River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1878-04-04
TRAINED no BUSINESS.

~ S1NL S3.
"You may laugh as you please over my
notions said Mr. Ashleyto his two be-
jeweled sisters-in law, 'but this little girl
is to be trained up into smart little bust
ness woman. She is to be Just as efficient
in that line as if she were a boy. Every
body despises young man who has no
sense about business, even if he is heir
to fortune, and there is no reason why a
young lady should grow up in idleness
any more than her brother There are
great many up and downs in social life,
and | want my little 'Goldie Locks to be
armed against reverses. She may not al
ways have her fathers purse to draw on,
and | want her to be able to earn mony
for herself, just as her brother would have
done if he had lived
The two ladies were perfectly shocked
at such sentiments from thier rich broth
er-in-law, but they felt that remonstrance
was useless. IF he would spoil poor, dear
Alice's little girl in that way, it was no
fault of theirs For their part, they could
better trian the child how to spend her
fathers large income; but the idea of her
learning to earn money" with such ex-
pectations as were hers, was beyond
ridiculous.
Mr.. Ashley pursued his OWE course,
regardless of the comments it awakened
in the two households near his own.
One of little Effie's birthday gifts, when
only eight years old, was an elegant little
account-book, done in green and gold,
and as handsomely gotten up as the
daintiest autograph album.
He gave her some very simple diree-
tons about keeping her small accounts,
and then told her he should give her an
allowance on the first of every month, on
the condition that she should put down
every penny of expense in an orderly way
and state clearly for what she spent the
money.
Effie was bright little girl and was
much pleased with her "new play" and
entered upon it with great spirit. She
spent several of her dimes that very after
noon, more for the lun of putting down
the account than because she was abso-
lutcly out of pencils and stationery for
school uses. She thought that pencils
and such like articles had very respect
able look to start her little account book
with. 80 much more business-like than
just candy and dolls slippers. These
articles came in, however, in due season,
for what little girl with money in her
purse could well withstand such tempta-
tious.
So great was the pleasure OF spending,
that long before the month was up Miss
Effie found hers elf a bankrupt and just
then her necessi tiles began to press upon
her. But it was IN understood thing
that her very liberal allowance was to
supply all these small matters, and make
many drafts on fathers purse quite I'M
necessary. Here was bad Dilemma,
and E1fin went straight to her father with
it, as she did with all her troubles. Faith
er smiled, we'll pleased at the chance OF
teaching agood financial lesson.
Z" Now if father should hama out the
money for these new wants, Efiie, the les
sen would all be lost. AS far as | can
see, they are all things that can wait until
next month. OF course, anything you
need at school | must advance the money
for and take out of the next months al
lowance. But that would have its disad-
vantages, you know" and he gave a
kiss to the sober, unturned little face.
Business was business, she found, and
may be the road would wind up hill at
times. She thought and studied consid-
erably over her puzzled problems, and
finally asked father if there WI not some
way by which she could save money, as
Jane, the little waitress, did, to supple
ment her allowance This was the very
point her father desired to gain, and he
was quite ready to open the way
Il hot cto 10
papers are in after mail time every day.
| read them and throw them down, too
busy to put them in order. II you will
take this task upon yourself, and perform
it faithfully every forenoon after | go
down to the office, | will pay you fair
wages; in fact, / look forward to the day
when my little girl can take the entire
charge of this room. | greatly dislike
having any house maid enter it. A little
disarrangement Of my papers might occa-
sion great trouble
Little Effie was delighted with her
commission, and set about her first task
of earning money with wonderful zest
which would never have come to her
without having first felt the want of it.
So step by step was the child induced
into various little financial schemes and
long before she had LAID aside her dolls
had she learned to calculate with her IA
Their questions of profit and loss, with
view to various investments he was max
ing. To make the impression still deep
er, he never sent out vessel without Civ
ing her some little venture" of her own,
in which she learned to take the deepest
interest. She studied the pecularitles of
the various foreign markets where her ia
Their tradeG, looked out the countries on
the great map in the office, and traced
out the vessels course. She learned to
take watchful interest in the reports of
arrivals and departures, and, indeed,
could have instructed many much older
than herself long before she was in her
teens.
At nineteea she was her fathers book
keeper, with fair salary, and had an
elegant little office fitted up luxurintly
for her especial accommodation 1t oc-
casioned good deal of talk, this eccen-
trio way of bringing up an heiress, put
Fife felt that she was fathers boy,
and they two were all the world to eacn
other. Her education had been carefully
attended to, and her social nature not
nee lected, but the world OF fashionable
dissipation she had not entered, nor dld
she sigh for it.
Alas. the lesson OF usefulness had not
come too early. Sad financial disasters
all through the land swept away many