The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1870-03-04
The Tin SGUings Bank.
ATALE FOR HARD TINES.
BY HoRArIo ALGER. IR.

A TALE FOR HARD TIMES.
BY HoRATIO ALGER, JR.
Charles LynfOrd was young me-
chanic in good business. AT the age
of twenty-six he had taken to him
self as a wife Caroline EuStis, the
daughter of neighbOr, who had moth
ing to bring him except her own per-
sonaI merits, which were many, and
habits of thrift, learned in an ecOnom-
icaI household under the stern teach
ing of necessity.
Ii was well, perhaps, that Charles
Lynford should obtain wife OF this
character, since he himself found it
very difficult to save anything from
his income.
1t was not long before Caroline be-
came acquainted with her husbands
failing. She could not feel quite easy
i'm tie knowledge that they were liv-
ing fully up to their income, ,foreseeing
that a time would come when their
family would grow more expensive,
and perhaps her husbands business,
now fiourishing, might become less so.
Accordingly one day she purchased
of a tin-peddler, who came to the
door, little tin safe, such as children
frequently use as savings banks. This
she placed conspicuously on the man
teI-piece, so that her husband might
be sure to see it on entering.
"Haslo, Carrie, what's that?' he
asked curiously.
"Only a little purchase L made to-
day." said his wife.
"But what is it meant for" he ask
ed again. 49,.
sIIet me Illustrate" said his wife,
playfully. Have you a ten cent piece
about you ,"
Charles drew dime from his waist
coat pocket. His wife, taking it from
his hand, dropped it into the box
through a little slit at the top.
Charles laughed.
$50 YOU have taken to boarding up,
Carrie? My little wife become mis-
erp
'eNo, only a little prudent. But SER
iously Charles, that is what L want
you to do every night"
"What-drOp dime into that new
tangled arrangement of yours"
Exactly"
"Well, well, that will be easy enough.
A dime is not great sum. But may
/ know what you are goingto do with
this newly commenced hoard"
clay it by for rainy day" an
swered Caroline.
Charles laughed merrily.
nAndw will dime aday amount
to ?r he INJURED.
s'In year it will amount" COM
menced his wife seriously
80, never mind-spare me the cal
culation! 1t sounds too much like
business, andI have enough of that
during the day." -.
"But you don't object to my plan|'
fNot in the least. I've no doubt it
is very prudent and commendable, but
YOU know, Carrie, l never was gifted
with much prudence"
az am aware of that" said his wife
smiling.
This ended their conversation for the
time.
The plan inaugurated by the young
wife was steadily carried out. She
was not one of those (Of whom there
are so many) who enter upon n plan
zeaIously, but soon tire of it. In the
present case she was thoroughly salts
| fed of the wisdom of her purpose,
and resolved to carry it through. Ev-
ery morning she called upon her hus-
band for dime. Frequently he had
not the exact change, but would toss
her a quarter instead. She would as
sure him laughingly that this would
answer her purpose equally rs well.
More than once Charles would BAN
fer her on the subject of her little saw
| ings bank, but this she bore gaily.
But these were not the only acces-
sions the fund received. Her husband
had early arranged to make an ample
allowance for dress-I say ample, L
dare say some of my city readers
might not have considered it so; but
Caroline-whO was in a habit of max
ing up her own dresses, providing her
self a good wardrobe ut a much less
expense than some not so well Versed
IN the science of managing could have
done.
After considerable calculation she
came to the conclusion that out of her
allowance she should be able to make
IA daily deposit equal to that of her
| husband. OF this, however, she thought
it best, on the whole, not to inform
/ Charles, enjoying in anticipation the
prospect of being able, at some time,
TO surprise him with the unexpected
amount of her savings.
AT the close of every month the box
was emptied, and the contents were
transferred to n savings bank of more
pretension, where interest would be al
lowed. When sums deposited here
| became large enough, Mrs. Lynford,
81 Ia l,4rl,f
city, withdrew them and invested in
bank and other stocks, which would
yield large per cent. OF her mode
of management her husband remain
ed in complete ignorance. Nor did he
ever express any desire to be made ac-
uuainted with his wife's management.
/ He was an easy, careless fellow, spend
ing as he went, enjoying the present,
and feeling no particular concern about
the future.
At the end of eight years, during
which he had been unusually favored
| by prosperity in business and uninter-
rupted health, his books showed that
he hadnot exceeded his income but that
on the other hand he had saved sbso-
lutely nothing. Twenty-Five cents
alone stood TO his credit.
Running pretty close, isn't it Car
rie ~ he said laughingly. ~ take
credit to myself for keeping on the
right side Of theline. But then l sup
pose you have saved up an immense
sum-
'tHow much do you think ?" asked
his wife.
80, perhaps hundred dollars" said
! Charles Lynford, carelessly, Though
/ it would take good many dimes to
do that"
His wife smiled, but did not volun-
teer to enlighten him as TO the cor
rectness of his conjecture.
So things went on till at length
came the panic of 1S5T-a panic so re-
cent that it will be remembered by
MANY readers of this sketch. 1t will
be remembered how universally trade
and business of every kind were de-
pressed at that periOd-among others
the trade which occupied Charles Lyn-
ford suffered.
One evening he came home looking
quite serious-an expression which
seldom came over his cheerful face.
Caroline who had watched the signs
of the times, was not unprepared to
see this. She had expected that her
husbands business would be affected.
"What is the matter, Charles ?" she
asked cheeFfully.
''The matter is, that we shall have
to economise greatly"
"Anything unfavOrable turned up
in business matters ,"
al should think there had. | shall
have but halfa days work for some
4 L n . lot