Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1875-12-24
THE HAPPY NEW YEAR.
"HAPPY NEW YEARpp

"HAPPY NEW YEARp'
A bright face looked into the chamber; I;
a sweet voice rang through it in tones of
music.
Happy New Year, darlingI'
And Mr.. Ellis stopped to kiss the child.
But the kiss he gave was not fervent. 1t
was kind and gentle but not loving.
A pair of large blue Orbs looked up at
him in kind of hurt surprise. Then,
as if she felt repelled, the child, after
standing for moment or two in shy,
embarrassed way, went out of the cham
Der and left her father alone.
Mr.. Ellis was less comfortable in mind
after she went out than before she came
in. A ray of heart-sunshine had swept
into the room, and though he had tailed
to perceive its warmth it was colder and
darker after its withdrawal He breathed
out involuntarily heavy sigh. 1t was
not happy New Year. In fact the new
years came In always with an added
weight of care, annoyance and discour-
agement for Mr.. Ellis, each heavier and
more discouraging than the one that pre-
ceded.
Happy New Year!" cried one child
after another, as it looked into his room
or met him on the stairs. Happy New
Yearr greeted him from many voices.
But it was not happy New Year. Oh,
no! Mr.. Ellis New Years were no longer
happy ones. Why? Let us go back a
little.
Just ten years before the time in which
he comes before the reader, James Ellis,
then clerk on salary of 81 900, took to
himself wife; but in doing so he made
one mistake and that was going in debt
for the furniture of his little, rented house.
For over three years he had been getting
a salary of $1,000, and out of this had
saved scarcely enough to buy his we'd
ding-suit and the marriage-ring. How,
on the same income, he was to support &
wife besides himself and pay the $500 il
cost to furnish his house was one of the
mysteries in finance he had not stopped
| to solve.
| 1t is no matter of surprise that the first
New Years Day following the marriage
of Mr.. Ellis was not for him very happy
one. He had a dear little wife, and was
very fond of her; and she was good and
| loving, and as careful as she could be tC
make home the pleasantest place for him
in all the world. But there had been g
grave error in the way their new life was
begun, and error of any and every kind
surely works for all its measure o.
disquietude, pain or disaster. There is
no escape.
The first New Years Day brought in tc
| Mr.. Ellis unsettled accounts for over one
hundred and fifty dollars, besides the five
hundred dollars he had borrowed from {
friend to meet his furniture bills. These
accounts came in from the grocer, the dry
goods merchant, the cOal-dealer anC
others, with whom bills had run up tha
might have been settled with the cash h(
| had let slip through his hands for articles
of ornament they did not need, or fol
various little self-indulgences. If there
had been rigid system of cash down fol
every article that was purchased, and {
| just self-denial in the matter OF things no
actually needful to comfort, that first New
Years Day would have found Mr.. Eli!
in a far different and happier state o
mind
The true remedy was neither seen no
adopted.
81 must have a larger income" sal,
Mr.. Ellis. If he had said: :" must adop
a new system and practice a closer econo
N.Y." the case would have been NOR
hopeful.
On the next day Mr.. Ellis asked to hav
his salary increased. Business had no
been very good for the past season, ant
there was some demur; but he was faith
full and intelligent clerk, and, in view o
this, 5000 were added to his salary-no
more, really, than the deficits of the las
six months; yet enough to cause on
young friend to feel much elated, and t
lure him into freer instead of close
style of living.
The second New Years Day brough
another day of reckoning. A baby ha
been born, and with this sunbeam tina
came brightly into their home came ais
added expenses and consequent increas
of debt. The original $500 borrowed I
furnish the house was yet unpaid, and tn
friend who loaned that sum had grow
cold in consequence.
"Happy New YearP called his sweC
little wife, as the sun looked brightly i
through their chamber window, awaken
ing her with its kiss.
=" Happy New Year!" he answered
trying to throw into his voice the glad
ness that was not in his heart; for he ha
been awake for over an hour, thinking {
the bills that had been received on III
day before, and of others which were I
come in-bills that he had no preSeT
means of paying.
al must get more salary" said MI
Ellis to himself as he brooded that Ne'
Years Day over his unhappy affairs. ii
asked for an increase, but was denied,
=" am worth more than twelve hur
dred year, and will have itr' was hi
mental ejaculation. So he set himself I
work TO find another situation, and after
few months succeeded in obtaining ne'
place, and a salary Of two thousand
year
This good fortune quite set up on
young friend. He felt rich; and on til
strength of this feeling indulged himsel
with new parlor carpet and set {
chairs-on credit.
But the next New Years Day brougl
its sure reckoning, and Mr., Ellis foun
himself further behindhand than whe
his salary was only 81 600, and deeper
the Slough of Despond.
"This will never do" he said to hin
self, after brooding all day over h
miserable affairs. 81 cannot live 0
$4,000 The case is hopeless"
Then ray of light shot into his mlnC
He was quick, clear. headed accOuntan
and the suggestion came to him that
might get books TO post and accounts
, settle as night work. A sense of reli
: pervaded his heart as this idea took shal
and settled into a purpose. On the veI
next day he sent an advertisement to on
of the papers, and in less than week ha
en- engagement to post set of books an
} get of balance-sheet, work that woul
I occupy his evenings TOR at least mont
and for which he was to receive 500.
! A better day was dawning upon NJ
Ellis-so he thought and felt and h