Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1870-03-12
Live Within Your Means.

h" This is pleasant" exclaimed young
husband, taking his attn the rocking
chair as the supper things were removed.
The fire glowing in the great, revealed a
pretty and neatly furnished sitting room,
withall the appearance of comfort. The
fatiguing business Of the day was over,
and he sat enjoying what he had all day
I been anticipating, the delights Of his own
freside. His pretty wife, Esther, took her
work and sat down by the table. M
"Itis pleasant to have home of one s
own, he again said taking satisfactory
survey fhs little quarters. The cold rain
beat against the windows and he thought
he felt really grateful for all his present
comforts. 1"i@H
Nov if we only had piano, ex-
claimed the wife o
| b give me the music of your own sweet
voice before all pianos in creation, he
observed complimentary; but he felt a
certain secret disappointment that his
wifes thaukfulness did not happily
chime with his own swntrra
Well, we want one for our friends,
said Esther. .aa af30
Let our friends come to see us, and
not to hear piano" exclaimed the hus-
band.
But, George, everybody has piano,
nowadays-we don't 90 anywhere with
out seeing piano, persisted Esther
a And yet / don't know what we want
one for--for you will have no time to
play on one, and ] don't want to hearit.
dWhy, they are so fasliionable-l
think our room looks nearly naked with
out one
b. II think it looks Just right
| think it looks very naked-we want
a piano ,shockingly protested Esther,
emphatically. q " "a ~ "a Q u
The husband rocked violently, !, "a,
Your lamp smokes, my dear, said
he aftera long gpause roj 'al .7n
,7st When are you goingto get one ofthe
new kinds of lamps? | have told you a
dozen times how much we need one,
said Esther, pettishly. e r,ii-lI hg
"These are very pretty lamps, said
her husband !" The prettiest of the
kind ! ever saw.
" But, George, 1 do not think our room
is complete without lamp of the new
style" said Esther, sharply. They are
SO fashionablei Why, the Morgans and
many Others | might mention, all have
them-I m sure we ought, too. ~
1--WE ought not to take pattern by
other peoples expenses, and don see
any reason in that.
The husband moved uneasily, in. his
chair. Hi""
nWe want to live as well as others,
said Esther. YrItHrf
"We want to live within our means,
Esther"
al am sure You can afford II as well as
the Morgans and Thorns. We do not
wish to appear mean.
Georges cheek crimsoned -
Meanl am not meant he cried,
angrily. llha naI ndU ~, |
FTien, we do not wish to appear so,
said his wife. ITO complete this room,
and make it look like other peoples
rooms, we want a piano and fashionable
lamps"
"We want-we want" muttered the
husband, there's no satisfying woman |
wants; do what you want and he alb
ruptly left the room. ....f .....
How many husbands are in q siInilnr |
dilemma2 How many houses and hus- /
bands are rendered uncomfortable by
the constant dissatisfaction Of a wife 1
with present comforts and present pro
visionsl How many bright prospects /
for business have ended in bankruptcy \
and ruin in order to satisfy this secret
hankering after fashionable necessariesi I
Could the real cause Of many failures I
be known, it would be found to result .
from useless expenditures at home--ex-
penses to answer the demands OF fashion
and what people will think, i
NY wife has made my fortune, said
a gentleman of great possessions, by
her thrIft, prudence and cheerfulness +
when | was hrs; beginnipg
And mine has lost my fhrtune, an Z
swered his companion, by useless ex- 7