The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1885-04-02

~ WS~S AOI lOuS DSlOiS CnO Ol'
gentleman felt the sympathy of hi
young clerk and looked to him a
he never did before for advice a
we'll ss tor service. He admitte,
him to confidential relations, ex
planned to him the difficulties caus
ed by the failure of other firms
some heavily indebted to the firm
of Joe Mifllin, others upon whom h
had depended for goods obtained
upon credit.
Day bp day, as the hard, trying
winter wore away, the two friends
grew faster, and so far from lesenins
dIs work, Charlie found himself
willingly lifting some of his en-.
ployer's burdens upon his own
shoulders.
He gave more time to business
and he was gaining an insight into
it OF which an opportunity had new
er been given him.
And Mabel, at home, was bravely
taking her share of the diminished
loaf, with a smiling face ans cheer
ful heart. AS far as might be she
kept from Charlie q knowledge of
her domestic economies, but some
of them we're apparent.
The woman whose competent aid
demanded high wages was dis
charged, and q half-grown girl was
engaged to mind the babIes while
Mabel cooked, and washed, and
ironed, and sewei, meeting Difficult
ties with courageous heart. She
had never been a droue in tue worlds
hive, having been a busy little dress
maker before Charlie CastIeton won
her heart and took her to preside
over his pretty home.
But for three years of her married
life she had been much petted, and
there are many pleasures to be put
aside, many dollars well weighed
before they we're spent.
1t was with heart full Of pardon
able triumph that the young couple
at the end of the year of reduced
pay found they were still out of
debt, and had not touched the nest
egg in the bank.
You see, Charlie, we made the
half-loaf go round" said Mabel, as
they went carefully over the years
book.
'"There are no crumbs," he said, |
with a rather weary face.
Never mind that; it was great |
deal better than idlensss."
You are right; and there is more
than that, Mabel. / have been able
TO help Mr.. Miffiin more than l
could have done in our old relations
to each other. His perplexIties
made him long for some one to
whom he could speak conidentislly
and when the ice was once broken
he took me fully into his confidence.
could always suggest way out
of difficulty that had not occurred
to him, and even when was not of
actual use to him it was a relief to
pour out his troubles to some one
that was in sympathy with him"
"But you have worked very hard,
Charlie. never saw you so tired
as you often have been this year,
and your face is more careworn
than it has ever been before"
"Well, it is some comfort to know
that business prospects are growing
By closest economy Mr..
Mifiiin has managed to meet the
obligations he was afraid would |
ruin him, and there is a good look
out for the coming year"
"Will he give you a whole loaf
yet, ChariieY"
''Not yet, think. Never mind.
We Will not despond yet"
F'Despond! / guess not I am
going to have some of those crumbs
you were speaking Of next year. 1
have learned some valuable lessons |
in saving, which l mean to make
use of"
The second ye2r was certainly
not an easy one to Mabel. A wee |
baby, in addition to the thTee-year-
old twins, kept the mothers hands
busy, while there was no decrease
in the household work. Many ar
ticies of clothing snd Housekeeping,
too, that lasted well one year, were
past service in the second, and it
was not easy to replace them.
Often Mabel feared the savings
for "rainy day. must be broken
in upon, bat she kept all such fears
shut up in her own heart and always
had q bright word of cheer for -tir-
ed Charlie when he came home at
night.
She never told him th&t the late
breakfast that she had planned to
let the babies sleep while he ate
his early one, comprised none Of the
dishes of his own meal,
but was literally bread and milk
six mornings out of the seven. She
never let him know that the reason
she suggested his lunch down town,
to save the long walk home, was
really to save the price of that
meal toward the dinner, the dainty
little parcel he carried never cost
ing the price of a regular meal for
them all.
She did not tell him that she was
cutting up her old dresses to clothe
the twin girls and sewing busily
every leisure moment to keep all the
title ones tidy.
And yet there cane q day in June
when six months OF the year were !
almost gone, when she spent the
last dollar of the weeks money |
while the week was but half gone.
Charlie had given her, leng before,
some signed ehecks to meet such al
but it was her pride to |
think that not one Of them had |
been presented to the bank.
She took one from the desk where
they had lain so long and spread it |
out before her, calculating with |
FUCKERS on her pretty face how
small sum she could stretch over
the necessary expenses.
81 hate to begin," she said, half
aloud; ''if once we break in upon
that money it would melt away like