Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1859-06-10
General iHtsceIlanu.
FINDING THE LEAK.

BY ALICE u. NEAL.
"Home's home, isn't it, now = said Mr..
Murray Cooper, compacently, as he seated
himself at an inviting supper-table, and ad-
mired his wife sitting opposite to him, busted
with the tray. Mrs. Cooper was by no means
intended for a burning and shining light in
society but she made very pleasant and
mellow radiance, so to speak, in the more
limited circle of her own freside.
Mr.. Cooper had tastes, and precedent
for all his likngs and aversions, in some OF
the distinguished family Of which he was a
member. The " Murray" was a family name,
and his soul aspired to the scale Of living to
which it belonged; but his means were sew
eral thousands year short of his gtatifca-
tions. Indeed, if Mrs. Cooper had not been
practical in an extreme degree, and experience
ed as to the value OF money in itself consid-
cred, it is doubtful whether they could have
got on at ALL The recklessness with which
her husband assumed that charge and respon-
sibility, and the style in which his bachelor
expenditures had been conducted, were rath-
er alarming to one who had always had need
to calculate ways and means closely For
Mrs. Cooper, though very proud Of her family
in certain way, was only Smith--Martha
Smith and it was well known that Smiths
cannot subsist upon their name and connec-
tions a Murray or Cooper might do.
Poverty among the Coopers was being well
dressed, living in a large house, waited on by
plenty of servants, but always troubled by an
accumulation of liabilities Still, as Mr.
Cooper, SEN, often remarked, people must
live by which he means that he must, what
ever became of the tradesmen he employed.
Poverty, as known to the Smiths, included
seli-denial, industry, and great many wants
reduced to must haves" before they were sat
isfed. The younger branches of the Bird
Cooper, the De Laney Cooper, and the Girls
void Murrays, looked down upon their cous-
in as having sunk several degrees in the So
cial scale when he left one room in the third
story of fashionable city boarding house
for the whole of a small but comfortable
house beyond Seventh Avenue inasmuch as
he managed, with his wife's oversight, to live
somewhere within the range Of his income,
and paid for most of the clothes he wore and
the food he ate, and some unprejudced per
sons might have ranked him as morally in the
ascendant
Literally, Mrs. Cooper did not know where
to commence her reforms when her husbands
idiosyncrasy to money matters first was
made apparent but she came to the conclu-
sion that the starting point of charity was
good place to commence enforcing its respec-
table relative, economy, and so began with
her own personal expenditures.
But her husband had few preiudces to
overcome before he could be induced to set
aside the extremely modest amount she pro-
posed from his salary. "He didn't believe in
allowance. What was the good in knowing
what you spent; 1t didn't make it any less,
and, in fact it was decidedly uncomfortable
to be posted on the subject. He never had
an allowance the girls and mother never had
one. No; they always got whatever they
chose, and the bills were sent to the store
| 1t wasn't their business when they were paid.
/ To be sure, the governor always grumbled
when they came in, and threatened all sorts
/ of things, but nobody ever minded"
But should interposed the governors
daughter-in-law IL would have gone with
out first, and would now, rather than see you
worried. It's great deal better to know
Just what you can afford to get only try It,
Murray, or let me, for baby and myself If
you only knew how hate to say 'chsrge
itw
"Pooh, Martha, | didn't think you such
goose Why, most women would jump at it,
| never had an expense book, as you call 1t,
since was born. Books are bothers enough
at the office Who always wants to be march
ing up a column Of figures, and ruminating on
| a sum total except the balance is in ones