St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1883-08-31

the mountains or at the sea shore, and
refreshing quiet on the farm; this
unfortunate family only have the fa-
tigue and expense of travelling with
out the enjoyment The Haunted Man
has lived a labOrious and successful
life. He has given his whole mind to
the making and saving of money. He
has watched the markets, calculated
cost and devised economies, until he
has laid by competence, and there Is
no need for him to worry about small
savings. But the "business habit" as
he would call it, though most of us
would give his thrift less honorable
name, has become his tyrant. In his
eagerness to practice the art of getting
he forgot to learn the art of spending !;
and now that he has money he can
take no comfort in the use of it. Ev-
erything that he buys is too dear.
Every claim upon his purse must be
disputed and reduced. He is haunted
by phantasmal half dollars.
The habit which is trouble to him
is a modification to his family. He
keeps his big daughter in short skirts
so that she may travel ut halffare, and
the railway journey is spoiled by the
alterations with conductors and the
pouts and tears of the young lady.
The arrival is accompanied by dis
pute with the hackman and some
words with the porter; and engaging
rooms at Il hotel is an ordeal which the
family have learned to dread only less
than the paying of the bill. The
Haunted Man makes the acquaintance
of other bOarders to tell them that the
rates are altogether too high and the
charges of the boOtblacks an outrage
which he cannot submit to. Fees to
servants are an eXtOrtiOn to which he
is opposed on principle. He and his
train are consequently regarded i'll the
dining-roOm with marked dislike, and
are served with the tough ends of
steaks, lukewarm cakes and chipped
crockery. Prompt and thoughtful at
tendance is luxury which they never
enjoy. They are always confronted by
surly faces; and it generally happens
that the disfavor of the servants is
communicated in some way to the
guests. From being unpopular in the
kitchen, the Haunted Man finds that
people rather draw apart from him in
the parlor. He starts with the rule of
paying no more than he absolutely
must, of heating down, of getting ev-
crything under price, and eXacting the
fullest measure for his money; and the
result is that he gets less than anybody
else in the house, and he goes away
grumbling and detested.
1t is not quite clear wherein his sum
mer recreation is any better than the
rest of the years work. The "business
habit has kept him driving sharp bar
gains and counting pence. 1t has pre-
occupied his mind all through the
mountain drive and the steamboat
voyage. He thinks that he is taking
IL holiday because he has left the cot
ton-mill or the exchange but he has
only varied the scene of his operations,
and instead of managing large trans
actions in trade he is trying to get the
better of landlords and coachmen. He
will 20 home next month, weary and
disgusted with his trip; and he will
have no agreeable recOllections of any
thing that he has seen, nor a good
word for any house which has enter
! tanned him. One of the chief accom-
plishments of the wise traveller is the
art of spending small change with dis
cretion and equanimity. He knows
that an outlay not strictly necessary
may be Il cheap investment, and that
II petty saving may cost too much il
worry and discomfort. He will not
spoil an excursion by fretting over ;
possible overcharge for the omnibus
He will not let twenty five cent piece
shut out his view of the Atlantic ocean
Above all things, he will strive for ;
placid mind, spending no more than h'
can afford, but remembering tha
cheerfulness and content are well wOrtl
paying for New York Tribune.