Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1856-03-01
EVENING STAR.
C A s II DO w N


By T. 8. ARTHUR.
go dear. wish there was no monev in the
world, said Jacob Jones as he crumbled in
his hand piece Of paper which he had lust
taken from an envelope, Corr he added
in lower voice, ''that I had great deal
more Of it than has, thus far in life, fallen to
my lot" o.. %" ..71. ="
."Whst have you there ?" enquired the
wife OF Hr. Jones, looking up from her work,
and speaking in subdued voice.
"Parker's BILL" answered the husband.
All, how much is it?"
"Seventy dollars.''
"No" said Mrs. Jones, and she gave q
start as she made the ejaculation, while a
slight paleness overspread her face.
It's too true; though didn't dream of it,
being over thirty or forty. But running ac-
counts always make long journeys in short
.,m..Ah, me! Mone,y-mOney-mOney! tits
Money or credit, Jacob?" Mrs. Jones
looked up timidly as she said this, and in evil
dent doubt as to the effect Of her q question, for
MIR. Jones was one of your sensitive, self-wiIled
men, who can never bear to be thought in tho
wrong.
The question was 80 pertinent and timely
that 1t reached home. And it came so unex-
pectedly that Mr.. Jones hardly knew whether
70 be Vexed, angry, amused, or convicted of
error. The reader will better understand the
case after a brief rstrospection
The income of Mr.. Jones was not large, vet
sufficient for the comfortable support of his
family, If he bad not been afflicted with a sim
gular malady, which showed itself in strange
aversion to paying cash for everything-that
trary, had particular horror of running up
accounts. If she lacked the means Of buying
any needed article, she preferred doing with
out 1T altogether to purchasing it on credit
MH. Jones liked to have money in his pocket
1t made him feel unoomfortably poor if his
purse was empty. ...'..
But, unfortunately, he was a man of many
wants, and we fear with little grain of covet-
business In his heart, for to look upon an at
tractive thing was instantly followed by a
desire to possess it. This being so, it was not
strange that the money carried in his pocket
was ever diminishing, and that he could not
always tell what had become of it,
am going out this morning. said Mrs
Jones, about six months previous to the time
let me have ten dollars
"Ten dollars!" Mr.. Jones shrugged his
shoulders. "What are you going to buy?'
81 want piece of muslin, for one thing
and 'r
"Oh, we'll, Mary, can arrange all that for
you, easily enough, l haven't the money to
spare this morning, but I'll stop in at Parker's
40 ~ uoWu, duu tell nlm 10 let you have
whatever you want. You'll fnd him a yery
pleasant man to deal with, and glad to get our
custom"
I" 1t don t matter particularly to-day" said
Mrs. Jones, her countenance falling, and her
voice becoming little husky; 81 can wait
until Tomorrow" -
" But am not sure that I'll have the mon.
ey to spare to morrow. Business is dull, and
have considerable topay about these times
No-I'd rather you would get what you want
at Parker's." .f
Mrs Jones never opposed her husband very
strongly in anything She felt acutely, and
and had her own clear views in regard to what
was useful and proper but her disposition
was yielding, little too much 80, it may be
admitted. -.
every we'll" she answered, almost meekly,
'lf you desire it, will get what L want at
Parker's."
Mr.. Jones was relieved by this e1pedient,
and his money remained in his pocket, reserv-
ed for stronger appeal II never for a moment
occurred to him that he was requiring his in
dependent, sensitive-minded wife to submit to
something like humiliation in going to store
keeper, and requesting him to charge the
goods she bought
"You'd better get all you want, Mary" he
said, in light, cheerful way, as he was leav-
ing the house "the bill won't como in until
the end of the-year."
Mr.. Jones had nearly twice the sum in his
purse, that his wife had asked for, and the
fact that it was still in his possession gave him
comfortable feeling Of ease in money mat
ters On his way to the place Of business, a
pair OF china vases captivated his fancy, and
on the impulse Of the moment he stepped
into the store and inquired the price.
"fitteen dollars. was the answer.
" Dearer than l supposed" said he, in
rather disappointed voice. And Jones was
turning away, when the storekeeper, reading
his customer at glance, said
For the price, sir, they're the cheapest
pair Of vases in the store. 1 sold Mrs Gard
pair for eighteen dollars. They re very ohasts
in Design .-
And the dealer handled the vases dexter
Ously and showed them to the best advantage.
They're handsome enough, and should
like very well to own them, but money is
money nowadays. We look at fifteen dollars
twice before We conclude to spend that sum
for an article we may do without
sTake them for fourteen said the dealer;
" that is only little above cost.'
Mr.. Jones could not resist the temptation.
Very we'll. Send them home," said he,
thrusting his hand into his pocket and draw
ing out his purse.
"What a pleasant surprise 1 will give
Mary" thought Mr. Jones as he stepped from
tu6 culud u0dl6f btOIo. Uur parl0r m8Ntel-
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 fool for spend
ing so much money for an article in no way
necessary for home comfort The presentation
of bill of ten dollars from a blind-maker,
who had been called upon early in the spring,
to give better appearance to the parlor-
dows, depressed the thermometer of his feel.
ings somewhere in the neighborhOod 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 little sober
when the drafts on private account were lar
ger or more frequent than he thought the
business justified. His partner had as large
a family to support as Mr.. Jones, but he con-
trived to do it on several hundred dollars less
in a year.