Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1884-07-14
THROUGH A TELEGRAM

I'm going to put a stop to this sort
OF thing!" said Mr.. McElroy. ''If I
don't, shall certainly come to the poor
house. haven't saved money all these
years to rain it down on peoples heads as
if it was hail-stones. No, belinda, /
haven't got five dollars to spare Your
winter bonnet is quite good enough to
wear for month longer. Everybody else
has got their spring suits2 Well. if every
body else is fools, that amt no reason
. hat you should be. Six dollars for
subscription to help buy the new minis
ter's furniture? Not if know it, james /.
When | came to Bloodville, bought my
own furniture, and there's no reason that
new ministers shouldn't do the same
thing. The grocer's book? / never saw
anything like the way our housekeeping
bills run up? 1t 'uG be a deal cheaper.
so far as | can see, to go to New York
and board at the Windsor hotel than to
live here, unless you and Sarah can man
age little more economically, Matthew.
And as for those singing lessons that Lucy
wants to take, you may tell her nor
" Lucy thought" meekly began Mat
thew Startling.
But his uncle interrupted h m CURLY
with:
Z" Yon may tell her no! And that ends
the question
John McElroy was man who had, in
the local dialect, saved lot of money!
Beng a great deal too economical to
marry, he had invited his lame nephew.
Matthew Startling, to come with his fam
ily and keep house in the old red home
etc to- l,. l.
himself for supporting all the Starlings,
although Matthew toiled diligently at
his trade of shoemaking, and James, the
eldest son, managed the farm with skill
and success, while Mrs. Startling and her
two daughters, Lucy and belinda, were
the model dairywomen and best man
ayers of the vicinity.
In an evil hour Matthew Startling had
borrowed a thousand dollars of Uncle
John, to pay off an old debt that hung
around his neck like milestone.
He had kept up the interest pretty
regularly, but it would have been about
as easy for him to pay off the national
debt as to discharge an obligation of a
thousand dollars; and in this way Uncle
McElroy contrived to keep him ground
down into the very dust.
Had it not been for this thousand
dollar debt, the Starting family would
have crept out from under the harrow of
Uncle Johns tongue and temper long
ago.
1T don't seem as if we could stand
it, said Mrs. Startling, plaintively.
81 don't care how much he scolds
me, : said belinda, but he has no bust
ness to tyrannize so dreadfully over poor
mother
IF / could only raise money enough
to take quarters singing lessons, could
earn hundred dollars a year in the
church choir, said Lucy.
s'Ifr' said James, laughing. That's
big word, Loo, for such little one.
If Uncle John would only let me plant a
crop OF tobacco up in the south field, /
am sure / could raise twice as much
money as the turnips will bring US. But
Uncle John sticks to old traditions, and
that little If stands in the way. / only
wish that the farm were minei''
The housekeeping book was particu-
larry aggEavating that morning. and
Mrs. Startling had she'd few quiet tears
before the interview 1as over.
4 hate whining womenr' said Mr.
McElroy, and / hate extrayagant
onessr
II try to do the best can, said poor
AIrs. Starting.
| And when the book was flung wrath