The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1879-05-01
CHEAP LIVING.
How to Support . Family OF Four ON
Twent-dve Cents . Day.

SAAAs<AA
How to Support . Family OF -Four Of
Tvent-ave Cents Day.
Prcm The Sunday Afternoon for May.
Mary was not very strong woman an,
she had four to support on twenty-6v,
cents day, and BY self-denial and arith'
metic she did it. Her rent was 50 cents
week, and there was feel to buy and OF
and food. This is the way she did it:
she appropriated cents each day fol
rent, 6 for fuel, 9 for oil, and 10 for food.
Now the oil never cost quite the daily
cents for Sundays and m summer she
used none, so out of the oil money came
the lacking cent for rent, and whatever
else was saved out Of it went for wick, a
chimney, or something Of that kind. She
arranged with a coal merchant to bring
him So cents each Saturday evening: her
coal was safe in her cellar, the men mixed
it with coke for her, and in summer she
used so little that her money accumulated
In his hands and he put fuel in her cellar
for it when fuel was cheapest, and so her
winter supply was sufficient as she doled it
out. As she had FIRE and conveniences
for washing and ironing. a poor woman
did her washing and Mary's together in
Mays cellar every week and ironed for
both; tue of suds was left, and at night
Mary secured her room ana cleaned her
windows and furniture. Her place was
always clean, so were her children; con-
sequently they were healthy. Early every
morning she sent out the boy and girl
with bag and basket to pick up bits of
wood, paper and pasteboard for kindling.
good enough to boil the water and so save
coal. The children returned early from
their expedition; the boy washed and
combed and hurried TO a grocer's, 4
bakers and butchers in the vicinity,
TO see if there were any errands or
any sidewalk cleaning for him. Regu-
larry he went each morning. and If there
was work he got for it his breakfast or a
penny or a stalelo The food thus given
him was the sole Sabbath supply,
for on Sunday Mary was earning nothing
Saturday mornings the boy cleaned steps
or areas for couple Of houses in an ada
cent street, getting for his work soap-fat,
Of which his prudent mother made her
soap, and in quantity sufficient to enable
her to trade some to the grocer's wife for
HE I've she used. On Saturdays, also. both
the girl and boy extended their fuel hunt
and offered their services at more stores
and stalls for errands, and the pennies or
worn clothing earned in this way supplied
the family wardrobe, though it cost the
mother many late evenings work In
patching and turning to make it do.
Every day the boy and girl went to the
public school, and, encouraged by their
mother. worked hard, as those who knew
was boon and meant some
thing to them. On Sabbaths, clean, If
shabby and thinly clad, they all four took
The most obscure seat in mission church.
They never begged nor obtruded their
troubles on people, and doubt if they
we're known or ever got any help beyond
perhaps triae now and then from the
''Still l cannot comprehend how 10 cents
, day fed four, even with an occasional
neal to the boy and stale loaf"
"Nor did until got Mary's bill of fare
md ferreted out her method of making
NO ends meet. She always traded at the
anne shops. decent shops where she was
lnown, and carrying some basin or pitcher
# her own for her small purchases she |
aved the shop keepers paper and string,
md so they did not begrudge serving her
n Titles. She asked the butcher TO save
Ter bones and meat trimmings which she
ould buy by the or 3 cents worth, more
o flavor her food than to be food. As she
egularly bought at the same place, she
'ften received little gifts or accommoda-
ions which eked out her store
Miss Help searched in her desk drew out
/ slip Of paper, and read this poor wo-
nans method of feeding four people for
0 cents Q day.
Monday: One-half pound barley, 3
ents; half a pound corn meal, 2 cents:
lalf pound dried beans, 3 cents; scrap
neat, 2 cents. The corn meal made into
nush was their breakfast; the beans, and
lalf the scrap meat TO flavor them, made
Inner; half the barley, boiled with lit
lie scrap meat. made q supper. You see
lere were three very wholesome, nourish-
ng, digestible dishes, capable Of going a
ong way in supporting existence. Tues
lay: salt pork, cents; molasses, 3 cents;
alt, 2 cent?; half a pound Of corn meal,
cents. The barley lett from the day be-
ore was, with molasses, their breakfast;
. few of the beans had also been retained.
md boiled with the pork and some meal
nolasses made their supper. The salt
would suffice them for a week, and the
nolasses was not all used that day.
Wednesday: 3 cents for potatoes, unless
potatoes were dear, and If so she bought
instead the cheapest vegetables TO be had;
NO cents for bones or scraps TO boil with
he vegetables; half a pound Of split peas.
md cents for corn meal. Thursday:
hree cents for pork, three cents for beans, |
hrce cents for barley and one cent for
,epper. Friday: four cents for corn meal.
hree cents fN molasses, three cents for
peas. Saturday: three cents for beans.
our cents for butchers scraps and three
,ents for potatoes. cabbage, or some other
vegetable. Sunday had 10 take its chance on
/ loaf earned by the boy at the bakers or
title food saved out Of the week or some
yift to the boy for running the grocers err
ands. II by any chance Mary saved cent
nut Of her day food. II with every cent
armed by the children went into a little
,ox as a saving for clothes or the ineyita-
lie shoes for winter. Their living seemed
! daily miracle. IT was the miracle Of per-
everance, sound Judgment and careful
calculation. Mary took all the sleep which
he could. sparing herself sewing a, night.
md so saved fuel and light and her own
yes. Her food was regularly taken,
,ooked as well as possible, and always 81
! kind TO bring the best return IN health
md strength. They worked IN this way
or FIVE year., the bog earning more money
"a he needed more clothes; then at thir-
cen he got a situation with the coal man.
n two year, more the girl got place with
he bakers wife, for all the neighborhood
lad learned 10 respect this fsmi- |
v in their Struggle a2ains. beg
,ary. For two years before she went
mt the g.ri had helped her mother IN
ewing and 90 secured her clothing; the
youngest g,rl had fallen hslr 70 the kind