The Baltimore County union., 1872-04-20

he would have twenty dollars left, which would
satisfy this last demand and leave something over.
| He had just commenced housekeeping, and dii
not expect to save much at first
| But, mercy how bis anticipations were knock
ed in pieces as he looked at this bill. He told
| Skidd he guessed he would lock it over and on
| his way homeward he examined it; but he could
| find nothing wrong-nothing wrong in the items
| but the sum total was poser twenty-sls dol
lars and forty-taco cents!
! For a long lime after he had reached home be
! tried to convince Hattie that nothing was the
matter with him but at length he plucked up
courage, and drew forth Skidds bill. He had
expected that his wife would be paralized. But,
on the contrary, she only smiled, sud said it was
all right.
tAll right |" echoed George.
'Al right" so far as Mr.. Skidd is concerned
said Hattie ''You remember what told you
once before, and now let's sit down and eat sup
! per, and then we will look the matter over"
And after supper they went at the work.
| Hattie took the bill, and piece of blank paper,
and followed the items down with her pencil.
''Eirst." she said, 's box OF figs, at fifteen
cents pound. 1t was very cheap, no doubt;
but the eight pounds came TO dollar and twenty
cents Had you been required to pay cash, you
would not have bought them. You would, at
| least have asked me If liked them, and should
| have told you, no. Next we have gallon OF
| golden syrup, which we did not need, and for
which you would not have paid cash without
conoalting me-
And SO she went on, and in the end she had
cut down the bill, by throwing out articles which
/ they had not absolutely needed, TO less than
fifteen dollars.
dollar here had not seemed much to George !;
and IL dollar and half there and then seventy
| FIVE cents and then only fly cents; but there
had been twenty visits TO the store during the
MONTH and the aggregate OF these trivial sums
was considerable
| George saw the whole Thing aud he knew that
| his wife had been right from the the FIRST.
Don't say a word, I" he said II see the mis-
take But I'll have 10 work around into the
right track by degrees
''How so, George2"
WHY ! haven't moGey enough left OF my
months wages 10 quite pay this bill so ! shall
be utterly unable TO enter upon the cash principle
at present"
'Tbere need be nodifficnIty 10 that direction"
said Hattie. 81 have not spent quite all my
little pita | had already fixed it for bit of
| IA nest egg and don't know AS il could be pu,
10 a better use than the LAY ing Of foundation
for cash payments At any rate, George, LEI US
try it for a while !"
| George kissed his wife, and said she was a
blessing and he promised that he would follow
her advice in the future. He took the money
which she had 10 give, and held ii as loan,
which he was to return at the earliest possible
moment and he felt an ambition TOO, to see
how speedily he could do it.
And on Monday morning the rule Of life
went into operation. George paid Mr. Skidd's
BILL and told him that hereafter he should pay
cash for everything he bought The store keeper
pooh-pooh'd, and said there was o need of il.
'Bess you, my boy, had as LIEF trust you as
| not "
81 do not doubt it, Mr. Skidd, but prefer not
| to be trusted. | would rather consume my own
! groceries than to consume yours. bill is an
evil at best, and | don't choose 10 have evils
growing on my hands if can help it"
Mr. Skidd saw very plainly that his customers
vision was clear, and he said no more,
| On the evening Of that very Monday, Mr..
| Skdd exhibited to George some extra nice pre-
serves, and the young man. first impulse was TO
order pot of them but the taking out OF his
wallet, and the breaking Of five-dollar bill,
was palpable reminder; and be concluded that
he could get along without them. Said he to
| himself:
''These seemingly trivial sums, if save them,
| will, at the end of the month, add up as greatly
| in my favor as they have heretofore added up
against me-"
| And he found ii 80. And be found one thing
more in his favor from cash payments which he
had uot particularly counted upon. As ne had
t .oney in hand to pay for the articles which
| he mad planned 10 purchase, he could buy it
wht,s he cnuld get il bsst and cheapest. Trade
are GSt WILING 10 iUse cash customers s1d The.
do only the fair and honest thing when they sell
| to a customer cheaper than they sell to Others. -
Not only is the interest of the money on account
an important item in the aggregate of many ac-
counts, hut the keeping Of that account in the
day book and ledger is an expense. George very
soor learned all this and he fouCd that even
Mr.. Skdd sold to him during this month of cash
payments cheaper than he had sold during the
previous month.
And as the months rolled on, George Brown
| opened no more accounts with traders. He found
that in paying cash he was constantly reminded
of the value of each separate sum as be counted
| it out and was hence not likely to purchase
what he did not need. And then be had goal
ahead which he had determined 10 reach as
speedily as possible and by bis system of cash
payments be could estimate at the close of every
day the gain he was making toward the desired
end In two months he paid what he had bor-
rowed of his wife, and she put ii into the com
mon fund and in five years his home was his
own, and he owed no man anything but love and
good will.--N Y. Ledger.