The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1874-09-17
Select Stnrg.
KYACCOUN7 WITH HER MAJESTY

KYACCOUN7 WITH HER MAJESTY
| never laid by a penny till the Post
office Savings Banks came up. Not that |
miphtn't havedOne SO, for earned good
wages; and after paying all the expenses at
home, had always plenty of loose cash
to spend. / was never without m0neyin
nv pocket; but always at the years end
/ had spent all had received. | knew
very well that l might have saveda good
bit without cutting down the weekly al
lowance to the missus for the house, or
stinting myself of any reasonable enjoy
ment; but had never begun the thing, and
when l thought about doing it, was at
a loss how to 30 about it, What | used
to do, when | had little lump of money
over and above the expenses, was to put
il away in drawer, and lock it up; and |
used TO say to myself, 81 wont touch that
money, but I'll put more to it from time
to time, and when it amounts to a hun
dred, / will do something with it-put it
in the bank, or invest it in building so
ciety, or something of that sort" But,
somehow, the money didn't grow as ex-
pected. You see | always had the key
ofthat little drawer in,my pocket; and at
any time, if | ran little short through
being rather free with my mates, or GO
ing upon the spree, had nothing to do
but to 90 to the drawer and help myself.
I hesitated over it sometimes, but never
for long, the drawer was 80 handy, and |
used to say to myself, "If take sover-
eign it won't reduce the money much,
and / can put it back again next week"
But it generally happened when next
week came that it wasn't convenient to
put the money back. And so | went on
going to the drawer for sovereigns and
half sovereigns, until the bit of money
dWindled down so low that it wasn't
worth keeping. It's the same with drink.
If you make up your mind that you won't
taste a drop for a week, and stick to it,
you are all right; but only be persuaded
tomake beginning, to take one glass, just
one, and you take another and another,
and then its all wrong. It's the same,
too, dare say, with swindling and rob-
bing your master; once make beginning,
and on you 90. like rolling down One
Tree Hill on Whit Monday, the further
you 60 the faster you 60.
Susan used to say to me, George, hOw's
the money getting on?' And she used
to say it in sly sarcastic way, meaning
that was spending it, and that it was
going very fast. / knew it was, but l
didn't like to acknowledge it, and always
said: "Ohl it's all right in the drawer,
there. what's of it, "Well, George"
she would say, you put away ten pounds
about month ago; and as Christmas is
coming on, it will enable us to buy all we
require, and give little party to our
friends" Yes" would say, but you
know, my dear, That | have paid So-and-
to, and So-and-sO;" and then I'd name
certain bills, and the subscription to my
lodge-for I am an Odd Fellow-and add
it up and substract it from ten, and Su-
san, not being good at figures, would be
quite puzzled and give the sum up in de-
spair
But she found me out more than once.
One day when / came home to dinner,
she says to me, George" she says, "you
left the key of the drawer on the mantle
shelf this morning" She didn't look at
me, but went on carving the boiled rabbit.
Ny wife is odd that way, and not like the
generality Of women. Nagging is not one
Of her faults. Shetdoesn't say much, but
she thinks the more. So, when she told
me about the key in that quiet way, /
knew she had been to the drawer and
counted the money. That's where l don't
hold with Bluebeard. He might have
tried his wife with anything but secret;
tis downright unreasonable to expect a
woman not to be curious. ! merely said
"0hf' in an Indifferent kind of way; but
lam sure my looks convicted me. How
ever, Susan did not make any remark
about the money being nearly all gone;
AutS by-and-by, when she was helping
rne 70 suety dumping, she says in her
usual demure way, Don't you think,
George it would be good thing to put
little money in savings bank?" WELL"
| says, 1T wouldn't be bad thing, Su-
san" NO" shesays, "I'm sure itwould
not, and if I was you i would make be-
ginning" WELL" l says, 81 would if l
kneWhoW to go about it." There's no
difficulty about that, Susan says; ''you've
only to 90 to Welbeck street, and put a
little in, and they'll give you a book, and
there you are" Very well, Susan"
| says, 'I'll take your advice, and go to
Relbeck street tomorrow"
/ was as good as my word; and the next
day, at the dinner hour, walked up to
Welbeck street to put in three pounds
ten, which was all that was left of the
fifteen. But 10, and behold when | got
70 the bank it was shut, and for the mo-
ment thought it had broke, or the man
ager bolted with the funds, or something,
bat ON looking about l noticed brass
plate on the wall with information about
the bank hours, and from that learned
that the bank was only open three days
a week, from ten to two in the morning,
and from six to eight in the evening. /
had come the wrong day. was a good
bit vexed to have all my trouble for my
pains, but Susan when, / told her, took it
quite quiet, and says, "Never mind,
George, you can go again ON Saturday,
when the bank is open" Well, | fully
resolved to 20, and on Saturday morn
ing j took the money with me, in
tending to walk overto the bank after nv
work. However, just as | was leaving
the shop at six o'clock, who should
meet but an old mate Of mine that had
not seen for years. Nothing would do
'or Dave but I must 60 and have glass