The West Virginia journal. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1864-1877, 1864-11-23
AN EXAMPLE FOR LANDLORDS.
. ;..,c, ny MRS. 2. D.;DGFrEt.

n,r;r, pG AhS. =. D.:ueHtAtI J 4 e :,
"Wen, Mary" said Mr.. Early to his
wife, IS he casnc 10 one cold clustering
afternoon ia last December, and, drew
Dear the rudy, coal FIRE; &" we'll, Mary,
oos such 20 bad day in tho way: Of bust
1e.. after ;all:":' And he threw Of his
snow,spriuk !ed overcoat, laying it down
on the suus:Iooking lounge his wife
had drawn before the Ere for his own
accommodation, while the snowy parti.
cles fslf' ,aIshoSer over the warm cush'
ion.
"How, john ?" replied his, wife, as
she looked up. with a cherry smile. :
''"This is rcnt.day, you know, and
collecting rent is not always prosper.
Gus business G1t's'like pulling "a tooth
to get money. from. some people. Now,
there's. old ,Ruggles, who gives the
money as grudgingly as though he was
not Athletic puy three times the amount,
which l know he is. And Joe Winch,
suppose ,he did have "a; ,bard% time: to
raise it, but be made quite as hard a job
of payiug,it.". ,,,,. "...',..:'.'. -. d"
."Oh, never mind, husband;.I hope
YOU worn't hard on him ; work is: dull,
YOU know, aud money difficult to get"
;;"I acknowledge the truth of the con.
Guiding portion Of your .remnr k; money
is difficult to get, even when it is hon.
estly due-and so found it to-day
But I succeeded tolerably after all
Even the widow Webb paid to the last
cent, and that was moro than l hoped
for" t. : ..r ..';~..
.MOh. JohnT said his wife, in de-
predatory tome
Mr.. Early seemed to vince little
under tho implied reproof, and so said,
apparently 10 self usti6ca.ion:.
Why, Nary you know business is
business, and why shouldn't she pay
her rent as we'll as anybody elsc?'
Now, Mr.. Early was not, by any
means, naturally hard-hearted man
yet fortune had placed him in the position
oflandlord; and between tenants that
couldn't pay, and tenants that wouldn' t
pay, he. had finally been drilled into an
outward seeming Of hardness. When.
ever he anticipated uncommon difficulty
ID the discharge Of his duties, he repeat
ed to himself the old maxim that "busi
ness is business" and thus steeled him
self to his task. DE- j.. '..-
Yet bis wife knew that within this
tough she'll there was soft kernel ofa
heart, for. she had more than once found
it; and so, after short time Of silence
md reflection on her part, r.she resolved
to try if She could not reach it'agaiu.
John, said she," how much was
her1ent.2'a gzS3.E:&D -,:;: 49,. -.
"Poh! nothing Don't trouble your.
self about that Why'it wasn't as much
as that las, silk os,yourS cost, and you
know that you teased me into buying
that, saying the sum was such triAe. "
Well, how much was it," PERSISTED
Mrs. Early. ,~,..~: =: O.. ri:e't4s. .: ,
r"sIf you, must know, the quarters
rent amounted to fifteen dollars; and
she paid itw too,- without word Of
Srum o4uRli 7 Y.
"Ifis small sum to you and to me,
Ikrow; but don't, you think sho must
have struggled hard 10 taisesit7"
"Businc,s is business, you know,
and it is notiI MY way to. think hos
the money is raised. so that it is raised. "
"0AiI9hsIs again repeated his wife
There was a kind Of mugic in these
words. They possessed power over
him which she was aware Of and he
"welF 6svtf gfia,di1, Mary-don't
trouble yourself aboutit:t It's all over
now, and cant be helped. Only, If you
say 50, I wOn'tts faite'sos'hard next
time"
II do say sotJ oh8"said she, rising
With . womanlipc instinct, aud seating
herself beside, him, feeling that if she
Wished to R gaia he her point (aud she had,
10 tho few moments of reflection, rcsolv'
cd upon one) she must make use of a
wife's best argument.
"Tkere," said, she, as she ,Eound her
fingers caressingly in his hair; 81 know
YOU didn't moan TO DO exacting, but you
vere 50, after all. I heard only day
OF two ago that Mrs. Webb and her
daughter had had,a hard time, to get
along this fall. Their only dependence
for support is their needle, aud you
knox'tbxtSs avery; slender one. Now
they have both over.worked themselves
to raise this very money that you have