The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1880-11-09
Walter Gray's Lesson.
is CAN'T afford it, Maria. 50

can 40 IL" the husband returned
very emphatically. &C. It would cost ten
or twelve shlllings at the very lowest, to
put up such gate and the old bars Will
answer every purpose.
No they won't, Walter. The neigh
boris children very often leave the bars
down and the stray cattle come into the
garden. We may lose more than the
price of the gate in one hour, If COW
should happen to get In while 1 am
away.n
81 should like to know who leaves
the bars down." said Walter, very
threateningly. "The same children
might leave the gate OPEN"
But we can have gate to close of
its own accord, with weight or a
spring." suggested the wife. "John
Niles has had a gate put up in his
yard.
But amt John Niles, my dear" :"
Walter wished his wife to remember.
g But his family is as large as yours,
and his wages are not 30 high"
Never mind about that. 1 tell you
Ioan't afford it--at any rate not at
present." And with this Walter start
ed off to his work.
Walter Gray was young man of about
thirty, an industrious mechanic, and
had an interesting family. He meant
to provide well for those who depended
upon him, and in a measure did so.
But there were many little comforts of
which he felt obliged to deprive them,
comforts which at times they really
needed, and which in the end might
have proved source of saving. And
more, too; 1t might have added to his
own happiness had he felt able to grant
these little requests. But he couldn t
afford 1t at least, so he thought, and
whether he thought so with sound judg-
ment the sequel will prove.
The gate which his wife had been 30
anxious to have put up was needed at
the entrance to the garden back of the
house, where there was only short
pair of bars. The children often came
through there, and sometimes left the
way open behind them. In fact there
were many ways in which these bars
were apt to be let down, and Maria Gray
had very often to leave her work to
drive out cattle that had got In. 1t was
only by extreme watchfulness ON her
part that the garden was preserved. She
had spoken to her husband several times
about it, and he felt he couldn't afford
it, She must keep her eyes upon the
spot and see that the bars were kept
shut.
Only few day after this Mrs. Gray
asked her husband if he was going to
hire pew in the church for the follow
ing year, and he told her he didn't
think he should.
But you can hire half of one. We
can have half of Mr.. Niles pew for a
guinea"
Il can't afford it, was Walters re-
ply. "I should get no great good from
the service anyway"
Don't say so, husband. Suppose
everybody should feel like that. You
certainly wouldn't wish to live and
bring up your children where there was
no religious influence. And if you reap
the benefit Of good Christian institutions
you certainly ought to feel willing to
support them"
So would be willing, if L could
afford it, but can't"
Mrs. Gray looked very serious, and
seemed to hesitate, as though there was
a subject upon her mind which she felt
delicate about broaching; but it had
occupied her thoughts too long and she
determined to let it out.
g Walter" said she, little resolutely
''you have two pounds week."
"Yes." -
"And how much of that does it take
to feed us y''
b" don't know, I'm sure. L only
know that it takes all to feed and clothe
US and pay up the interest on the
house."
haven't had new dress since last
autumn, and was reckoning up yester-
day how much we had spent for the
children, and found it to be only e2
for the last ten months. have worked
over some of Cousin Johns clothes fol
Charles, and Lucinda jumps into Mary's
dresses as fast as the latter outgrows
them"
/" That's all very WELL" replied Wal.
ter, a little testify. II understand my
business and I know just what / car
afford and what can't. While l hay,
payments to make on my house mus