The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1861-11-02
The Hole in the Pocket.

!
mechanic, and he could generally fins
employment in his native village, and sh,
/ being an industrious little woman, besid,
doing her house-work, earned considerable
in the course of n year, by doing plar
sewing. But still they did not seem tc
prosper as did Ned Bowen aud his wife
who commenced housekeeping near then
about the samr time. under similar c;rcum
stances. The reason why, and the way h,
/ made the discovery, we will let him tel
IN his own words:
I NV wife said to me one evening"" Mr.
| Slack, ! wish to get some thread and nee
/ dies at the store, and want little change
! felt in my pocket, examined my wal
/ let thoroughly. but could find nothin,
that would pass for currency at the store
and reported the unpleasant fact TO her.
Why said she, what has become o
| the half dollar gave you this mornn:
| that 90; from Mrs. Jones for sewing /?
! (She had always made me cashier of tn,
! frm)
After another unsuccessful attempt t,
/ find it, said:
| Mrs Slack, | think there must be
hole in one of my pockets, for certainly
have got it. and do not think Of any thing
that have paid 1t out for"
Il will look at your pockets this esen
ing she said mildly, land will mend
! them if they need it
1t was not long after this conversation
that | remembered having treated mvsel
aud three friends to ice cream and oranges
at a confectioners shop but concluded tc
keep the discovery TO myself
Il couldn't find any hole in your pock
last night. said my wife, the next morn
ing, in a gentle tone, ana with a look that
my feelings prevented me from scanning
closely; and all the reply ! felt willing to
make was, " All, couldn't YOU
\ few days afterwards she called on me
for twenty-five cents she had lately depos
tied in my sub-treasury for safe keeping
Really, Mrs. Slack, SAID |, thinking II
best to show bold front, there must be
some corner or seam in my pocket Is open;
though really could not fud one, any
more than | could the missing quarter
+ IF there is, ii j. singular that did not
find it the other evening" she said in her
usual gniet way, hut viii be sure to
find it this evening if there i any
On the way TO my work after dinner
while passing the Arcade Saloon, the fate
of my wife 5 quarter came distinctly TO nv
mind. Is had vanished in smoke in front
VI h'ie'S 4i41b'bGh'pHr c' ~ iIst'i pau lOI
five finely favored cigars which some OF
my village friends had helped me to dis
pose OF while discussing politics there the
previous evening
Mrs. Slack had never told me whetL er
She found any hole in my pocket or not
and did not feel disposed to push the
investigation on the subject any further
at the tine.
Although | vas seldom entirely out of
change. still Il was frequently unpleasant
Is 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 trein- clever fel-
low and to crafty my appetite or fame
for things | could have done very well
without.
The result was that did without things
at home which my wages would have en-
nbled me to buy, and left some for char
liable purposes.
. e day was presented with a sub,
scriPtlon paper for the benefit of the Or
phln Asylum. which reluctantly handed
back without signing, with the remark
that | really could not afford it
My wife smiled sadly as she said to me,
in an under-tone:
Ned Bowen subscribed five dollars.
/" don't see how he can afford it, !
replied, " a. be don. get any better wages
or work more hours than do.
\ few days after the ioreGoin. event, OH
an invitation from Ned Bowen and his
wife We spent an evening at their house
which we found mucn better furnished
than our own, though there vas no appa
/ rent att"m | TO make any needless display
o: furniture
. The evening passed pleasantly away
but could not avoid some unpleasant feel
ings whenever ! contra>ted their hous,
with the appearance Of my own
wonder, said to my wife. on ou
way home, If Bowen doesn't 20 in deb
. for some of their furniture
He does not, she replied, for hi
+ wife told me they did not owe dollar il
/ the world.
But how can they live as they do OF
/ his wages, if he gives five dollars at tim,
/ for charitable purposes?
st" | think | can tell YOU said she, in
! hesitatins manner.
/ Well, do, If you please, | replied, no
n little curious 10 know what her ideas oil
the subject Were.
Well. she continued, lin the frs
place she never buys for herself any uu
necessary iinery, and takes good care thai
nothing is lost or destroyed that come
into the house
" But" said |, interruptinG h, =, II douh
amazingly whether she Is more careful il
that respect than my own model wife.
= In the second place, said she, " he i
as careful in these respects as she is. III
buys no Ice cream, oranges, cigars dc
neither for himself nor for any OF his pre-
/ tended friends. In short, my dear Mr.
i Slack, he has no hole in his pocket
1t was the first word of suspicion m,
wife ever uttered on the subject, and tina
/ fact, together with the conviction that sh
/ plainly saw, and SO unexpectedly, but il
so kind a manner, told me the real caus
of the difference between our home an,
that of Ned Brown and his wife, cut m
to the qulck-or rather, | should hav
said, sewed ME up, and my pockets too
they have never been in holes since tha
evening Her change has always beer
safe in them ever since, and our hom
now will not suffer in comparison will
that of our friends, the Bowens Witt
good books and papers, | can spend m.
leisure hours more pleasantly and profit
ably at home than anywhere else and tn
saving of small expenses more than pay
for them, and is the secret of success
AN ELECTION TRICK-An unsuccessful
candidate at the late election Of the Frencl
Counscils Gencraux is endeavoring to III
set his successful rivals election en- th
ground of a cruel hoax played by the lat
ter. NJ L, the successful candidate
addressed by post to the electors Of tn
department visiting cards, bearing th
name of NJ. Y, his competitor, il
scribed on them, but not prepaid Fac
elector, having had to pay three sous 70
the letter, was furious, and exclaimed i
such terms as, o. the wretchcd miscr @
" NJ. A--,wIshes for'my vote, and h
will not even pay the postage of the lette
requesting it; will vote for NJ. =
and NJ. Z---was elected by a vast ma
jority. 1t remains TO be decided whethe