Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1859-11-02


iour shilling for the grog.
Walter started for home about nine o'clock
aud on tho way he was overtaken 10y Niles.
"Walter," :" said the latter, in a kind, but ear.
nest tone. 81 want 10 speak with you You
have wronged me this evening, and wish you
to understand me- For the opinions Of Bill
smith and Ned Francis care not, hut do not
wish you TO misunderstand me We live too
near together, and l would not loose your good
opinion"
"Well--go ahead" returned Walter who
was sensible Of the fact that his companion Yves
one Of beet and kindest neighbois in tho world
"You said was mean"
, "NO, 90; il was not .whe said that"
"Well! you sid l was tight as the bark Of a
lhreel"
Walter could not deny this, SO Johu proceed
ed.
81 refusoa 20 join in your little game for three
reasons, either enc OF which should hove been
sufi 4spt 10 deter me; first, had resolved not
- ,as .slp IA any such games OF hazard second
did uot wAut any grng; and third, could not
rave uiiJfd 60 pay for FIVE extra suppers if the
lot had talIen upon me"
"CoulL,hSYs afforded itl" repeated Walter,
with slight tnge Of unbelief in his tone.
''No," returned the other "I could not |
used to be always ready for any such game,
aud thought it woLld be mean to refuse; but
have learaed better. Let me tell you how |
frat camo to see the folly Of beiug afraid to
spend my money for nothing Shall ,ell you!'
Certainly" returned Walter, who already
began to see somethiRy.
"Well," pursued Miles, zone noon, as I was
going away from home, my wife asked me for
Eve shillings l asked her lf she could get along
without it had only fifteen shilings with
oe, and hated to let one Of them 60 She
said she really needed the cloth, but il hadn't
got the money to spare she could wait.
know she was disappointed, but | thought she
could ret along, aud went away. That eve
ming ] went into the saloon and we had fine
socia6lo time 1t cost me just seven and six
pence. paid tho money NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
evon thought of obi ction- aud then went
home. Whep I entered the hail. heard my
wife trying TO pacify our oldest child The
little thing had expected a new dress, which
had been promised her, and felt badly because
she had not got it."
"Wait, 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,
aud then you shall have pretty dress. Poor
papa has to work hard"
"The words smoto me TO the heart. / could
not aiiprd five shillings TO dress my little child,
but could afford any amout for the useless en-
tertainment OF others. The crown which my
needy wife could not get when she asked for
it, paid away, almost twice-tol5, for nothiEg
But 1t taught me a lesson. 1t opened my eyes,
and | have kept th IN open. On the very next
morning afforded my wife the crown, but !
could not afford any more for the beer man. |
had not dreamed how much / wasting; but
when | stopped up that leak and allowed my
funds to fly into their proper channel, soon
found that l could afford every reasonable
comfort my wife and children needed So |
stick to tho principle which has proved so ben
o6cial to myself and family. All! what's that
There's animal in your garden, Walter"
They had reached the garden fence, and by
| tho dim starlight Walter could see a horned
beast rAmpling among his sweet corn. The
bars had either been LETT 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 Importance 10 think OF lie went and
sat down beneath an apple tree and pondered
"Bless me, If he hasn't put the case down
about squart!" he said to himself at the end of
some minutes meditation. "Lct mo see," he
pursued, there's five shilliugs forspirits--
fOuT-and two pence for ale-ionr.and two pence
for soda. And that's within the last three
days Thirteen and four pence! Is it possiblel
Over twenty five pounds yearl And vet 1
cant afford ten shilIings fora gate nor guinea
that my family may receive religious instruction
for year. Walter Gray-I think you had better
turn ODer a neO leaf"
And Walter Gray did turn over a new leaf
On the very next day he did two things, thereby
astonishing two parties lie had new gate
made for the entrance to the garden, and there.
by astonished his wife, and he refused TO "toss
up" for the ale and thereby astonishod crowd
Of eXpectant thirsty ones. For a month he
pursued this course, and by the end of that
time he could fully appreciate the new bless.
ings that were dawning upon him. He dscoy.
cred that he could afford everything which the
comfort of his family demanded, and in arriving
at this result, he had only 10 reinquish those
things which he really could OF afford. 1t
was a wonder TO him how he could have been
so foolish When at the end of the year he
had paid his note, and Ii ID twenty pounts lett,
he lslt at first that there must be some mistake;
but when his wife went over their household
Expenditures with him, and showed him that
all they needed had been bought and paid for,
he saw just h0w il was, lie saw that ior years
he had been wasting his substance, and dcprv-
ing himself AMI loved ones OF the comforts
they needcd--nCt intentionally, but through
the same mistake that leads thousands in the
same r0ursc. But he dId 70 no more
Sometimes, even now, Walter Gray says:--
Cam silOn it.'' and he says II very emphati
cally too. But it is not when his wife and
children ask for comfort and JOY, nor yet when
the needy poor ask for help and charty--for no
can well afford all that-but it IL when wild
speculators or the loose companion asks him to
engage in some game Of hazard which may
rob him aAd his family Of their substance :
Then he says-and repeats it, if need be-
"Cant afford az"