The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1876-01-04

And Mr. Ellis stopped to kiss the child.
But the kiss he gave was not farvent. 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if she felt repealed, the child, after standing
for moment or two in shy, embarrassed
way. went out of the chamber and left her
father alone.
Mr. Ellis was less comfortable in mind
after she went out than before she came
10. A ray Of heart sunshine had swept
into the room, and though he had failed to
preceive 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 disbursement for
Mr. Ellis each heavier and more discour-
aging than the one that preceded
Happy New Year," cried one child
after another, as it looked into his room or
met him on the stairs, Happy New
Year." greeted him from many voices.
But it was not happy New Y ear, Oh no.
Mr.. Ellis's, New Years were no longer hap
py ones Why? Let US go back little.
Just ten years before the time in which
he comes before the reader, Jas. Ellis,
then a clerk on salary OF 81 900, took to
himself wife; but in doing so he made
one mistake and that was going 10 debt for
the furniture of his little, rented house
For over three years he had been getting
q salary Of 81 900, and out of this he saved
scarcely enough to buy his wedding suit
and the marriage ring. How, on the same
ncome, he was to support wife besides
himself and pay the $500 it cost to furnish
his house was one of the mysteries IL fl
nance 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 a very happy
one. He had dear little wife, and was
very fond of her; and she was good and
loving, and as careful as she could be to
make home the pleasantest place for him
in all the world But there had been a
grave error in the way their new life was
begun, and errors of every and any kind
surely works for all its measure of disquiet-
ude, pain or disaster, There is no escape.
The first New Years day brought in to
Mr.. Ellis unsettled accounts for over one
hundred and fifty dollars, besides the five
hundred dollars he had borrowed from a
friend to meet his furniture bills. These
accounts came in from the grocer the dry
erS with whom bills had run up, that
might have been settled with the cash he
had let slip through his hands for articles
of ornament they did not need or for va
rious little self indulgences. If there had
been rigid system of cash down for every
article that was purchased, and just self
denial in the matter of things not actually
needful to comfort, that first New Year 5
day would have found Mr., Ellis in far
different aud happier state of mind,
The true remedy was neither seen nor
adopted,
Il must have larger income" said Mr..
Ellis. If ne had said Il must adopt a
new system and practice a closer ecOno-
N.Y." the case would have been more
hopeful.
On the next day Mr., Ellis asked to have
his salary INCREASED Business had not
been very good for the past season, and
there was some demur, but he was faith.
full and intelligent clerk. and in view of
this $500 were added to his salary-not
more, really, than the deficits Of the last
six months, yet enough to cause our friend
TO feel much elated, and to lure him into a
freer instead of a closer style of living.
The second New Years day brought
another day of reckoning. A baby ha(
been born, and with this sunbeam tina
came brightly into their home came alsC
added expenses and consequent increas
of debt. The original $500 borrowed tt
furnish the house was yet unpaid, and the
friend who loaned that sum had grown
cold i'll consequence
Happy New Year." called his swee
wife, as the sun looked brightly in thru
their chamber window, awakening he
with kiss.
Happy New Year, he answered, try
ng to throw into his voice the gladneS
that was not in his heart; for he had bee
awake for oyer an hour, thinking OF tn
bills that had been received on the DE-
before, and Of others which were to com
in-bills that he had no present means c
paying.
Il must get more salary" said Mr.. Eli
to himself, as he brooded that New Y ear
Day over his unhappy affairs. He aske
Tor an increase, but was denied
II am worth more than twelve hundre
year, and will have il" was his menta
ejaculation. So he set himself to work I
find another situation, and after fe'
months succeeded in obtaining ne'
place, ard q salary of two thousand yea
This good fortune quite set up our youn
lllGuu AAC lCll llOll duU Ou luC y ltuSL
of this feeling INDUCED himself with
new parlor carpet and set of chalrs-o
credit.
But the next New Years day brOugt
its sure reckoning, and Mr.. Ellis foun
himself further. behind hand than whe
his salary was only 81 900, and deeper i
the slough of despond.
This will never do, he said to him
self, after brooding all day over his miser
able affairs, Il cannot live on $1,000
The case is hopeless,
Then ray of light shot into his mind
He was a quick, clear headed accountan
and the suggestion came to him that b
might get books to post and accounts t
settle as night work. A sense of relie
pervaded his heart as this idea took shap
and settled into purpose. On the yer
next day he sent an advertisement to en-
OF the papers, and in less than a wee
had an engagement to post a set of book
and get off a balance sheet, work tina
would occupy his evenings for at least
month, and for which he was to receiv
800.
A better day was dawning upon MI
Ellis-so he thought and felt; and hi
heart grew light and hopeful. SO tn
day would have been better if to large
resources had been added economy an
self-denial. But this was not the cast
he poured more water into his barrel, an
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