Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1861-08-14
prestutt Jonrnal
THE Hole in the Pocket.

tha necessary expenses Dut rs NC WAS
s :. mechanic, and could generally finc
ssmnlOynent in his native village. and she
LING sn industrious little woman, beside
5o;nS Der homework, earned considera
Lls in the course of year by doing plair
..vipg. But still they did not seem te
-rosper IS did Ned Bowen and his wife,
rbo commenced house keeping near them
shout the same time, under similar cir
cnmstapces. The reason why, and the
wav he made the discovery, we will LEI
him tell in his own words
Nv wife said to me QUE evening, 'Mr.
sleck | wish to get some thread and
needles at the store and want little
change Ifelt in my pocket, examined
nv wallet thoroughly, but could find
nothing that would pass for currency at
,he store, and reported the unpleasant
fsct to her.
.Whyr said she, what has become
hf tho half dollar gave you this NOR
ming, that I got from Mrs Jones for
,swinr q [she had always made me
cashier of the firm.
After another unsuccessful attempt 10
find il. said: Mrs. Slack, l think there
rnu;, be hole in one of my pockets,
for certainly l have not got it, and l do
not think Of anything / have paid it out
for.
twill look at your pockets this even
ing said she mildly, 'snd will mend
them if they need it,
It was not long after this conversation
that l remembered having treated my
self and three friends to ice cream and
oranges at 3 coGfectioner's shop, but
concluded to keep the discovery to my
SELF
I couldn't find any hole in your peck
e. last night said my wife, the next
morning in gentle tone, and with a
look that my feelings prevented me from
scanning closely, and all the reply l fell
wiling tt make, was. 'Ah, couldn't you.
A few days afterwards she called on
me for twenty five cents, she had lately
deposited in my sub-treasury for safe
keeping.
Really, Mrs. Slack said I, thinking
It best to show bold font, there must
be some corner or seam IN my pocket
that is open, though really l could not
find one any more than ! could the mis-
sing quarter.
If there is, it is singular that 1 did
not End it the other evening, said she in
her usual quiet way, 'but will be sure
to fnd ii this evening. if there is any,
On the way to my work after dinner,
while passing the Arcade Saloon, the
fate Of my wife's quarter came distinctly
TO my mind. 1t had vanished in smoke
in front of that institution; i. e., il had
paid for FIVE finely favored cigars, which
some of my village friends had helped
me to dispose of while discussing poll
tics there the previous evening.
Mrs. Slack never told mo whether she
found any hold in my pocket or not;
and | did not feel disposed to push the
Interrogation on the subject any furthe r
at the time.
Although l vas seldom entirely out o!
change, still it was frequently unpleasant
y scarce. In fact | spent more than
was aware of, in small items from day TO
day, for the double purpose of maintain
ing my reputation Of beng a Clever fell
low and to CRAFTY my appetite or fancy
for things | could have done very well
without. The result was, that / did
without things at home which my wages
would have enabled me to buy, and left
zone for charitable purposes.
One day l was presented with a sub
sliption paper for the benefit of the Or
phan Asylum, which reluctantly hand
eaback without signing with the remark
Ina, ! really could not afford it.
|. Ny wife smiled sadly. as she said to
me ia an undertone Ned Bowen
subscribed five dollars
Il don't see how he can afford it,
replied, 'as be does not get any better
wages or work more hours than l do
A few days after the foregoing event.
on an invitation from Ned Bowen and
bis wife, We spent an evening at their
house, which we found much better fur
nlshed than our own, though there WAS
no apparent attempt to make any need
less display of furniture.
The evening passed pleasantly avs, =,
but could not avoid some unpleasant
feelings whenever / contrasted their home
with the appearance of our own.
Il WONDER said l to my wife, Oh our
ray home, 'if Bowen doesn't 90 in debt
for some of their furniture Z
He does not 81 e replied, 'for his
wife told me thnt they did not owe dol
lar in the world
But how can they live as they are do
ing on his wages, if he gives five dollars
at time for charitable purposes g
i think I can tell you,' said my wife,
in hesitating manner.
We'll do, if you please l replied, moi
a little curious to know what her idea;
on the subject were.
We'll, she continued, 'in the first place,
she never buys for herself any unneces-
sary 6nery, and takes good care that
nothing is lost or destroyed that comes
into the house"
Bat said I, interrupting her, /
doubt amazingly whether she is moro
careful in that respect than my own mo-
del wife,
In the second place. said she, 'he is
as carafnl In thasa racnacfs as che L. He