The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1857-11-12

u
bonnet answer with some fresh trim
ming, instead of buying a new one.
And so matters went on, until the
year closed, when there came n sum
ming up of the years accounts.
"Money or credit, Jacob" Mrs, Jones
had said, in answer to the exclamation
Of her husband that money was the banc
Of his life, and Mr. Jones, thrown con-
siderably aback by the question, which
came upon him with a telling force, was
in a state of mind nearly balanced be-
tween anger, confession Of error, and
amusement at the aptucss Of his wifc's
sound interrogation.
Credit Mary credit exclaimed Mr..
Jones, with forced emphasis "You
have struck the nail on the head. No,
not money, but credit; that is the baue
Of my life. Why am L such a fool?--
L run up accounts as a sort of pleasure,
as if were getting things for nothing,
but feel sensbly poorer whenever !
pay out the ready money for a needed
article"
As Mr. Jones closed the sentence,
the waiting-maid opened the door and
handed in another letter He broke the
seal with forcboding of something un-
| pleasant. A long, narrow piece Of pa
per was received, with some unmistaka-
bic words at the head among which
were, "bought Off," and below
which were almost intcrminable lines
Of writing and figures A hurried fall
ing Of the eyes to the footing up of the
columns of figures gave the unwclcome
result. 1t was the grocer's bill, and to
the sum total of one hundred and thir-
| ty-ono dollars His exclamation Of sur
prise fell with a shifting sound on the
ears Of his wife.
"What is it?' she asked, almost fall
teringly.
Green account"
ooh! His bill can't be very large,
for l never sent the pass-book, when
I had the money to buy what
wanted"
ct is hundred and thirty-ono dol
lars!"
"That seems impossiblc"
"I presume it is all right but look
over it Yourself
The bill was carefully scanned, though
without discovering any error Of any
consequence. Two barrels Of -four, a
basket Of wine, andother articles, count
cd up heavily
"Jacob, said Mrs Bones, speaking
in low, winning, but very earnest tone
"thore is something wrong in all this.
| No reason in the world exists why
we should have these bills to trouble
us"
'I don't know about That replied
Mr.. Jones, somewhat moodly "I wish
1 could believe so.
owe ought to pay the cash for ev-
erythiug we buy Mrs. Jones ven
turcd upon a more decided position
at is easy enough to say that,
tortcd her husband, evidently frettod
by the words. "But how is the cash 10
be paid down when we have not got thc
cash in our purscs:"
care you really desirous of having
this question Of paying cash solycd2
Mrs Jones queried in a pleasant way
80, certainly. Read me the riddle
and l will be oternally obliged"
81 believe L can show that there
was no need Of running up these two
bills, at least.
"Parker's and Grcon's?'
eyes.
81 am all attention.
"The two amount to over two hundred
dollars?"
eyes"
'If I can show you where, during
the last six months, one dollar has beer
spent neodlcssly, in pretty round sums
will you conccde that similar sums have
gone in the same way, to an equa
amount"
90, yes, concode it without a mo
ment's hesitation
"Very well; take your pencil and Sc
, down the items as / name them"
Mr.. Jones took his pencil and a piec
of paper.
"There are fourteen dollars for tina
, pair of vases"
Mr., Jones WINGED little, but did no
reply.
The vases had been purchased solel,
to crafty his wife-at least he had al
ways, in his own mind, assumed this Il
e. be the case-and her mention of thes
t articles at first seemed a little un
{ kind.
"Aud twenty-throo dollars for tn
, pior-glass."
q This article Mr.. Jones had bought a
, a public sale, where it went off "tempt
D ingly low" 1t proved too wide for tn
! pier, and rather marred than increase
!, the beauty of the parlor,
every well, go on, said he, in voic
@ not over cheerful.
. "Six dollars for the engraving o
C Franklin at the French Court, an
r eight dollars for the frame, that make
Il fourteen more"
It "You are counting up pretty fas
d Mary"
"Thoso are some Of the heaviest items
d I will now gather up some Of the smallc
t. ones
IS "Wo have attended four concerts, q
y a dollar a ticket, and had to engage
carriage on two Of those occasions, i
= consequence of rain, Twelve dollar
is were expended here,
70 "But we must have some recreation
a Both of us are fond of music,
D., "True, Jacob. Yet, as VIC an
is among the thousands who cannot affor