The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1882-04-04

Mrs. Dean sat alone in her little kitchen.
She never used her parlor. There was
the extravaganza of an extra fire to be
considered-the fact that the best rag
carpet, woven by her own skillful hands,
must not be worn out too recklessly, and the
dread possibility of sunshine fading out
these chair covers. Mrs. Dean was an
economist. She believed in making
everything last as long as it possibly
| could And so she made the kitchen her
headquarters, and sat there knitting, with
her feet comfortably balanced on the
stone hearth, the saucepan of apples bub-
bling softly away at the back, and the
sound of her husbands az ringing from
the back shed as he cut and split the
kindling wood, piled up there in we'll
seasoned logs.
She was little, wrinkled-faced woman
of fifty. with stiff ribbon bows to her cap,
hair that seemed dried up instead of sill
vered, and keen blue eyes that twinkled
as if they had discovered the secret of
perpetual motion. To save money was
her chief end and aim in life. The very
mittens she was knitting were to be sold
at the village store in exchange for tea,
sugar, spices and all such necessary gro
ceries- g A penny saved is as good as
penny earned" was the golden rule by
which she shaped her life
L am glad | took that money out of
the savings bank yesterday" said Mrs.
Dean to herself, as the bright needles
clicked merrily away. People say it
isn't quite safe. And one can't be too
careful. But then again there's the dan
ger of burglars-though, to be sure, no
burglar" she added with a complaeent,
inward chuckle, "would ever think of
looking in the folds of the CEinEeruiHe
Clarion newspaper in the wall pocket on
the wall. It's the bureau drawers. and
the trunks, and the locked-up chests that
they aim for. A fifty-dollar bill a clean,
crisp, nesc itty-dollar bill And all saw
ings, too, out of the house money"
Just then there sounded a knock at the
door, and in came old DR.. Bridgman, rubi-
cund with a touch of the March wind.
and mufied up in the furs of the wild
animals which, from time to time be him
self had shot
"Good day, Miss Dean, good day :"
said he. No, thank you; can't sit
down. I'm deal too busy for that But
| heard yesterday that you took fifty dol
lars out of the savings bank %
Yes," said Mrs. Dean, her face invol-
unfairly hardening, " did p
We are taking up a subscription to
get little lame Dick Bodley cart and
donkey, so that he can go around ped
ding tinware," said the doctor. @It's
pretty hard for any one afflicted as he is
to get along, and if you can help us a lit
tie"
But can't" interposed Mrs. Dean,
breathlessly. "The money was an in
vestment. | don't propose to cut it up
into little bits"
It's deed of charity, Mrs. Dean,"
said the good old man, "to help lame
Dick Bodley."
g / dare say" said Mrs. Dean, little
irritably. But never pretended to be
a charitable character
The old doctor went away, and the next
visitor was Helen Hurst, q rosy girl of
eighteen.
Excuse me for interrupting you, Mrs
Dean" said she, " but Larry johnson was
at the bank yesterday. and he tells me
that you drew out your money"
Was all creation there ~ thought
Mrs. Dean.
But she said nothing, only knit away
until her needles seemed to glance aud
glitter like points of FIRE.
a am trying to get boarding place
at Mrs. Swipes'," added Helen, coloring,
SO as to be near the district school,
where am to teach this spring. But
Mrs. Swipes requires payment in advance
by the month, and unfortunately we
have used up all our slender means in pro-
viding my outfit. A teacher, you know,
must be dressed deceutly to command the
respect of her pupils. But if you weuld
kindly lend me ten dollars"
81 never lend" said Mrs. Dean curtly.
& will be sure to pay it up when re-
ceive my first quarters salary" pleaded
Helen. " And / don't know of any one else
to 60 to-"
It's altogether against my principles"
said Mrs. Dean, with her face as hard as
if it had been carved out of hickory.
Helen Hurst crept out, feeling hnmil-
lated and disappointed beyond all express
sion.
Mrs. Dean chuckIed at her own shrewd-
ness but she hardly had time to stir up
the apples in the saucepan before Mrs.
Graham entered with . little leather-coy
cred memorandum-beok and pencil
i am looking for charitable people,
Mrs. Dean, /" said the Squares wife, with
laugh.
Then you've come to the wrong
place" said Mrs. Dean, frigidly.
Poor Patrick 0'Hara was killed yes
teFday, in the machiseTy Of the rolling
mill, said MrA Graham, ignoring her
neighbor's Response. He has left swife
and eight children, totally dsstifate.s
" And whose fsnlt j thst p said Mrs-
Dean.
NWll you not confribate something
towaFd relieving their destitute condi-
toni" urged MIk Grahaza, opening shs