The Evening critic., 1885-03-30
MR.. GRANTS LESSON.


her pretty face. was nervously tracing
patterns in the crumbs that lay,beside her
plate.
Presently when ho tossed aside tho paper
and rose to 90 she said rather timdly:
"Will, can you let mo have s0mo money
this morning before you go2p
More money! exclaimed Mr.. Grant,
slight cloud Overspreading his pleasant face.
why, l gave you SO yesterday morning.
Surely you haven't spent that already"
"Willie's shoes cost just So answered
Mrs. Grant
well, ! don't SEQ how you manage to get
through so much money" answered Mr.
Grant, paying no attention to her oxplana-
tion. How much do you wanE What do
you want to get with it?'
81 am going in the city to do somo shop
ping with Mrs. Dean answered Mrs. Grant,
"and she has taken me to lunch with her
so often that thought would like to in
vite her to lunch with me for oncc.'
"Oh nonsense 20 exclaimed Afr. Grant,
impatiently. "There's no necessity for
that. If Mrs. Dean chooses to spend her
money for lunches in tho city, don't you
think that you must do tho same thing.
There's plenty of necessary ways to use up
money without doing anything of that
kind =" and he buttoned up his coat as if
the matter was conclusively settled.
Teis gathered slowly in Mrs Grants
blue eyes. 1t had been an effort for her TO
ask her husband for some money and only
tho remembrance of the humiliation she had
felt so often ut never being able to extend
any invitations to old friends who pressed
them upon her so cordially had enabled
her to do it, and she had been unsuccessful
after ALL
"Will,' she said, presently, as her hus
band was fumbling with q refractory but
ton, would you mind making mo an al
lowance?" ?" .,
"An allowance, Eva2" and Mr.. Grant
stared at his wife with unfeigned surprise.
"What in the world do you want an allow
ance for2 All the money l earn is as much
yours as mine; so what do you want to
divide it for?"
"Becanse, practically, don't feel that
have any right to a cent OF your money"
answered Mrs Grant. "If want any
have to ask for it, explain just what
want it for and then If you happen to ap-
prove Of my plan you dole it out to mo rs
If was heggar / have been married
eight years. and in all that time you have
never even given me as much as dollar
for myself. You have no idea how / dis
like to ask for money even for the neces'
sary purchases for the table. Now, If you
would give me regularly ever so little
along without asking you for any more
Won't you do this, VIII ?" she pleaded.
Mr.. Grant looked at his wife in astonish-
ment.
II don't see any use in it, ho answered.
Now if l was in yOurp place and had every
thing l needed, / wouldn't care if ! never
had any money to spend"
Try II once !" exclaimed Mrs. Grant,
eagerly. Let me take charge of your purse
and will give you money for any neces-
sary expenditures. ] just want you TO give
my suggestion a fair trial. You say you
would not caro- to have any money if your
wants were supplied now just SEQ
whether you would be willing to be impe-
cunious and ask tor everything you want
ed. Let me keep your money for q week,
and then sec whether You do not think
an allowance would be a better plan -
"All right, it's a bargain" said Mr.. Grant,
after moments hesitation, emptying his
pockets of all the loose change aud throw
ing his pocketbook on the table.
"Now, / want twelve ceuts for car fare
and, well, say, quarter for luuch."
Here 1t is" answered Mrs. Grant, count
ing out thirty. cents and gathering
UP the rest.
b Mrs. Grants thoughts wandered to her
husband many time that day, aud she
wondered how he liked the sensation of be-
ing almost peDniless. As for herself she
felt rich in having so much money in her
possession, and ventured to make two or
three little purchases that she had wanted
to make for long time, but had put OF
because she disliked asking for the neces-
saIy money
At least dozen times that morning Mr..
Grants hand found its way to his pocket
before he remembered he had only the ex-
act change for his lunch and car-fare. At
noon, when he went for lunch, he met an
old friend and nothing but the conscious
ness of his empty pockets kept him from in
viting him to lunch with him. Then, for
the first time, he realized that it might be
trial for Eva never to be able to extend
invitations TO her friends. He was not pro
pared to admit the inconvenience of empty
pockets when he went home that evening,
though.
81 got along first rate" he said, ia an
swer TO his wife's question: but I'll ask you
to give me q little more money this even
ing
what for?" demanded Eva, serenely.
For 'sundries,'" laughed Mr.. Grant.
"Cigars, ct cetera; half dollar will do"
81 don't see what you want cigars for"
answered Eva, calmly. II guess you can
get along without them, if You try. Half
the wants in this world arc merely imag-
mary ones"
Mr.. Grants face flushed he recognized
the words as his own. He would not ask
again for any more money, but settled him-
self with his paper in moody silence, wish
ing that he had possession of his pocket
book again. The first day it had seemed
more like joke than anything else to start
off for the day with barely sufficient for his
most necessary expenses, but the next day
it was decidedly disagreeable to know that
he had not single cent over the money
for his lunch and car.fare.
If Eva feels this way all the time don't
wonder that she wants au allowance of her
own" he said to himself as he rode home
ward.
One day more convinced him thoroughly
that IL was annoying as we'll as hutniliating
to be obliged to present petition for every
small sum, and when he went home that
evening he confessed that he had learned by
experience how inConvenient an empty
purse Is, and admitted that regular allow
ance was no more than was Justly due his
| wife. He set aside certain portion of his
| income for Eva's use for the household OK
| penses, and after this.she never put of max
| ing some necessary purchase for weeks be-
cause she had to ask for money.
II learned lesson that never forgot In
| those three days" Mr.. Grant often tolls hi
| friends when they are arguing against max
| ing regular allowances TO their wives
| Fl Call.
CHILnLAINs are cured by Salvation OIL
L u N-l