The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1860-12-06

DAJ4N ne f.lkS IIal IltlI-4 me most were Lic
sensible writings Of William Cohhert. Follow
ing his example, | determined 70 give myself "a
useful education. and have to some extent sue
ceeded. But a mans education Is 4 lifelong pro
cess and the more | learn, the more | see before
me"
e" was hardly our Of my time when | fell in
love with my Mary there, whom some people
think very pretty, and whom | know to be very
good"
Mary looked up with such a bright, loving
smile, as TO fully justify some people in their
notion.
81. When | had been one year Il iourneyman.
and had laid up 4 few dollars. (for | had . strong
motive % b. saving We were married. board
ed 1T her fathers. and she bound shoes for the
shop where | worked. We lived = few weeks a.
her home but it was not OUR home, the home we
wanted - We determined to set up hoUse-keep-
ing. 1t was rather a small Ser-up. hut we made
it answer. | spent a week in house-hunting.
Some were too dear, and some too shabby. At
last | found this place. Ii was new and clean,
high and airy, and | thought it would 10. Igot
It Tor fifty dollars a year and though the rents
all around have advanced, our landlord i salts
fed with that. or takes it in preference t. risking
q worse tenant. The place was naked enough.
and we had little 70 put in II save ourselves; but
W. went cheertully 70 work, earned all we could
and you see the result
-. see; but | confess | do not understand it."
said |, willing to hear him explain the economies
Of this modest and beautiful little home.
" Well, it is simple enough. hen Mary and
| moved ourselves here, and took possession, with
Il table, two chairs. and Il cot-bed. with straw
mattress. the first thing We lid was to hold a
council Of war. Now, Mary, my love" said
!, " here we are. We have next to nothing, and
we have everything 10 get, and nobody but our
selves 20 help ourselves.
q" We found that we could earn on an average,
eight dollars a week. We determined TO live as
cheaply Is possible. save all We could. and make
ourselves a homo Dur rent WAS a dollar q week
our fuel, light, waterfront, and some little
matters. u dollar more. We have allowed the
same amount for our clothing and by buying
the best things, and keeping them carefully, we
dress well enough for that. Even my wife Is sat
istcd with her wardrobe, and finds that raw silks
ut six shillings a yard IS cheaper in the long run.
than Il calico ut one shilling. That makes three
dollars Il week, and we mad still our living 10 pay
for. That costs us, with three in our family, just
one dollar q week more
d" One dollar a piece? -
'.No-one dollar for all. You seem surprised,
but we have rcckoned it over and over. 1t cost
more at first. but now we have learned to live
both better and cheaper. 50 that we have Il clear
surplus of four dollars Il week, after paying all
expenses of rent, fire, light, water, clothing and
food. / do not count luXuries, such as an even
ing at the thclter, Il concert, or Il treat to our
friends when we give a party"
| know a smile came over my face, for he con-
tinued
Yes, give Il party and we have some pleasant
ones, | assure YOU. Sometimes we have Il dozen
guests, which Is quite enough for comfort, and
our treat of chocolate, cakes, blanc mango, etc,
costs us much as two dollars but this is not very
often. Out of our surplus. which comes, you
see, to two hundred dollars Il year, we have
bought all you see, and have money in the bank"
:" see it all" said |; ''ali but the living.
Many a mechanic spends more than that for c-
CARS, to say nothing of liquor. Pray, tell me
precisely how you live
With pleasure. First of all, then | smoke no
and chew no tobacco, and Mary takes no
snuff
Here the pleasant smile came in, but there was
no interruption, for Mary seemed to think her
husband knew what he was about, and could talk
very well without her aid.
u have not drank Il glass of liquor since the
day | was married, except a glass Of wine about
four times Il year. on Christmas, New Years,
of July, and Willie's birthday. The last
is our especial holiday. | had read enough of
physiology to make up my mind that tea and
coffee contain no nutriment, and are poisonous
besides and | tried Il vegetable diet long enough
to like it better than a mixed one, and TO find
that it agreed with me better and as we have
read and experimental together, of course, Mary
thinks us | To-"
But what do you eat and drink? % l asked,
curious to see how far this sclEtaught philoso-
pher had progressed in the laws of health.
Come this way, and | will show YOU" lie
said, taking Il light and leading the way into a
capacious storc-room. Here, first OF all, is Il
that cost me twelve shillings. 1t griuds all
my grain, gives ne the freshest and most beautl-
meal, and saves tolls and profits. This is a
barrel OF wheat. ! got the best. and am sure that
it Is clean and good. 1t costs less than three
cents u pound and n pound of wheat Il day, You
know, is food enough for any man. make it
bread, mush, pies and cakes. Here is bar
rel of potatoes. This is hominy. Here are some
beans, a box Of rice, tapioca, macaroni. Here is
4 barrel of apples, the best that | can find IN
Fulton Market. Here i ii box of sugar, and this
IS our butter Jar. We take a quart Of country
milk a day | buy the rest of our living by the
or barrel, where | can get it best and cheap
,st. Making wheat-caten as mush or bread,
and all made without bolting-and potatoes, or
lominy. or rice. the staples, you can easily see
that a dollar a week for provisions is not only
Inple, but allows of q healthy and almost luXu-
.iOus variety. For the rest, we eat green's, vcge-
ables. fruit and berries in their season. In the
summer, we have Strawberries and peaches, as
soon as they are ripe and good, Mary Will get up
dinner from these materials, at the cost Of a
better than the whole bill of fare at the
Astor House"
| was satisfied. Here was comfort. intelligence,
and a modest luxury, all enjoyed by a hum
DE mechanic who knew how to live, at the cost
nave mentioned. How much useless complaining
night be saved-hOw much genuine happiness
IN joyed-hOw much of evil and suffering might
ne prevented, if all the working men IN New
York were Us wise rs William Carter
| never shook a man or woman by the hand
with more hearty respect than when | said
. Good night to this happy couple, who in this
city, are living in luxury and growing
'ich on eight dollars a week, and making the
Jench of the shoemaker Il chair of practical
philosophy.