Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1877-05-29

II suppose it is che ap enough. re-
turned Hannah, but riot with such a
pleasurable surprise as her husband
nad expected. But" she added. YOU
didn't need it, and I fear YOU will feel
the loss of the money!
fooh! have mo ney enough. You
know L have spent very little lately. /
nave been pretty saving"
But you forget your bills. The
money you have is not yours"
mot mine?"
NO, it belongs to tho storekeeper. to
the butcher and landlord. You know
they must be paid"
Don't you fret about them. know
that it don't cost anything like twelve
dollars week to live, for I have made
an estimate. There is Wilkins. who
works beside me at the shop; he has
Jour children and only gets the Same
wages 90, and yet he laws up two OF
three dollars a week. -
Yes" said Hannah, "I know he
does. was to see his wife the other
DAY, and she was telling me how thew
were getting along. Mr.. Wilkins takes
his basket twice week and goes ovel
to the market and gets his meat and We.
getabies and trades for cash, and SO gets
everything to the very best advantage,
80 ne does at the store. He laws in q
good quantity Of all those articles which
will keep, and buys butter, eggs. apples
and such things by the quantity 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 in.
stance, he bought for twenty-five cents
pound-a firkin of it-and it is much
sweeter than that for which you paid
forty eight cents yesterday"
Forty eight cents ?" exclaimed thu
| young man in surprise.
Eyes. I asked Mr.. Waldron's mar
when he brought it up, and he said il
had risen to ferty-sight cents. Mr.. vii
kins got twenty dozen of eggs some time
ago for twenty cents a dozen, and his
wife packed them down, and they keer
well. You will have to pay Mr.. Wal.
dron forty. five cents for those he sent ur
yesterday"
Charles Mathews was somewhat as.
tonished at this view of the case, but il
could not be helped now, and the subject
was dropped. His golden chain had los
its charm. It did not look SO well, ever
in his own eyes, as the old black core
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 dol
lars. Next was the butchers bill o
thirty-six dollars. Charles was aston
ished to see how this bill footed up. Blu
when he saw how many steaks he had
at thirty cents a pound, the cause of the
wonder disappeared. Next he paid tn,
bakers bill, which was thirteen dollars
When he came home in the evening b,
had paid all his bills except his grocery
bill.
"Mr. Waldron sent in his bill to-day, ,
his wife said, after supper.
"Ah, did he? Let me see it,"
Hannah brought it, and Charles look
ed. He was astonished at its length, ant
when he came to look at the bottom O
the column his face turned a shade pale
It footed up just sixty-five dollars-ar
average of five dollars week.
"This is impossible !" he exclaimed a
he gazed upon it. But he examined tn
! different articles, and he could remem
Der when he ordered them. Those thing
! which cost him only dollar looked yer,
innocent when viewed alone, but in tn
' aggregate they had a very different ap
: pearance.
How much shall we lay up this quar-
q ter, Charles ?" kindly asked his wife q
a she came and leaned over his shoulde
and smoothed the hair back from hi
brow.
e "How much shall we lay up ?" he re
: peated mot much. Get the slate an
let us reckon up"
/; He was resolved to be frank about tn
: matter and let his wife know all.
r The slate was brought. First she pu
' down one hundred and fifty-six dollar
a as the quarters salary. Then came tn
e rent, and the butcher, and the groce
d and the baker.
J, "Now you put down thirteen dollar
d for this chain. and twelve dollars fo
u sundries-that means tobacco, cigars
: concerts and such things. Now tax
from my quarters wages and see hoy
I much remains.n
She did SO, and gave fifty two dollar
e as the result.
S "Fifty-two dollars !" uttered Charles
: sinking back into his chair, ''and W
# have not bought one article of clothin
b or furniture. Fifty-two dollars wit
e which to pay sixty-five. There is thi1
y teen dollars short this quarter. and I ha
p meant to save at least thirty dollars"
l. swell, it's no use to mourn over it,
e said the wife in cheerful tone, for sh
v saw that her husband felt badly. "Le
= us commence again. There is nothin
|, like trying. you know"
q For some moments Charles RENAME
silent. He gazed first upon the pape
f he held in his hand, and then upon til
t floor. At last he spoke:
r Hannah, see where the trouble i.
and must freely admit that have bee
i wrong. If I had paid for everything a
e I bought it, should have hit it. Yo
:. were right. see it all now. I hav
# not estimated the value of money as
t ought. Let me once get up again t
where began and I will do differentl,
!, I must step down to the store this ever
# ing and pay part of the bill and tn
rest as soon as I get it,"
d 'That matter is easily settled" sh
e replied, 'for I have money by me tbs
I had when was married."
i He protested most earne?tly again.
n taking his wife's money, but she insis
It ed on giving him the money. 1t We
: her will, and he must submit. So
e went down and paid the grocery bill
and on his way home he sold his gol
n chain for thirteen dollars. He felt har
t. pier now, and was ready to commend
It on the next quarter.
e On the next Monday morning th
v young man went into the meat store t
send home a piece of beef for dinner.
e "How much will you have?" til
butcher asked.
y "Oh, three or four-u
e Charles got thus far and then h
r stopped. He had always been in tn
K habit of ordering an indefinite quantit
and leaving the butcher to cut off th
highest figure and charge the highe.
d price; and then he remembered no,
much was usually wanted.
# "Let ME have two pounds" he sale
}. He stopped and saw it weighed and the
r paid for it.
When he went home at noon he foun
that his two pounds of beef was enoug
e for good dinner. The next mornin
3 he went to the store Mr. Waldron ha
: some nice figs, just come in, which b
showed. They were twenty five cents
G pound. For moment Charles hesits
ted, but as he remembered that he ha
8 got to pay for all he bought he conclud
ed not to take them. He found tbs
H. L L !.