The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1871-02-23
A Pleasant Home and How to Get
One.


afternoon than usual, took short cu
through part of the town in which
many Of the poor people had their
dwellings. The houses were small and
most of them had q neglected look
The paint was worn off the windows;
the gates to the little yards in too many
instances, broken off, and there was a
general air of comfortublencss and want
of thrift what was sad to see.
Here and there you met with pleas
SAINT exception-a house with clean
door-yard in which flowers grew tho
| wood work clean with paint; shades at
the windows around many of which
grew towering vines.
In the yard of one ofthesc latterdwell-
ines saw q HAL working among the
borders. I stopped at the gate, md
as he looked up | recognized q jour-
ney-man wLo had often come jobblng
tc my house and store.
sAh William said I.
Good evening, SIR he answered in
the frank, pleased way of one who meets
friend
sAnd is this your home? ? / look
ed up to the pretty little house as l
spoke.
Yes, sir
Owned by your
q made the last payment only yes,
terday. Wont you come in, sir? Ex
cuse me for making SO free. but LIN
proud of my house, and want to be
showing it. NIary-,hat's my wife
keeps it like new pin.
| was interested, and so went into
the house. 1t was plainly furnished,
neat and clean, and comfortable every
where. In the kitchen we found Mrs.
Williams washing up the supper things.
Her hair ard dress were tidy, the clean,
wide checked apron given rea! house
w. 'Gely look. She had a pleasant, con.
ten ted face.
lat down in the small pnlor at
Willia,, e invitation, and, as [ did so,
put this question /
who llves in the houses around you!
Or. rather, what business do the men
lollow?'
sOh, as to that, all kinds OF business.
Nos, Of them arc mechanics.
Earning fair wages? yes.
How much
rsro,n two to four dollars day,
according to what they work at. You
see that miserable looking house at the
corner ?:'-aud be pointed from the
window.
Yes
:Wmti'ii mti'i, Mitci.eal Jones, who lives
there is one of the best bricklaycrs to
be fauni, and can earn his four dollars
a day whenever he pleascs-Just DEL
lar more than | get.
Docs he own his house,
20 dear, no! he hardly owns him.
SELF
w nat llG nlN'tSt
Just what ails most all of them
about here. Don't make the best OF
VIA, he earns. -Four dollars a day Is
twenLy-rour weck-six dollars more
than [ get. I've bought house and
paid for it and, Jones is in debt.
Took me five years, but what of that |!
Maybe you hayn't SO expensive a
Family?' said |.
we stand just about even there
it isn't that. If Jones and
his wife had been as careful as We have
been; they might now Be living in a
,nug little house Of their own, all paid
FOR, hundred or two dollars laid by
What has he dose with his money?
1T would be hard to tell: and yet
,f.cr pause it woplta't be so hard
L one thonght little. In the be-
he aud his wife started wrong.
He had earned good wages as young
nan for three years but hadn't dollar
head ALL spent in self indulgence
md the formation of unthriity habits.
She had been iu q bank. binGcry for as
eng time, receiving fair wages, and
only light board to pay. She lived with
sister. But her earnings were spent In
dress, or wasted in useless trillcs. So
when they Got. married, they had moth
ing tu. tho clothes On their backs;
and as tar as Jones YVES concerned those
were not paid iof.
But with gupd health, industry, pru-
lcncc. and good wages, oil might have
been sell and prosperous. Jones had
good health aud good wages, and h.
was an industrious, hard working man;
brt both lie aud his wife lacked prl-
,lcnco and self-dcnial-aud so 1t has
not been well with them. Instead OF
renting two rooms, az Mary aud did,
:hey must take whole house, aud 60
in debt, aud debt has hung on them
ever siuca. Twice i'll ten years they
have been sold ont by the sheriff
Jones thinks himself the most un-
fortunate H.an, aul is always complain
ing Of hard times.
Docs he drink?
'yo; to excess, as they say---ihat ;s,
he never gets tipsy. But lie has his
glass two or three times . day; and
that is draft or 4 small income that
tells heavier than most mcn think.
Woy much does Jones spend III