The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1859-03-23
SeIeet MiseeIIang
A SKETCH FOR EVERYDAY LIFE.
BY sYLvANUs COBB, JR.
sCan't afford it. Maria. /"

| 'Can't afford it, Maria
'But you might if you only think SO, Wal
ter" pleaded the young wife.
| "I can't do it," the husband returned, very
emphatically. at would cost two or three dol
| lars, at the very lowest, to put up such gate,
and the old bars will answer every purpose"
| "Ne, they won't, Walter. The neighbors'
children very often leave the. bars down, and
then stray cattle come into the garden. We
may lose more than the price of gate in one
hour, if COW should happen to get in when 1
am away"
~ should like to know who leaves the bars
down." said Walter threateningly. "The same
children might leave the gate Open"
''But can have gate made to close of its
own accord, with weight or a spring, suS=
gested the wife. 'John Niles has had gate
put up in his yard
'But amt John Niles, my DEAR" Walter
wished his wife to remembzr.
"But his family is as large as yours, and his
wages are not so high"
"Never mind about that I tell you can t
afford it,-at any rate, not at present" Aud
with this Walter started off to his work.
Walter Gray was young man about thirty;
an industrious mechanic had been married
some eight years; and had an interesting fam
lily. He meant to provide well for those who
depended upon him, and in measure he did
so. But there were many little comforts of
Wnlcn ne IelI 10 deprive n,-cOIn-
forts which at times they really needed, and
which, in the end, might have proved a source
of saving. And more, too: 1t might have
added to his own happiness had he felt able to
grant these little requests. But he couldn't af
ford it at least,.so he thought; and whether
he thought so with sound judgment the sequel
will show.
The gate which his wife had been so anx-
ious to have put up, was needed at the entrance
- 81, hocly yoff 4Lo,o
was only pair of short bars. The children
often come 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 cattle that got in.
: 1t was only by extreme watchfulness on her
part that the garden was preserved. She had
SPOKEN several times to her husband about it,
but he felt that he couldn't afford it. She
must keep her eyes upon the spot, and see that
the bars were kept shut.
Only few days after this Mrs. Gray asked
her husband if he was going to hire pew in
the church for the following year, and he told
her that he did not think he should.
"But you can hire half of one. We can
have half OF Mr.. Niles pew for five dollars"
81 can't afford it." was Waters reply. "I
should get no great good from the meetings,
any way
should feel like that: You certainly wouldn't
wish to live, and bring up your children where
there was no religious influence And II you
reap the benefits of good christian institutions,
you certainly ought to feel willing to help sup
port them"
$50 would be willing, if could afford it /;
but I-can't-"
Mrs. Gray looked very serious, and seemed
to hesitate as though there were subjectupon
her mind, which she felt delicate about broach-
ing, but had occupied her thoughts too long,
and she determined to let it out.
."Walter," she said, a little tremulously, but
still resolutely, "you have ten dollars week" :"
eyes"
"And how much of that does it take to feed
us ~
81 don't know, I'm sure. l only know that
it takes it all to feed and clothe US and pay up
the interest on the house"
"I haven't had a new dress since last Fall !;
and 1 was reckoning up yesterday how much
we had spent for the children, and l found it
to be only fifteen dollars for the last ten months
/ have worked over some of cousin Johns
clothes for Charles, and Lucinda jumps into
Mary's dresses as the latter out-grows them"
s.i'hat's all very well,' replied Walter lit
tie testify 'I understand my own business,
and l know Just what / can afford, and what L
can't. While have the payments to make on
nv house must economize-I mast econ0mize, .
he repeated, very decidedly.
And / will have you economize," returned
the wife; 'but do not forget that all is not
economy which many call So ] think that to
hire half of John Niles pew would be great
source of economy in comfort and lasting good.
1t would be FIVE dollars laid out to good advan-