Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1878-02-27

Commercial College, / proved I,
her it would be cheapest to hir
the car. i had to go to her forme
place Of abode to see about gettinl
the things en- route, and had I,
"meet them with q carriage" at on
depot. l felt like a collector o
antiquities just getting an assert
ment from Egypt. ! shall eve
feel greatful to the small boys o
our village for their self-restrain
on this tempting occasion. | dom
recollect single opprobrious cpl
tibet. They treated my loads will
a respect to which nothing but
hoary hairs could entitled them.
There was n cheese-press and ]
don't know but a cider-mill /; there
was something, with four tremend'
ously heavy legs, l always believed
to be something in disguise Of a
bedstead. There was seven band.
boxes -four large and three small),
i've feather-beds, seventeen CON-
fortables, and a great deal of crock
cry which evidently came over in
the Mayfower, but had much bet
ter have put back to land in the
Speedwell.
Ineed not say that our residence
when furnished was neat but not
gaudy. l slept under "rising-sun"
bed-quilt, and had round braided
mat to put my feet on when l got
out in the morning. I sighed for
my former cozy quarters, but l
remembered my aunt's valuation,
and reasoned that if she was my
only living female relative on the
fathers side, l must of necessity
be her only living male relative on
the mothers side.
Soon after we were domesticated,
| found that my aunt was subject
to mysterious attacks, which in
variabiy seized her in the nighttime,
and made it imperative that /
should run for the doctor. Liabil-
ity to these attacks precluded the
possibility of my being away from
home evenings, excepting Sunday
and Thursday evenings, when l
was expected to see my aunt to
prayer meeting and attend her
home, though Evelipa went off in
an opposite direction with another
fellow. / don't know but justice
both to myself and Evelina de-
manded that | should have a con-
versation with my aunt, and set
before her in language which even
child might understand, my views
of the duties and privileges of an
engaged man; but felt extremely
doubtful of her sympathy, and
seventy-five thousand was a good
deal to risk.
We had one servant, whose
wages my aunt thought l should
pay, because, as she said, if there
was no one but herself, she
shouldn't keep girl. Our cuisine
was managed with strict regard to
economy. We lived largely upon
soup, which consisted principally
of broth. My aunt highly esteem
ed marrow-bones. wonder if it
is generally known among physi-
ologists how long healthy person
can subsist on a persistently boiled
For two or three years / had
been in the habit of smoking
single cigar at the close of the
days labors. One evening / was
sitting on the piazza indulging in
this luxury, when out came my
aunt.
"Sam'wel" cried she, care you
smoking7"
"Yes'm," very meekly.
SWELL" said she, calmly but firm
ly, "none Of my money shall ever
go up in cigar smoke" Then again,
"How much do you pay for cigars 2"
"Ten cents"
"Now, Sam'wel, want you to
take your pencil and calculate how
much ten cents a day will amount
to in a year, then how much in
fifty years, then ! want you to put
this sum at compound interest, and
see how much it will amount to by
the time you are seventy-five years
of age"
1t struck me that had somehow,
during my lifetime, met with sim
liar problems, but / conscientious
ly made the calculation.
"Annt," cried /, "I'm perfectly
appalled,. Never did I dream of