Wilmington daily commercial., 1875-11-20

Don't you fret about them. know it don't
cost US anything like twelve dollars week to live,
for have made an estimate. There is Wilkins,
who works beside me 1T the shop, he has four
children, and only gets the same wages do, and
yet he lays up two or three dollars week."
Yes," said Hannah, " know be does !
was in to see his wife the other day, and she was
telling me how they we're getting along. Mr..
Wilkins takes his basket twice week and goes
over to the market and gets his meat and vegit-
ables. and trades for cash. and so gets every
thing to the very best advantage. So he does at
the store. He lays in a good quantity Of
all those articles which will keep and buys but
ter, eggs, apples and such things by the guam
tity when the market is full, and they are cheap,
and he always buys enough to last his family
over the season OF scarcity, when such things
are high. His butter, for instance, he bought
for twenty two cents per pound-a 6rkin Of tt
and 1t is much sweetsr than that for which you
paid forty eight cents yesterday"
" For.y-eght cents y persisted the young
man in surprise.
Eyes, I asked Mr.. waldron's man when he
brought 1t up, and he said had risen to forty
eight cents. Mr.. Wilkins got twenty dozen OF
eggs some time ago for twenty cents dozen,
aud his wife packed them down, and they kept
we'll. You will have to pay Mr.. Waldron forty
five cents for those he sent up yesterday.
Charles Matthews was somewhat astonished
at this view OF the case but 1t could not be helped
now, and the subject was dropped. His gold
chain had lost its charm 1t did not look 80 we'll
even in his own eyes, ,as the old black cord which
he had worn before.
At length the end Of the quarter came around
The first bill was the rent. which amounted to
about thirty-one dollars. The nextwas the butch
er's bill OF thirty-six dollars. Charles WAS as
tonished to see how this bill footed up. But
when he saw how many steaks he had at thirty
cents pound, the cause OF wonder disappeared
Next he paid the bakers bill, which was thirteen
dollars When he came home in the evening he
had paid all bills except his grocery bill.
''Mr. Waldron cent in his bill to day." said his
wife after supper.
"Ah, did he, let me see it."
Hannah brought it, and Charles looked. He
WAS astonished at its length, and when he came
to look at the bottom Of the column his face
turned shade pale. 1t footed up just sixty
five dolars-an average Of five dollars week.
" This is impossible y he exclaimed, as he
gazed upon it, But he examined the different
articles, and he could remember when he order
ed them. Those things which cost him only a
dollar, looked very innocent when viewed alone,
but in the aggregate they had 3 very different
look. How much shall we lay up this quarter,
Charles kindly asked his wife, as she came
aud leaned over 8 shoulder, and smoothed the
hair back from his brows.
:. How much shall we lay up Z" he repeated.
mot much. Get the slate pnd let us reckon
up" He WAS resolved to be frank about the
matter and let bis wife know all.
The slate was brought. First SIT put down
one hundred and fifty-six dollars as the quarters
sa'arv. Then csme the rent, and the butcher
aud the grocer and the baker.
Now you 1t down thn en- dollars for this
chain-apd twelve dollars for sundries-that
means tobacco, cigars, concerts and such things
Now take from my quarters wages aud see how
much remains"
She did 30, and gave fifty-two dollars as the
result.
"Fifty-two dollars !" uttered Charles sinking
back into his chair "ard we have not bought
pro orfio nj mi pff fJr, ;frro
two dollars with which to pay sxty-hve. There
is thirteen dollars short this quater and had
meant to save at least thirty dollars"
"Well, it's no use to mourn over it," said the
wife, in a Cheerful, tone, for she saw that her
husband felt badly. "Let us commence again.
There is nothing like trying, you know"
For some moments Charles remained silent.
He gazed first upon the bill he held in his hand |;
then upon the floor. At last he spoke:
"Hannsh. / see where the trouble is. and l
must freely admit that have been wrong. II
had paid for everything as bought il, should
have hit it. You were right. see it all now. l
have not estimated the value Of money as !
ought. Let me once get up again to where i
began, and will do differently. 1 must step
down to the store this evening, and pay the rest
az soon as getit."
"That matter is easily settled" she replied,
"for have money by me that had when was
married"
He protested most earnestly against taking
the money. 1t was her will, and he must sub
nit. So he went down and paid the grocery
bill and on bis way home he sold his gold chain
for thirteen dollars. He felt happier now, and
WAS ready to commence the next quarter.
On the next Monday morning the young man
went into the meat store to eend home Il piece
of beef for dinner.
"How much will you have ?" asked the buteh-
5r
~ Oh three or four"
nlorl ,y,tt ,;a far tl,n,. In
had always been in the habit Of ordering an in
definite quantity, and leaving the butcher cut of
the highest figure, and charge the highest price;
and then he remembered how much was usuaNy
wasted.
"Iet me- have two pounds" he said. He
stopped and saw it weighed, and then paid for it.
When he went home at noon be found that
his two pounds Of beef was enough for good
dinner. The next morning he went to tho store.
Mr.. Waldron had some nice figs just come in
cents pound. For moment Charles hesitated,
but as he remembered that he had got to pay for
all he bought, he concluded not to take them.
He found that things we're uot 30 enticing as
when the payment could be postponed. He paid
for what he bought and went his way and thus
things went on through the week. Wien it
came Saturday night he knew that all the money
in his pocket was his own, after deducting the
rent. That evening he went over to market, with
Wilkins and bought as much vegetables and
me6t hb uo ttuOuSat WOulu lhbt LnTOugQ Ll6
week. He found he had made q saving OF at
least twenty per cent, and when tho opportuni-
ty offered be made the same saving in other mat,
tors.
At the end of that quarter Charles Matthews
did not have to get a slate. He paid his house
rent, and then he found he had thrty-hye dol
lars left in his pocket That WAS hs-he did
not owe penny OF it.
",Ah, Hannah" SAID he, as he held the money
in his hand and looked it over, "now l see how
easy it is for q man to be wrong and his wife
right. This money all comes of paying as I go
along. 1t is very easy and simple to say, Just
charge it, and man can easily buy things un-
der such circumstances, but when the day of
reckoning comes these simple words, that sound
80 innocent when spoken, are found to be costly
things. l did not believe it until tried it. l
could not have believed that man would pur-
chase 80 many useless articles simply because
he could have them charged. But see it now,
and if l refused to follow your advice at first
have gained experience enough to follow it more
explicitly now."
Charles Matthews never again allowed him.
self to be led away by the credit system, but has
followed the cash rule, and the consequence has
been that he could buy produce, coal, etc., at
cheap prices. and he has now cut off the expense
of house rent for he owns a snug little cottage.
and it is all paid for
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