Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1877-11-09


for advice as well as service. He admitted
him to confidential relations, explaining
the difficulties caused by the failure of
other firms, some heavily indebted to the
house of John Miff1in, others upon whom
he had depended for goods obtained upon
credit.
Day by day, as the hard, trying winter
wore away, the two friends grew faster,
and so far from lessening his work, Charlie
found himself willingly lifting some of his
employers burdens upon his own shoul-
ders.
He gave more time to business, and was
gaining an insight into it of which an OPP
portunity had never been given him
And Mable, at home, was bravely tax
ing her diminished share of The loaf with
a smiling face and a cheerful heart. AS
much as might be she Kept from Charlie the
knowledge Of her domestic economies but
some of them were apparent.
| The woman, whose competent aid de-
manded high wages, was dismissed, and a
half grown girl engaged to mind the ba-
bies, while Mable cooked and washed and
ironed and sewed, meeting difficulties with
courageous heart She had never been
drone in the worlds hive, having been
busy little dress-maker before Charlie Cas-
telton won her heart, and took her to pre-
side over his pretty home.
But for three years of her married life
. she had been much petted, and there were
many pleasures to put aside, many dollars
we'll weighed before they were spent.
! 1t was with heart full of pardonable
triumph that the young couple, at the end
of the year of reduced pay, found they
were still out of debt, and had not touch
ed the nest-egg in the bank.
"You see, Charlie. we made the last loaf
| go round,'' said Mabel, as they went care
fully over the years expense book.
There are no crumbs, I" he said, with a
wry face.
Never mind, it was better than idle
ness.''
"You are right, and there is more than
that, Mabel. l have been able to help Mr..
Miffin more than eyer could have done
( in our old relations to each other. His
perplexities made him long for some one
to whom he could speak confdentially, and
when the ice was oEce broken, he took me
! fully into all the business condolences. l
could often suggest way out OF difficulty
that had not occurred to him, an: even
when [ was Of no actual use to him, it was
a relief to pour out his troubles to some
one who was in full sympathy with him.
"But you have worked very hard, Char
lie I never saw you so tired as you often
have been this year, and your face is more
care worn thau it has ever BEEN"
"Well, it is some comfort to know that
business prospects are looking brighter.
BY closest economy, MI. Mif1in has man
aged to meet the obligations he was afraid
would ruin hm, and there is good look
out for the coming year,
"Will he give you a whole loaf yet.
Charlie ?''
mot yet, think. Never mind. We
have held out so far. We will not despond
now"
"Despond! I guess not am hoping
to have some of those crunbs you were
speaking of next year. l have learned
some valuable lessons in saving"
The second year was certainly not an
easy one for Mabel. A wee baby, in ad-
dition to the three-year-old twins, kept the
mothers hands busy, while there was no
decrease in the household work. Many
little articles of clothing and housekeep-
ing, too, that tasted well one year, were
| past service in the second, and it was not
so easy to replace them.
| Often Mabel feared the savings for a
'rainy day. must be broken in upon, but
she kept all such fears shut up in her heart,
and had always bright word of cheer for
tired Charley when he came home.
| She never told him that the late break
fast that she had planned to let the babies
sleep while he ate his early one, comprised
none of the little tempting dishes of his
own meal, but was literally bread and
, milk six mornings out of seven. She never
let him know that the reason she suggest
ed his lunch down town, to save the long
walk home, was really to save the price of
that meal toward the dinner, the dainty
little parcel he carried never cogting the
price of regular meal for them all.
| She did not lell him she was cutting up
her own dresses to clothe the twin gisls,
and sewing busily every leisure moment to
! keep all the little ones tidy.
And yet there came day in June, when
six months of the second year were almost
gone, when she spent the last dollar of the
week 's.money, while the week was only
half gone. Charlie had given her, long be-
fore some signed checks to meet such an
emergency but it was her. pride to think
that not one had yet been presented at the
bank.
/ She took one from the desk, where they
had fal lain 90 long, and spread il ont before
her, calculating, with FUCKERS on her pref
! ty face, how small a sum she could stretch
over the necessary expenses.
Il hate to begin," she said, half aloud :;