But the blind
maker had to wait Nothing could be
spared, on that day, from the business
fund, as there were several payments to
be met, and Mr.. Jones had partner who
kept the cash, and who always looked a
little sober when the drafts on private ac-
count were larger or more frequent than
nc thought the business justified. His
partner had as large a family to support
as Mr.. Jones, but he managed to do it on
several hundred dollars less in the year.
1t did occur to Mr.. Jones TO pay half
Of the blind-makcr's bill but. as that
would leave him only one dollar. he dis
missed the thought instantly. To be left
with only one dollar in his pocket would
never answer in the world.
At dinner time Mr.. Jones started home
ward, thinking, as he walked along, of
the beautiful vases, and Of the pleasure
they had gis en- his wife. He still had six
dollars in his pocket. Partially recover
ed from the depressing effect Of the blind
makers bill, he began, once more, to feel
little comfortable in money matters
Six dollars made very nice little sum;
and, as his eyes glanced into the shop
windows as he moved along, he began to
admit the tempter once more into his
heart. A box of building blocks, just
the thing for little Eddy, caught his eye
as he passed the Temple of Fancy" and
he could not resist the desire he felt to
90 in and ask the pnce.
.Onc dollar. said the ready salesman.
a cheap pleasure, thought MIR. Jones
and-.I'll take thcm.' fell from his lips.
With five dollars safely resting in his
purse, and package of building blocks
for little Eddy in his hands, Mr.. Jones
now pursued his way homewards, elate
with pleasure at the thought of how graf
fled his wife would be with her pair OF
vases, and how delighted Eddy would be
with his building blocks. Arrived at
home, his dead-latch key turned briskly
in the lock, and he entered with light,
almost springing footsteps. First glanc-
ing into the parlor to see if the vases had
arrived, he found them adornins the mar
BILE mantcl. They really looked elegant
and threw an air of taste over the whole
apartment. A little while he remained,
enjoying the sight, and then went up to
his wife's sitting room.
Mrs. Jones received her husband with
her accustomed smile, though it was not
as bright one as he had expected to see
illumine her countenance.
| What is this? she inquired, as he laid
the package he had brought home in her
lap.