The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1885-12-25
THE PRICE OF TWO DRINKS.


went on, hands in his pockets. What con
nected in his mind the brown calico sown
with blue and yellow roses with the thin,
wee fretful face his Betty? Betty was
aiIng that day. her mother said and she
had thought fit to whine and hold ont
wistfully her little hand when her father
went to work. The fingers in Tom
{ pocket held ten cents. price of his regular
morning drink. BY some mental process it
/ occurred to him that ten cents would buy
/ three yards Of calico, and that would make
! Betty gown; and when she sat on his knee
/ unfolding it at night the cross, sickly face
would grow childlike and gay. She'll
be more glad of the frock than | will of
my dram, said Tom; and lie turned back
and asked for three yards of the calico.
On the counter basket held narrow white
trimming marked ..1ct = "Does that mean
a cent yard - asked Tom. Chip in a
yard, and bring the dime even.
1T will make very neat little dress,
and the edge will trim the neck and sleeves.
said the shop-girl pleasantly.
Just the price Of drink said Tom
uneasily
IF all men would use THEN drink money
SO, there would he less ragged children and
discouraged mothers.
Well. Betty was not ragged, but she was
shabby. and Nora. his wife. was getting to
look lstless and hopeless. Was it his
fault? He never was drunk. never was
drink-cross Ten cents in the morning.
the same Al night, now and then q Sunday
afternoon tipplc and Monday off when he
felt dull and cross-not much over two
dollars week, on the whole. year IN and
ont; that was all. 1t was an '.alli' that
made the difference between comfort and
safety. and narrowness and anxiety at home
Tom did not realize it, He picked up the
parcel.
Suppose you buy the little girl doll;
these are only five cents said the shop
woman persuasively holding up doll It
was ten inches long, had staring black eyes,
a tuft Of tow with a gilt band atop for hair.
short arms, straight. wooden legs. but II
Tom was not wise in dolls, and this looked
fine to him; it wonld to Betty. who had no
doll He paid the nickel ..lIalf Of To-
night's drink gone he ehuciled. and off be
went to his work
The master was going about the shop
that morning. He finally called ont. clear
Is: ..See here, my lads, don't wish to
interfere with your private lives, bnt you
are spending too much on drinks. Now,
who has not had a dram this morning
Speak mp.
1 never touches it, said an old fellow
y haven't had one. said Tom Dillon
And what have you in bank, Abfam -
asked the master. SIX hundred dollars, =
quoth Abram, feeling rich
We'll. l had no dram, because spent
the dime on gown for Betty. " said Tom
4 usually has dram
1T would be well if Betty stood always
in the way of the dram; then each little
Betty would have clothes, and schooling.
and books, and good trade or dowry
Say you spend two dollars week on
drains; if you put ii instead in a box for
Betty, and drew out what She needed each
year until she was ten, she would have
balance of one hundred and four dol
lars. Twenty-Five dollars year would
clothe her when little, and seyenty-fiye
would be laid up. Betty would be an
heiress.
As Tom went home that night he met a
shabby old man selling oranges. .-HaIloot'
said Tom. I've a nickel due TO Betty in
my pocket.
1.-Two for five cents, . said Old Tim
When Tom went home he bestowed one
on Betty and one on Nora. He felt as if
lie should excuse such generosity and DELI
cate attention TO his wife and child ..You
see Old Tim worked in oar shop once But
he got paralysis. and 50 he's took to selling
oranges to keep him ont of the poor
house.
What did he earn in the shop 2 asked
Nora.
SAY nine dollars week, year in and
out
How many years did he work there p
Thirty, Eve heard say replied Tom
innoeently.
And what did he spend on drains -
well he took little more than | do;
but he was not a drunkard, after all Let's
say about three dollars week
DO you know what he'd have had if he
had laid up that every week - asked Nora.
No; Tn not So coed at sehoolin' as
You, lass.
Nigh eleven thousand dollars without
a mite of interest; but with interest he'd
have gone away up to sixteen thousand or
more. He'd have been rich man now.
not an orange-pe ddler. A snug little
house. a servant, good furniture. warm
hearth, tidy table. Now what good
do his drains do him, and he round in the
cold and mud hobbling about selling
oranges o.
Betty in a beatifie state, the flavor of the
orange in her month, her doll Rugged in
her arms: Nora, looking CHEEKY, diligently
emitting and sewing the little gown-these
represented to Tom Dillon the price Of two
drinks
s4NEbat q RI ..n,, hon, T-a,, s,.,,,,, .,,s,