Meigs County telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy [Ohio]) 1848-1859, 1859-09-27
sft lsttllanp.
WALTER GRAY'S MEANS.

"Can't afford 1t Mara. .r
"But you might if you would only thinl
so, Walter" plead the young wife.
81 can't do it," the husband returned
very emphatically. at would cost two Oh
three dollars at the very lowest. to put W
such gate, and the old bars will answer
every purpose
"No, they won't, Walter. The neigh
bors' children very often leave the bars
down, and then stray cattle come into the
garden. We may lose more than the
price of the gate in half hour, if a COW
should happen to come in when am
away"
81 should like 10 know who leaves the
bars down." replied Walter, very threat.
eningly. "The same children might leave
a gate open"
"But we can have gate made to close
of it's own accord. with weight or g
spring." suggested the wife. "John
Niles has had gate put up in his yard"
But / amt John Niles, my dear, y
Walter wished his wife to remember.
"But his family is as large as yours,
and his wsges are not SO high"
"Never mind about that; | tell you ]
can't afford t-at any rate not at present"
And with this, Walter started off for his
work.
Walter Gray was a young man, about
thirty, an industrious mechanic; had been
married some eight years, and had an IN
teresting family. He meant to provide
well for those who depended upon him,
and in measure he did So But there
were many little comforts of which he felt
obliged to deprive them-comforts which
at times they really needed, and which, in
the end, might have proved source ol
saving. And more, too; it might have
added to his own happiness, had he been
able to grant these little requests. But he
couldn't afford tat least, so he thought;
and whether he thought SO with sound
judgment, the sequel will show. q.
The gate which his wife had been so anx-
ious to have put up was needed at the en-
trance to the garden, at the back of the
house, where there was only short pair Of
bars. The children often came through
there, and sometimes left the way open
behind them. In short, there were many
ways in which those bars were apt to be
left down, and Maria Gray had very often
to leave her work to drive out the cattle
that got in. 1t was only by extreme
watchfulness on her part the garden was
preserved. She had spoken several times
to her husband about it, but he felt that
he could not afford it. She must keep her
eyes upon the spot and see that the bars
were kept shut. .6
Only few days after this, Mrs. Gray
asked her husband if he was going to hire
a pew in the church for the following year,
and he told her that he did not think he
should. j .aa.
"But you can hire half Of one. We
can have half of Mr.. Niles pew for five
dollars" t......
II can't afford it" was Walters reply.
II should get no great good from meet
iDgs, anyway"
Don't say SO, husband. Suppose eve
rybody should feel like that. You GER
tainiy would not wish to live, and bring
up your. children where there vas no re-
ligious influence; and if you reap the bene-
fit of good Christian institutions, you GER
tainly ought to feel willing to support
them"
80 l would be willing, if could af-
ford 1t, but can't
Mrs. Gray looked very serious, and
seemed to hesitate, as though there was a
subject on her mind which she felt delicate
about broaching, but it occupied her
thoughts SO long she determined to let ii
out" No.. ..........
"Walter," she said, little tremulously,
but. t.still resolutely, ''you have ten dollars
a week" 17.5'- e
"Yes."
,"And how much Of that does it take to
feed u.s." ..
J" II don't know, I'm sure, l only know
that it takes all to feed and clothe us, and
pay up the interest on the house."
~ hayn't had a new dress since last fall;
and was reckoning up yesterday how much
we had spent for the children, and found
it to be only fifteen dollars for the last ten
months. l have worked over some Of
cousin Johns clothes for Charles, and Lu-
cinda jumps into Mary's dresses as the
latter outgrows them" g9
That's all very WE'LL" replied Walter,
a little testify. II understand my own
business, and know just what / can af-
ford, and what l can't. While ! have the
payments to make on my house must
ee onomise-Imu economise," he repeat
ed, very decidedly.
"And would have you economic. 7"
returned the wife: "hut do not forget that