The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1858-11-25

ter. Let me tell you how I first cam
to see the folly ofbeing afraid to spent
my money for nothing. Shall l tel
you. w e aaf ..,gl
Certainly" returned Walter, wh'
already began to see something.
"Well pursued Niles, cone nool
as / was going away from home, m,
wife asked me for dollar. She want
ed it to buy some cloth with. 1 asked
her ifshe could not get along withou
it. had only three dollars with me
and hated to let one of them 90. Sh,
said she really needed the cloth, but i
l hadn't got the money to spare, sht
could wait. 1 knew she was disap
pointed, but / thought she could ge
along, and / went away. That even
ing went into the saloon, and we had
line social time. 1t cost me one dol
lar-and-a-half. l paid the money will
lingly-withouteven an objection-and
then l went home. When I entered
the hall | heard my wife trying to pac
ify our oldest child. The little thing
had exepcted a new dress which had
been promised her, and she felt very
bad because she had not got it.
Watt" urged my wife, as the
child sobbed in her disappointment
''Papa hasn't got the money now; but
he'll have some by and by, and then
you shall have pretty dress. Poor
papa has to work hard"
"The words smote me to the heart.
[ could not afford dollar to dress my
little child, but l could afford any
amount for the useless entertainment
of others. The dollar which my needy
wife could not get when she asked for
it, l paid away almost twice-told for
nothing. But it learned ME a lesson.
On the very next morning 1 offered
my wife the dollar, but could not af.
ford any more for the beer man. l had
not dreamed how much was wasting,
but when | stopped up that leak, and
allowed my funds to flow in their prop
er channel, / soon found that l could
afford every reasonable comfort, my
wife and children needed. So / stick
to the principle which has proved SO
beneficial to myself and family. All
what's that? There's an animal in
your garden, Walter"
They had reached the garden fence,
and by the dim starlight, Walter could
see horned beast trampling amongst
his sweet corn. The bars had either
been left down, or hooked down, and a
stray COW had got in. They drove
her out, and then Niles went home.
Walter saw that the beast had done
considerable damage, but he was not
angry, for he had something of more
to think of. He went and
sat down beneath an apple tree and
" Bless me if he hasn't put the case
down about square!" he said to him
self, at the end of some moments of
'Let me see-There's
sixty-seven cents for chowder, fifty
cents for ale, and fifty for soda. And
that's within the last three days. A
dollar and sixty-seven cents. Is it
possible! Over hundred dollars a
year-yet can't afford two dollars for
gate, nor ave :a!ellars that my family
can have religious instruction for one
year! Walter Gray-I think you had
better begin and turn over a new leaf"
And Walter Gray did turn over a
new leaf. On the very next day he
did two things, thereby astonishing
two parties. He had a new gate made
for the entrance to the garden, and
thereby astonished his wife; and he re-
fused to "toss up" for the ale, thereby
astonishing crowd of expectant
thirsty ones. For month he pursued
his course, and by the expiration of
hat time he could fully appreciate the
,ew blessings that were dawning upon
him. He discovered that he could
afford everything which the comfort of
his family demanded; and in arriving
1t this result he had cut loose those
hings which he really could not afford.
It was wonder to him how he could
laye been so foolish. When at the
md of the year, he had paid his note,
md had ninety-two dollars left, he felt
1t first, as though there must be some
but when his wife went over
heir household expenditures with him,
md showed him that all they needed
lad been bought and paid for, he saw
ust how it was. He saw that for
'ears he had been wasting his sub
tance, and depriving his loved ones of
he comforts they needed-not inten-
lonally, but through the strange mis-
axe that leads thousands in the same
curse. But he did so no more.