The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1869-04-10
HOW We OBTAINED A HOME.


IQOEUuRulI uuu luWhCuly ulAGUuhulHke1
when my little wife met me at the door.
why, Will, what caused you to be so
later said she, the tea has been steep.
ed this half hour, and l really began 10
fear that some one had taken q fancy
to your watch, and caused you an un-
pleasant delay
This remark was made with reference
to an ancient time keeper which I
huge watch which had
belonged to my grandfather. My wife
was always predicting that some
tootpad would seek 10
possess himself Of this valuable, II l
was not more careful about exhibiting
Il. The truth was, she was sorry In her
heart that l could not afford better
one, and 30 she took this method 10
banter me.
We sat down 10 tea that night In our
Cozy little back parlor, beside Cozy
CRATE FIRE, and the fragrant and stimu.
latlng Oolong, and my wi(e's CHEEKY
talk, soon caused me TO forget my long
walk and the drenChing rain, and the
unpleasant incidents OF the day.
DO you know, my dear, said !,
breaking open a white, creamy biscuit
the while, and laying on a slice OF vel
low butter, "do you know had some
very serious thoughts on my way home
to-nlghtH
'Oh, no doubt you did, said she, you
thought perhaps In fit OF mental alb
straCtIon, thinking how much you made
on the last corner In speculation
All this was decidedly naughty. You
see had managed 10 save q thousand
dollars, and a friend Of mine knew 1t,
and he also knew Of nice corner on
wheat, and the half OF my humble pile
he said was sufficient seed for rich
harvest on such corner rs was pre-
pairing. Well, / Invested, partly 10
please my friend, and good deal "a
please myself, to make a little money
quick. and the result was the following:
Saturday night-Will Aiken minus
five hundred dollars.
NO. said 1, nothing of the kind.
was thinking how hard 1t Ia TO he poor.
How hard 10 toll on year after year and
just barely make living. Here we
live In q rented house. We have paid
out In rent for this little cottage three
times It's first cost. A man ought Ia
own the house he lives in, II 1t be but a
shed. have never seen the time when
l could spend money for house. When
fortunate In a speculation, have lei
my funds slip through my fingers,
don't know how, and my regular saia.
ry is only sufficient for our yearly ex.
penses.'
do You mean 10 say said sho, look.
Ing at me archly over her cup, that
you would willingly compel the wife
ofyour bosom TO live In a smaller and
cheaper structure than this? Do you
really?'
n mo, no. said /: and, indeed, if
we're TO think Of building cheap cot.
tage, whereas the money to come from?'
and then l groaned audlbly over the
aforesaid corner
WELL said she, 4 am glad you are
still a devoted husband, not disposed
In the least TO play the tvrant; bul
would It not be well, now that we are
on this subject, 10 sec II there Is moi
some way open 10 liberty? For nv
part, 1 would like to walk over patch
Of ground which we could cnll our own,
Do you KNOW said she, that l have
never cared anything about flowers
here. II Is not because am not fond
OF flowers, as you well know, but II
seems 80 ridiculous TO be cultivating
flowers on rented ground. How j
would like 10 be the mistress OF a little
yard, and then the flowers would be
my own.'
The fact is, my wife had been always
taking after this manner. She wanted
me 10 build house, even though 1t had
but one room. And 30 answered her
Yes, yes, but where is the money tC
come from ? and again thought o.
the corner
WELL said she, this Is the first time
that you ever seemed to see eye 10 eye
with me as to love In cottage.' When
the thousand dollars were In the bank,
you insisted that We had not enough
now that the half Is gone, sny that We
still have enough 10 begin with, and
my feeling is strike for your altars
and your fires.' r.-..
Bythls time we were through tea,
and taking a cigar from of the manteI,
l sat down In my easy chair, leaned
back, took two or three whifis OF smoke
and said 10 her: my dear, will you be
kind enough to inform me how / shall
20 10 work TO build house for five
hundred dollars?'
In the mean time she had drawn n
stool to my feet, and was sitting look.
Ing up at me, her losy and lustrous face
beautiful In the gas.light. 1t had been
difficult from the first Tor me to with.
stand that face. believe l had never
yet refused any request Of hers save tC
abandon my cigars and build cottage
and now I felt my time had come, and
so pulled away at my seed Hayang
with uncommon zest.
Nov, Will, said she, listen. hear
there are lots for sale In c., greal
large lots on long time, at three hun,
dred dollars each. ills only six miles
out by rail-, and property they say Is
rising in value there every year
Ny plan Ia this: Go down and buy a
lot now, and get ready to build In The
spring.
Yes said !, but you forget. the mon,
stop. said she, pulling with her tlny
hand at my beard, you pay down fol
your lot 800, and have nothing more
10 pay for two years. We shall be able
TO replace the money by spring and
have $500 to begin our house with, We
can build a cozy place, large enough
for you and me for $1,000
Yes, said I. knocking the ashes from
my cigar, but where is the Remaining
$500 TO come from3
Look here said she. we now pay
mere SSOO Tor rent, do we nol2 This
amount, atleast, we shall save In The
new house. You can readily borrow
on the security you will have the re-
manning $500, and by a little economy
we shall be out OF debt In fifteen month";
from March next, save the $500 on Thu
yes, yes,' said, I 'and such n housC
as we shall hRve-oh deafI
Well, was Influenced by my goot
little wife. We went down one sun
shiny day and looked at the lots anG
closed Q bargain, and In the sprinE
our houses was commenced and ready
for occupany before the first Of May,
II was not so large a cottage as The
one we had left; there was no gas, anC
had myself helped 10 dig q we'll; bu
somehow there was q strange exhilar
alton Of Feeling on getting settled In on
new abode. The affair, too, had COS
more than we anticipated by 500, o.
that We were In debt on tho hous
alone 700 on moving Ia. felt quit
nnea!y over this debt the 6rst night
This feeling quickly passed Of, and q
We began 70 put out trees, make q gar
den, and prepare for q family o
chickens, our estate seemed 80 I'm
menAe that the debt thereon wa
EtAing,