Wilmington daily commercial., 1875-11-20
JUST CHARGE 1T.
A STORY FOR YOUNG HoUsEKEEPERs.

Charley what did this peach preserve cost !?
AZ don't know, Hannah
But you bought it this morning"
~ know did but didn't ask the price o
it,"
Didn't you pay for it 2"
| "No."
"Why not Z"
"Oh because l couldn't make change. hav'
| opened an account with Mr.. Wo1ron, aud shal
hereafter settle every three months.'
| This conversation was carried Oh at the tes
table between Charles Matthews and his wife
Matthews was young mechanic who had just
commenced housekeeping, and as he was max
ing excellent wages, he could afford to live prtt
| ty well. After he had made known his deter.
mined arrangement to bis wife, sue reme ned
some time in silent thought.
" "Charey,n she at length said, in mild per-
| suasive tone, " think it would be better to pay
for things when you buy them. You get your
wages every Saturday night, and you could pay
rs you go very eas y."
" i know could,' replied Mr.. Matthews, with
the air of one who ha unanswerable arguments
at his command; but then it would not be 80
handy. You see 1 shall save al the trouble Of
making change, and shall not only save time, but
also avoid making mistakes"
" Mistakes = echoed Hannah. " How can
mistakes occur when you pay for things as you
get them "
{" / will tell you. Sometimes it may be incon-
venient to pay for a thing when get it--I may
forget my money, or 1 may take it on trial
then il pay for part, and not for all, some
things may get charged that have paid for
No, Hannah, a settlement at the end OF each
quarter will be most convenient all around l
am satisfied of that"
"Wel, perhaps it may be as you say" replied
the wife, with an earnest tone and look aud yet
with smile, " but cannot see as you do"
d" Why not p
"on all accounts. III the first place, you will
buy more than If you paid cash down. No, you
needn't shake your head, for know it. There
are many little luxuries, little extra trfes that
we do not need, but which you will be apt to buy
il you do have to pay the money down. know
something of this credit system, and know it is
not fair or good thing. In the second place,i
you pay cash for everything you will get your
goods cheaper. A trader will sell cheaper when
he eau have the money in his hand, than when
he has to carry the amount on his ledger"
/" But lei me tell you, Hannah, Mr.. Wadron
will not cheat. He is not the man to take the
advantage of good customer in that way"
You nisuuderstand me, Charles: don't you
know that 2 u traders can afford to sell cheaper
when they get their peg N hand, and do not have
to carry the amount D Their ledgers They Can
f1ford to do 30. Traders Ike to secure cash GUS
toners. 1 think You would find it to your ad-
vantage to try the cash system. Now do not
believe you would have bought this peach pre-
serve il you had to take the money out OF your
pocket to pay for it,"
but bought it to please you, and thought
you would be pleased"
~ know you did, +" she replied as she placed
her hand atfectionately on hls shoulder. II
know you would do anything to please me
but FOR the sake OF helping you would forgo :
all such things. Then, after few years, per.
haps We might own a little cottage OF our own" :"
For several days Charles only sent up from
che store what WAS really needed. At lenght, as
be went to the store one morning on his way to
work, he saw some splendid pickles in fancy jars.
He had ordered the articles he needed, and was
leaving when Mr.. Waldron spoke =
"Mr. Matthews, don't you want jar of pick
les carried my wife a jar last evening, and
she thinks them superior to any she ever raw" "
Nov Charles knew that his wife had plenty OF
plain picked cucumbers some that her mother
had put down for her, but Mr.. Waldron's wife
had some of these fancy ones, and why shouldn't
Hannah have jar OF them, TOO
And then he ordered jar CT them, and as it
was inconvenient to pay for 1t, ordered it
charged.
''Mr. Matthews, you may rest assured we shall
be very happy to accommodate you in anything.
Now it WAS flattering to young Matthews feel
ings to thnk that the trader had such confidence
in him and he left with an exceedingly good
opinion o. himself aud his credit, and especially
of his grocer.
Onlya dollar. Yes-only dollar on the ira
ders ledger-that's of no account But dol
lar right out of ones pocket-that was different.
| Charles would not have bought them had he
| been obliged to pay cash at the time.
"Ah, Matthews, look here, have something
| to show YOU" This was said by the trader the
| very .uext morning after the purchase OF the
pickles. And 30 Mr.. Waldron led our hero to
the back store and opened a box of oranges.
"There Mathews, amt they nice?"
"They are nice, replied Charles-and 30 they
| were.
~ know your wife would like some of them, !
| carried some home to my wife, and she wanted
me to save her three or -four dozen of them at
| least "
'.How much do they cest?"
| 'sLet me see--I can send you up three dozen
for a dollar: 1 got these oranges very cheap.
You know they are retailing at five cents apiece.
'sYes. Well you may send me three dozen, and
| please charge them.
81 will, certainly. Anything else this morn
ing.,"
And 20 Matthews went on. This morning it
would be dollar-to morrow perhaps fifty
| cents-and then, again, only twenty five cents.
1t didn t seem much. The young man kept just
as much money in his pocket al though he
| hadn't bought them.
| nOnly a dollar he would say to himself.
"That isn't much out Of the twelve dollars a
| week." And it might not be- but the trouble
was the next dollar was called one dollar, and he
would forget to add it to the former dollar and
call it two dollars, with the next dollar and call
it three dollars.
Ono evening Charles came home with new
gold watch chain.
"Where did you get that p inquired Mrs, Mat
thews.
"Ah," replied the husband, with impress
sive shake of the head, II made a bargain on
this chain Now guess how much paid for it. y
"rm sure / couldn't guess"
80. try-guess something"
"Well, ten dollars"
"Ten dollars y echoed Charles with disap-
pointed look. "Why, what are you thinkingof
Jack Cummings bought this chain two months
ago and paid twenty dollars for it. Just heft is
and see how heavy 1t is. Eighteen carats fine.
Jack was hard up for money, and he let me have
it for thirteen dollars"
az suppose it is cheap enough" returned
Hannah, but not with such pleasureable sur.
| prise as her husband had expected. But, y
she added, "you didn't need it and l fear you