Juliet signal. [volume] (Juliet [i.e. Joliet], Ill.) 1844-1???, 1861-10-29
How TO Earn a Home.

ho" 10 Earn u home.
A STORY Pa THE HARD TIMES.
The other evening returned home with
an extra $40 10 my pocket-money that I
bad earned by out Of doors work. The fact
is I'm clerk in down town store, at q
salary of 5000 per annum, and pretty
wife and baby to support out Of it.
suppose this income will sound amaz-
ingly small to many of your two aud three
thousand dollar ofice-hClders, but peyer,
theless we contrive to live very comforta-
bly, upon it. We live upon one floor of an
unpretending little house, for which we
pay one hundred and fifty dollars per an
mum. and Kitty. my wife, you will UNDER
stand, does all her own work, so that we
lay up neat little sum every year. Pve
got balance Of two or three hundred dol
larry in the savisgs' bank, the hoard of sew.
erai years, and it is astonishing how feel
Why, Rothschiid himself isn't circum.
stance 10 me.
Well, came home with my extra bill,
and showed it triumphantly to my Kitty,
who was of course delighted with my IN
dustry and thrift.
Now. my love,' said |, Just add this to
our account at the bank, and with interest
to the end of the year.
Forthwith ] commenced casting interest,
and calculated in my brain. Kitty was
silent, and rocked the cradle musingiy with
her foot
I've been thinking. Harry said she,
after q moments pause, that since you've
got this extra money we might afford to
buy new rug. This is getting dreadful
shabby, my dear, you must see'
/ loakah 1alaf.,llv h. -
worn and shabby enough, that was fact.
i can get beautiful new velvet pattern
for seven dollars, responded my wife.
'velvet-seven dollars groaned 1.
We'll, then, a common tufted rug like
this would only cost three said my eau
tious better half, who seeing she couldn't
carry her first ambitious point. wisely
withdrew her guns.
That's more sensible; we'll, see about
it,.
And there's another thing / want con-
tinued my wife, putting her head eoaxing.
ly on my shoulder, and it's not at all ex-
travagant, neither
What is itP asked
Il saw such lovely silk pattern on
Canal street, this morning, and l can get
it for six dollars-onIy six dollars, Harry
Its the cheapest thing ever saw
But haven't you got very pretty green
silk dress p
That old thing? Why, Harry, I've
worn it ever since we've been married.
'ls 1t soiled, or ragged p
No, OF course but who wants to wear
the same old dress foreverf Everybody
knows it is the only silk have.'
Well. what then p
That's just a mans question: pouted
Kitty. And / suppose you have not OBJ
served how old fashioned my bonnet is get
ting
why, l thought it looked very neat and
tasteful since you put on that black velvet
winter trimming
'Of course-you men have no taste in
such Matters
We were silent for a moment; I'm a.
fraid we both felt little cross and out of
humor with one another. In fact, on nv
way home, thought of taking that ten and
exchanging my old silver watch for q more
modern timepiece of gold. Saying-Lank
reflections had come later.
As we sat before the fire, each wrapped
in thought, our neighbor, Mr.. Wilmot,
knocked at the door. He was employed at
the same store as myself, and his wife was
an old family friend.
Il want you to congratulate me he said
taking seat. Il have purchased that
little cottage out on BloomiDgdale road, to-
day.
What that little wooden cottage home
of my own, just like that had often adj
mired on the Bloomingdale road, and had
always been the cIowning ambition of my
life-a distant and almost hopeless point,
but no less earnestly desired
why. WilmOt, said |, how did this hap
pen2 You've only been in business eight
or ten years longer than /, at salary but
trifie larger than mine, yet could as
soon buy mint as purchase cottage like
that
WELL said my neighbor, we have all
been working to tins end for years. Ny
wife has darDed, patched, mended aud
saved-we have lived on plain fare and
done with the cheapest things. But the
magic charm of the whole affair was that
we laid aside every penny that was not
needed by actual positive want. Yes,
have seen my wife lay by red coppers, one
by one. Times are hard, just now; the
owner was not what you call an economical
man. and he was glad to sell even at q
moderate price. So you see that even hard
times have helped me-
When our neighbor was gone. Kitty and
| looked meaningly at one another.
Harry said she, the rug isn't so bad,
after all and my green silk will do year
longer, with care
And silver watch is quite as good for
all purposes as gold repeater said L.
we will set aside all imaginary wants.
The ten dollar bill must 90 to the bank,
said Kitty, and I'll economist the coppers
just as Mrs. Wilmot did. Oh, how happy
she will be among the roses in that cottage
garden next spring!
Our merry tea>kettle sung us cheerful
song over the glowing fire that night, and
its burden was Economy, and home of
our own amid the roses and the country
air.