Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1876-03-15
Fifty-two dollars !" uttered Charles,

" Fifty-two dollars !" uttered Charles,
sitting back in his chair, and we have
not bought one article of clothing or
furniture. Fifty-two dollars with which
to pay sixty-fve. There is thirteen
dollars short this quarter, and | meant
to save at least thirty dollars
Well, its no use to mourn over it,"
said the wife, in a cheerful tone, for
she saw that her husband felt badly.
" Let us begin 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.
Hannah, M see where the trouble is,
and | must freely admit that I have
been wrong. If I had paid for every
thing as bought it should have hit
if. You are right. l see it all now. I
have not estimated the value of money
as I ought. Let me once get UP again
to where I commenced, and I will do
differently. [ must step down to the
store this evening and pay the rest as
soon as get it.
"That matter is easily settled" she
replied, "for / have money by me that
l had when ] was married"
He protested most earnestly against
taking his wife's money, but she insist
ed on giving him the money. It was
her will and he must submit. So he
went down and paid the grocery BILL
and on his way home he sold his 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
send home piece of beef for dinner.
Chow much will you have?' asked
the butcher.
go, three or four"
Charles got thus far, and then he
stopped. He had always been in the
habit of ordering an indefinite quaint
ty, and leaving the butcher to cut it, off
at the highest figure, end charge the
highest price; and then he remem-
bered how much was usually wasted
Let me have two pounds" he said.
He stopped and saw it weighed and then
paid for it.
When he went home at noon. he
found that his two pounds of beef was
enough for a good dinner. The next
morning he went to the store. Mr..
Waldron had some nice figs just come
in which he showed. They were only
twenty-five cents a pound. For mo-
ment Charles hesitated, but as he re-
membered that he had got to pay for
all he bought he concluded not to take
them. He found that things were not
so enticing when it required cash to get
them 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.
When 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 the
market with Wilkins, and bought as
much vegetables and meat as he
thought could last through the week.
He found that he had made saving
of at least twenty per cent, and when
the opportunity offered he made the
same saving in other matters.
At the end of that quarter Charles
Matthews did not have to get slate,
He paid his house rent, and then he
found he had thirty-fve dollars left in
his pocket. That was his-he did not
owe penny of it.
"Ah, Hannah" he said, as he held
the money in his hand and looked it
over, now l know how easy it is for a
man to be wrong and his wife right.
This money al comes of paying as I
go along. 1t is very easy and simple to
say: Just charge it, and a man can
easily buy things under such circum-
stances, but when the day of reckon
ing comes those three simple words,
that sound so innocent when spoken,
are found to be costly things. l did
not believe it until [ tried it. I could
not have believed that man would
purchase many articles simply because
he could have them charged. But I
see it now, and if I refused to follow
your advice at first, | have gained ex-
perience enough to lead me to follow it
more explicitly now"
Charles Matthews never again allowed
himself to be carried away by the cred
it system, but has followed the cash
rule, and the consequence has BEEN
that he could buy produce, coal, etc., at
the cheap prices, and he has now cut
OFT the expense of house rent, for he
owns snug little cottage, and it is all
paid for.