The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1859-07-21
RAVENNA, THURSDAY, JULY 81, 1859.

began to read. But the words fell mechan. |
ically from his lips, while other and different
thoughts kept crowdng into his mind. He
looked at the baby in the cradle by -Mary's
side, and he remembered the two other
children who were asleep up stairs. Here
was an increasing family, and, consequently,
increasing expenses; while at the same time
he appeared to be losing ground every day
in his business.
At last his wife suddenly put her hand on
his arm said, "Desr Edward what is the
matter | am sure something dsturbs you;
do tell me all can bear anything better
than seeing you look so miserable without
knowing the reason! :"
Thus urged, Edward was at last obliged
to reveal the cause of his abstraction.
Mary attentively listened until he had
concluded, and then, taking his hand, she
said affectionateIy, Poor, dear Edward
you have been brooding over your troubles
in secret, till, can venture to say, things
appear great deal worse than they really
are. You are not in debt, you say, at pre-.
sent!"
"No; thank God !" replied Edward earn
estly. "But then, Mary, love, if we cannot
manage 10 save some way, we shall get into
debt; that is, unless my business brings in
more than 1t does now"
"Then let us begin to save at once ;" said
Mary, energetically.
"But in what way can we do so !" asked
Edward. awe are not living extravagantly
in any respect. l don't see, at present, in
what way we can retrench."
ooh, I've thought Of several ways alrea.
dy," said Mary, smiling, and looking go
hopeful and happy, and the mere sight OF her
bright, animated countenance, raised her
husbands spirits, and made him feel more
sunguine than he had done for many days
past.
Then followed long conversation, car
ried on in low voice, interspersed occa'
sionally with a sigh from Edward, followed
by an encouraging word from his wife.
Next morning Mary rose full Of her new
plans for saving and economizing. Hel
youngest child was only six weeks old, the
next could just run alone, and the eldest was
four years of age. They made plenty o
work, as Mary knew very well; but she de-
termined, in tho present state of affairs, tC
discharge the girl who had acted as nurse
and to manage with one servant. This wa!
: no sooner determined than acted upon
though Edward demonstrated against it il
very strong terms, telling his wife that sht
was undertaking too much-that she woul'
; overdo herself, and be luid up. But Mar!
pleasantly combatted all his fears by tellin
t him that exercise always agreed with hel
. and that it would be no hardship to her t
Y wait upon her own children.
h In duy or two, Edward discovered thn
= Tom, the shop. boy, wos of very little use t.
d him that during great part of the day h
S was idle, and, therefore in mischief. II
Y was accordingly installed in q similar situo
/; ton, which Edward easily procured for hin
8 at a neighboring grocer's and thus two con
5 siderable items were at once subtracte
> from the weekly expenditure.
a Mary seemed at no less to discover way
c and means to lessen the general expenses
: and bore her extra amount of work so cheer
r fully and uncomplaningly, that her husbnn
" loved her better than ever. When he wu
e obliged Gas occasionally he was) to leav
a the shop for short time, Mary was nlway
r ready to take his place, and with pleasar
e manner, and active hand to wait upon tn
customers. And during all this time tn
10 household affairs were carried on with {
I'd much care and regularity as ever. TheI
d. was nothing like disorder or neglect, but
y was in its place, and everything done at Il
n right time.
IN II can't think how you manage" sa
f. Edward, one day, when he came into Il
le neat sitting.room, and sat down to con
he iortably dressed dinner, at time when
h. knew Mary was in the midst Of lar!
re wash.
in "God helps me-" said Mary, kissing h
ne cheek, "by giving me strength and for
n thought"
ed In the course ofa few months, from Il
to effects of incessant care and attention, Z
We wards business began sensiblY to increast
nd and in year or two, from struggling b
ce ginner, he found himself a well-establis
o. ed tradesman. And he felt, and acknoW
IS. edged, that this prosperous turn in his affai
fe, was mainly attributable to the influence
* exertions of his wife, who, instead of lame
IN ting her hard fate in being obliged to eco
no omize and exert herself in every possit
to way, had resolutely set to work, and by b
OF cheerful industry and careful managemel
ed had averted melancholy crisis Of failu
re- and disgrace.
ut, ----'''"'''------
ith Eternity.
Eto.oav /, donth which M Onomnt