Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1877-03-24
READY MONEY.

READY MONEY.
$50 you are going to be married, Kate?
Well ! hope you have made a wise
choice"
go yes, uncle,' replied lightly; 81
know | have. Henry is to make me per.
icctly happy"
" What has he got ?" was the next
pleasant observation that fell from Uncle
Jocelyn's lips.
"Got? uncle don't know what You
mean" | answered, growing rosy red at
the unexpected inquiry,
"Wha are his means? WHAT does he
intend to settle upon you ?"
" He has his business promptly in
terruptcd my mother.
d" And he is 50 clever, he is sure to get
on" | added in my eagerness to assure
Uncle Jocelyn it was all right as regarded
my future,
"That will depend L great deal upon
you, Kate, he replied grayely. "rhe
wife has more to do in making or marring
her husband than is generally suspected.
A careless, extravagant, bad wife is the
greatest curse man can have ; good
one is the greatest blessing"
" Yes, uncle; o yes" assented, glanc.
ing towards my mother, who was smiling
somewhat scomfully | fancied, at his
opinions.
" Take care of his pence and his pounds
will take care of themselves" " continued
uncle "and beware of ever getting into
debt, Kate it's the easiest thing TO get
into and the hardest thing to get out Of
Take my advice live we'll within your
means and always pay ready money!
" Yes, uncle Q yes, " responded. 81
am sure you are right and Henry is 50
prudent, he is certain to have the same
ideas"
" Well, keep them before your mind.
Don't despise an old mans counsel buy
nothing that you can't afford, and always
pay ready money"
! remember that conversation so well
with Uncle Jocelyn, some few weeks be-
fore my marriage; at the time it did not
strike me 50 forcibly as afterwards, for
my mind was too filled with other and to
me more interesting matters.
Uncle JoCclyn was an old man, and
the amount of his fortune had always
been wrapped in some obscurity but he
lived comfortably, and possessed small
property in Berkshire, upon which he
had built a pretty and substantial house,
where | had spent many happy days.
He had always shown special affection
for me. no doubt owing to the fact of my
being the daughter of his only brother
who had died when | was quite an infant
leaving me to the sole guardianship Of
my mother. Unfortunately for me, there
haG never been any love lost between
the latter and Uncle ,Tocelyn; the cool
ness had rather increased than diminished
as years went by; and when invitations
were sent for us to visit COningtOn, which
was the name of my unclc's place, my
mother invariably refused for herself
and only with great persuasion permitted
me 20 20.
How | enjoyed these visits! How
sweet were the hay-felds and clover.
scented meadows! How cool and fresh
the marble,slabbed dairy, with its rows
of brimming basins Of frothy golden
cream How fragrant was the old
fashioned garden, with its long grassy
walks and great big dewy roses, and the
old cedart tree so shady, under which
Uncle Jocelyn would sit of an afternoon
smoking, listening apparently quite salts
fled with my childish conyersati II The
sun always seemed to be shining in those
days | can recall no gloom then, and
things all wore a charm, which did not
know lay chiefly in the fact of my own
youth and utter ignorance of life and its
cares.
However, not to digress, | had not
seen so much of Uncle Jocelyn since !
had grown up, partly on account of my
mothers unabated dislike to him, partly
because of the existence of new interest
in life. had met Henry Arden. lie was
six.and-twenty, tlve years my senior. His
position in life was fairly good one, he