The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1884-09-11
LIVING ON A SMALL SALARY.

W. VINO VIII rlQ tne Ievered Drain OF the Moses
OF the Night? Punch,
LIVING ON A SMALL SALARY.
Thrift and Comfort Of brooklyn Clerk
and HIS Wife-A Cozy Home I'm Flat
Saving $500 ON n Salary OF 81. 600
Figures for the Frugal.
A smiling little woman opened the
door of q plainly furnished sitting room
at the top of the second fight of stairs
and ushered two men into the, apart
ment with the regal courtesy of house
keeper conscious of her own merits.
1t was about six o'clock p. M, and
through doorway leading into the
dining-room could be seen white
robed table temptingly set for dinner.
81 thought l heard you coming" the
little woman said, placing one hand
affectionately upon the arm of the
tallest of the two gentlemen, while she
pleasantly acknowledged an introduc-
ton to the other.
My wife always listens for me at
dinner time, said the tall man in an
explanatory tone to his male compan-
Eyes, and I can always tell your
STEP" was the little lady's reply.
... A few other remarks of a domestic
character were interchanged. and the
young couple, with their guest, sat
down to dinner feeling cheerful as we'll
as hungry. The husband was the clerk
whom the wealthy merchant, Mr. s.,
described as "a man who supports him
self, wife, and child on less than 81, 900
a year" and the guest was the writer
who gave the reader of the Times few
weeks ago on account of how a man
with family can live in New York on
$500 year,
"You OBSERVE" said the husband, as
he struck his carving knife on the steel
preparatory to attacking modest roast
of beef which his wife placed before
him, ''that although we have but little
beyond the bare nece ssities of life, we
manage to live comfortably and hap.
ply"
jected the wife, removing her kitchen
apron and taking her seat behind a
steaming coffee-pot. "We have good
health, all we want to eat, drink, and
wear, and our baby is the prettiest and
cutest baby in the world. 1 don't see
what more anybody can want to make
them happy. Do you take milk in your
coffee?"
IF you please" said the newspaper
man.
'Just look around you and you will
see what good wife can accomplish, !"
remarked the husband, as he passed TO
his guest plate containing nice cut
of beef, a couple of boiled potatoes, and
a liberal portion of green peas. '.All
of the decorations of this room, in
cluding the rug, the window curtains
and even that expensive-looking buffet
in the corner are the handiwork of Mrs.
r. When you get an insight into her
genius for improvising household arti-
cles you will not think it strange that
we manage to lay by 5000 or $500 each
year out of my salary of 1000. With
few bits of cambris and pine board
she can fill room full of stylish and
useful furniture. She can make dol
lar go farther"
"NOw, Edward, interrupted the wife,
with a pretty affectation of reproof,
''the gentleman did not come here to
listen to your praise of myself. He de-
sires, as understand it, the plain facts
of how we manage to live within our
small income. can tell him in very
few words just how it is.
every well; go ahead" replied the
subdued husband. helping himself to
another potato.
''My husband, as you know, gets a
salary of $1,000 per year." said the
little lady, turning with animation
toward the newspaper man. 'He gets
his pay once month, and he brings
home SS} and a few cents. When we
were married we made up our minds
SO to live as to be able to put some
thing in the bank each month, and We
have not yet failed to do so. We fig
ured that our $1,000 year gave us
about $2.73 day, and we based all of
our estimates of expenses on that.
Both of us have lived in Brooklyn most
of our lives, and we concluded to stay
| here. OF course, this flat is a great
way from the bridge and the ferries :
about two and half miles. isn't it,
Edward?--but the neighborhood is
quiet, respectable and healthful. We
pay $20 month for this fiat, and we
! rent out the front parlor for SO month,
which brings our rent down to Sl2 a
month, or about forty cents day.
The landlord pays the water bill for
the whole building. and as we do not
burn gas we have no gas bills. The
oil that we burn costs us thirty cents a
month in the winter, and, of course,
much less than that in the summer.
do my own housework, and therefore
we save the servants wages and what
the servant would waste. AS for fuel,
we use ten tons of coal year, the av-
erage cost of which last year was about
$500 a ton, brought into the building.
That makes seventeen or eighteen cents
. day."
"Iell him about the provisions" said
the husband, with chuckle.
II am coming to that part of the
story said the little woman, with a
threatening glance at her husband
Then addressing herself to the silent
guest, she said: edward makes 8
great deal of fun about my buying the
provisions for our table, because viii
never let the cost of what we sat &c
above certain amount each week. Il
we have an extra good dinner one da,
we practice little self-denial for the
rest of the week. Some days we do MOI
eat any butter, other days we go with
out milk. and in warm weather we onl,