Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1873-01-03

lars QuhrteT, UT say teti, NJ tuS hiOS'' W.
won't be beaten by spools of cotton or an
extra newspaper"
We began the first day of the month l
bought two small diaries, and. each eve
ming Jane and iotted down the days out
goings. We kept straight on with what
we bought,for cash and what we had on
credit and Saturday night we compared
notes, and copied from both books into u
more imposing one, putting each item un-
der its proper head. liked the new meth
od It seemed practical, business-like; II
we made our money go farther, 1t was next
to having my salary raised. looked back
remorsefully to the old reckless days OF
loose-end affairs. But 1 believe Jano fear
ed and doubted the new scheme. She al
ways had a dread of black and white; a
feeling that one was bound to something |;
and also that ones shortcomings had no
place for repentance, after they were writ
ten In book.
At the end of the month we came out
better than / expected found that the
grocer's and the butchers bills were less
than 1 had anticipated and / should have
said that it mus. cost more in the year for
shoes. SO was able TO make my appro-
priations and feel that the actual outlay
would certainly fall inside them. The one
place where the amount exceeded my ex-
pections was in the class "sundrics !" had
said ten dollars for the quarter would be
large, this one month showed twelve. l
couldn't find any special thing that was
extravagant; that is, couldn't recall any
thing, for neither of us had kept the items.
So l set apart thirty-siX dollars for the
quarter, determined, however, that it
should not go as the. last months portion
had we must have had.to buy extra things
knew.
To my dismay the next quarter found
fifty dollars charged TO sundries. 1t must
have been that for the first few months we
had unconsciousy practiced unusual econ
omy, in view of the figures which were 10
face us, for now we were as badly off as ev-
er-just able-to make both ends meet. still
we were certain that in the mater of ero-
ceries, meat, fuel, shoe-leather and general
clothing, we had kept our expenses down
as far as possible. The little things, how
was it they footed up so? Jane declared il
was folly TO keep up the farce of account
books any longer.
1.-The fact is she argued, "your salary
is only large enough to live upon; and we
must live, 1 suppose; let us give up trying
| to save where it can't be done and live in
peace"
But thought of Simpson with his six
mouths, and how he was building house
and l determined to try again.
"Just once more" I urged, "and keer
the items in our adverse columns"
Well, we began again, putting down the
minutest thing; three cents worth of elias
tic for chld's hat, two cents for a bunch
of matches; even the stick of candy that
bought for Johnnie, as l took him for lit
| tie walk, was noted as an outlay of one
cent. And we came out pretty much as a
the end of the last quarter. had begur
to believe in James theory, and two week:
passed from the close of the three months
without any entries. Perhaps ii was wei
to let things go.
One Saturday afternoon met Simpson
who asked me to go and see his new house
just finished. 1t was a good mile from
town, and my first impulse was to hail ar
omnbus-we have no street cars-and, fo
FIVE cents each, ride out.
"Do you mind walking" asked my
friend. "I would like you to see how cas-.
it can be made, this living a mile out o
town, and walking to and from busnes
twice each day."
"Why, you don't mean to say that yol
shall walk in and out, all the time, and tn
omnibus running for five cents?
"Fair or foul; why the exercise ant
fresh air are half the inducement. To rid
will cost twenty cents day; I can't wea
out more than that moneys worth of shoe
leather and the walk will do me fifty cent
worth of good
I had never counted the cost in shoe
leather, but il had always seemed niue
easier to ride a mile than walk one. S
much easier that / was constantly savin
my strength, as argued, by paying fiv
cents to ride half the distance. If it wer
rainy, or were a little late in the morn
ing, hailed the omnibus. If l felt tirec
as almost always did at night, l bought
newspaper, jumped into the convenien
vehicle, and rode home, reading all til
way.
How it surprised me when oar walk VIZ
finished to find how fresh and bright | W.
feeling.
was in raptures over the new house;
was a marvel of convenience and comior
so much in so small compass; such clio
cts, such a bathroom, such airy bedroo
Jane would admire all so much. If l coul
only build her such house; if could oil
ly put the children in such yard and ga
den to play!
On the way home Simpson told me ju
how he had managed to get this home f
> his family. He had paid half already, an
the interest on the remainder would be o
; ly half the rent he is now paying.
ave go in two weeks" he conclude
, "and now If you were TO buy the next |
and build, what fine times we should hav
I'd get you in the way OF walking, and Il
air and exercise would set you right up.
II shall never save enough TO buy Il
land, let alone building. The fact Is, '
= only manage to live. | wonder how it
you can do more"
, Then we compared notes, and l learn,
. that my friend had known discourag
(; ments, and had lived through his dark di
t long ago. 1t was when he was first ma
, red that he and his wife had tried the ba
= tie of accounts and had been headed off !
, the "sundries."
"Tll tell you what, Frank, begin nc
and interrogate these same items. Y,
I find that the little things foot up four tim
t larger than you expected. You wouldI
f let big things, like flour and coal, cost 70
v times your first appropriation, witho