Juliet signal. [volume] (Juliet [i.e. Joliet], Ill.) 1844-1???, 1863-08-25
WORLD OF TROUBLE:
OR, WHY THOMAS GOT DRUNK
BY OLIVER OPTIC.

BY OLIVER OPTIC.
4 am so glad you have come, Thomas p
exclaimed Mrs. Butler, pale, carewOrn
young wife, as her husband entered the
room in which she had prepared the even
ing meal.
Why, what is the matter nOuP returns
ed the husband, laying a wick ed emphasis
upon the word now as though he meant
TO imply that there always was something
the matter.
Nothing, only I wanted yen to bring in
a pail of water, for | am so tired, that |
declare l can hardly keep upon my feet
is that all ? did not know but what
the baby had fit, or got scalded, or some
thing of that Sort
Nothing of that kind; ! have trouble
enough to get along; without sickness in
the family. l feel just as though should
die every night when l get my WORK DONE
and Mrs, Butler sighed as she placed the
smoking tea upon the table, and threw her.
self into chair, apparently so exhausted
that she could lot have stood another mo-
meut.
You must have girl, Mary; you know
often told you 50 before, said Mr.. Butler.
"A girl, indeed! Can you afford to keep
a girl. Thomas"
Certainly can. an earning twelve
dollars a week now, and / am sure our ex-
a half a week added tO this sum would still
leave me handsome surplus
just like you, Thomas; that is one of
your calculatious.'
Certainly, that is one of my calcula-
TONS replied Mr.. Butler little tartly.
4 suppose you wouldn't reckon any
thing for the girls board sneered the
wife.
a mere trihe.'
Everything is mere trife with you'
Thomas stuffed half hot biscuit into
! his mouth to help him keep his temper.
Aud then she would waste double her
wages continued the lady.
'Pshaw that is an old woman's bug
bear replied Butler, ippatiently.
Yes; that's just the way you always
talk.
1t is correct talk, though
Girls DON'T waste, l suppose p
i presume they do many of them; but
you a5ominably exaggerate the amount
No, don't; / say they waste double
their wages
No such thing
ASK any one who has kept help
What articles do they waste to such an
enormous extent?
neutrality-suspicious., groceries; and
! they burn up twice as much fuel as there
is any kind of need Of
Twice as much?'
Yes, twice as much'
Let me see,' and Thomas pulled out q
bit o. paper and a pencil, and went to fig
uring with ell his might.
We use three tons of coal in six months
Twice as much would be SIX tons, which
would come to forty-two dollars, OF twenty
one dollars waste. That is eighty cents 6
We X
Clear wastep exclaimed Mrs. Butler,
with palpable horror depicted on her coun
| tenance.
Now, allow that she wastes one-half the
| provisions and one-half the groceries, which
is absurd, and she would just double my
! bills. They were ffty-twO dollars for the
last six months, which makes o waste o.
two dollars per week. Why, Mary, We
have only made the waste to be two dol.
lars and eight cents, even with these fig.
ures. Double her wages would be three
| dollars
She would waste enough. as you would
find out to your sorrow if you kept one,
added Mrs. Butler, not pleased with thu
state of her side of the argument.
You dOn't believe she could waste hal
the fuel and etores?' ..
Mrs Butler did not believe it, but sht
did not like TO say so. .'
Probably, my dear, under your excel
lent supervision, she could not possibly
vast more than fifty cents week.
We'll, thatis twenty-six dollars year.
But can afford to lose that, rather thar
that you should make slave of yourself.'
Il don't want girl; it would be more
! work to look after her than it would be t
do the work myself gi e
/ As you please, my DEAR
i don't want your friends to think yor
have got an extravaganza wife,
Fudge on my friends Z
Yes, 1t lie easy enough for you to SAY
CO., s-
| And for you, too, if you choose
don't want to spend all we GET
Nor /, my dear; but, to be very plair
with you, had much rather do it thar
hear you everlastingly complain of how
hard you have to work.
| Don't work hard?' -..
Il don't know but you do
just think what Ihavet to do q
We'll, have to work hard, too, but
am sure it does not make one feel am
better to be continually grumblipg abou
it,
| Who's grumbling Can't body speaI
without being accused of grumbling 2 sale
Mrs. Butler, rather pettishly.
i only mean to say thatiyou work twie,
as hard with your imagination ss you d,
with your hands; your thoughts make sht
work hard a. t4i5 ~
Yes, il is easy for you to say SOL sale
the wils,WipiDg aWsJ 'the'tears from hel
wan cheek. ~ NJ E.
When haVeI come into the house, No
~, for the last six months, and you hsyt