Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1876-10-26

nfeaC ana vegetables and trades Tor
cash, and 80 gets everything to the
very best advantage. So he does at
the store. He lays in good quantity
of all those articles which will keep,
and buys butter, eggs, apples and
such things by the quantity when the
markesfls 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 fol-. instance, he bought for
twenty-five cents a pound-,a 6rkin of
lt-and 1t is much sweeter, than that
for which you paid forty-eight cents
yesterday" e,..
) "Forty-eight cents !" exclaimed the
young man in surprise. I'LL
''Yes. l asked Mr.. Waldron's
man when he brought it up, and he
said it had risen, to; forty eight cents
Mr.. Wilkins got twenty dozen of eggs
some time ago for twenty cents a.
dozen, and his wife packed them
down, and they keep. well. You will
have to pay Mr.. sWaldron forty-fye;
cents for those he sent up yesterday"
Charles Mathews was somewhat
astenished atthis view Of. She case,
but it could not be helped, now, and
the subject was dropped. His gold
chain had lost it's charm. 1t did not
look so well, 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 Next was the butchers
bill of thirty-six dollars. Charles
was astonished to see how this bill
footed up. But when he saw how
many steaks he had, at thirty cents a
pound, the. cause ,ofthe wonder dis
appeared. Next he paid the. bakers
bill, which was thirteen, dollars. -
" hen lie came home in the evening
he had paid all his bills except his
grocery bill. ., ,
''Mr. Waldron sent in his bill to-
,dayahi wife said, after supper l.
''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 a shade pale. 1t footed up
just sixty-fye>dollars an average OF
five dollars week. 4 49,,
''Thls is impossible!" he exclaimed
as he sazed upon it: But he ex-
amined the different articles, and he
could remember, when be ordered
them Those things which cost him
only doler looked very innocent
when viewed alone, but in the aggre-
gate they had a very different ap
'How much shall we lay up this
quarter, Charles ?" kindly asked his
wife as she came and leaned over his
shoulder I'D smoothed the hair. back
from his brpws. : Il
''How much shall we lay up?' he
repeated. "Not much: Get the slate
and let us reckon up. 4: - ! i.
He was resolved to be frank about
the matter andllet4iais wife know all.
The slate was brought, First she
put down one hundred and fifty six
dollars as the quarters salary. Then
came the ret,t, and the b &C er, and
the grocer and the baker. !.
Now you put down thirteen dol
lars for this chain, and twelve dollars
for sundries -that means tobacco:
cigars, concerts and such things
Now take from my quarters wages
and see how much remains
She did so, and gave fifty two dols
la as the result.
Fifty two dollars!" uttered Charles
sinking back into his chair, "and we
have not bought Que article Of cloth
ing, OF furniture. Fifty two dollars
with which to pay sixty-f9e. There
is thirteen dollars short this quarter,
and had meant to save at least !
thirty dollars"
"Well, It's no use to mourn over
it, said the wife in cheerful tone,
for she saw that. her. husband felt
badly. ''Let US commence again.
There is nothing like trying, you
know. - a. ~"
For some moments Charles res
manned silent He gazed first upon
the paper he held in his hand, and
then upon the floor. At; last be
spoke: 49,
''Hannah, I see where the trouble
is, and | must freely admit that I have
been wrong. If had paid for every-
thing as bought it., / should have
hit it. You were right. | see it all
| now. have not estimated the value
of money as ought. Let me once
gel, up again to where began and |.
will do differently. l must step down