The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1882-07-06


out shoes and tore ont garments sh'
J ,houghs Ave dollars noah little enoagl
! for three. She would not trr on the sid
! of araricc. even il she did 10 ihS, Of per
tnaciiy. So. calm In her INV resolve, sh'
: baihed her eyes. smoo,lnd her brow
: brushed her still wsyy brown hair from
fair though somewhat worn face, aud me
her husband at dinner wih cheer,
smile. After dinner Mr. Bananl announc
ell that he Was obliged 10 80 down town
Very well. Twill sit up for you then
said Minnie.
Don'tl What is the uses-You will ge
tired and sleepy.
Because have something 10 say. Char
lie, and there isn't any other time.
Why not say it nowp
Because want more time than you fee
able 10 give. with one hand on the door
knob and your hat in the other she said
pleasantly.
What the mischief is to pay now. won.
derg thought Mr.. Barnard, but he said
Well, I'll wait hall an hour. SO they al.
journed to the little parlor, The furniture
OF which looked rather dingy after several
years service.
II is about money. CHARLEY, she said
brightly. looking up into las face. You
think | spend good deal. aud / suppose
do-more think. than | otherwise
should il knew how much had TO spend.
But you must remember that it is not for
my own individual qualification.
oh, pshaw, Minniel Interrupted Mr.
Barnard. Why are you always Fostering
me about money? always give you all
you ask for
am not going to poster you any more,
Charlie. ! simply want to tell You so. 1
would much prefer never to ask you for
money, and have concluded not to do so
any more. / want you to please take tho
responsibility OF the accounts and orders
yourself, if you cannot give me a fixed
amount for expenses have been looking
into the accounts and find thnt with the
strctest economy We can scarcely get on
with less than this estimate, and she hand
ed him the memorandum she had prepared
that morning.
But you know very well, Minnie, that i
can't bother with these things
Somebody must bother with them, Char
lie, and if you wish me to continue to do
SC. must know exactly how much l am
to spend. and not be obliged to ask you
for every dollar as want it, The eYpen-
ses are not mine, they are for the family
as whole.
Well, if that's all, good night. Aud
Charlie went out, wondering what in the
world possessed" Minnie anyway.
But Minnie bided her time She thought
one cry was enough for that day. so she
took her mending basket and while the
children were busy at their lessons an
her needle flew in and ous she carefully
thought over her resources hy which sI,r
could earn little pocket money aud ho
just little independent. even thoug. she
had husband who VAS not ungenerous,
hut tboughtlrss OF her wants. She used
to play the piano creditably in hor girl
hood, but was now long unused to prac-
tiee She might revive her taste for pain.
ting and apply it to purposes Of decorative
art; but that would take much more time
than she could spare from her family. FL
nally question from Phil, yawning over
his history lesson, gave her an idea. Mid
night found her at her desk where she had
been for two hours completely absorbed.
She had been writing skeleton plans OF
simple historical articles for children,
which from time to time she meant to en-
large and fill up in an entertaining style at
her leisure. Heretofore her brail and
nerve had been given entirely to her fami-
ly. II she could make her pen pay for the
long needed second girl, why not? And
how much more gratifying TO her taste
than the endless sewing and ,larning.
Three days afterwarl Bridget came wad-
ding up stairs, her arms akimbo There's
not solitary crust for dinner. ma am, bar
rim the scraps Of cold meat and peratiesl
Sure, what will do. ma ann
Put it on the table, Bridget; there is
nothing else to do
Charlie came home to dinner, easy, oy.
verfowing with good spirits, which, how
ever. seemed TO diminish perceptibly as
The slim dishes, one after another, put in
IN appearance.
Seems TO Inc Bridget is getting to the
snd OF her resources, or else it's washing
lay all the week. observed Charlie
It's not BridQet's fault, Charlie. The
butchers bill is already so large that ! dis
ike to add 10 it.
Oil says Charlie sententiously.
The meat for next day dinner appeared
After q week Of ill-cooked
meals and general lacks in all departments
which had hitherto seemed to take care OF
Mr.. Barnard came to the con.
,lusion that there must have been good
leal OF thinking done by somebody for
nerIy; for things had never before reached
his extreme chaotic stage. Then there
segan to dawn upon the vision OF this
Tise man possible vista Of bad dinners.
ll-dressed children. and general thriftless.
hess and shiftlessness, which even money,
.loue, would not eliminate. In this con.
ltion Of mind he went to the Office one
morning, and in taking some letters out Of
ais pocket there fell out scrap Of paper
a his wife's writing. II was the estimate
II expenses which she had gwen him. and
which he had not even thought it worth
. lila "a laok nj He sst h,mssif .l.n,,t n