The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1886-07-16
BETTY.S DRAINS.
How Tom Dillon Turned His Daily Drinks
to Good Account.

to Good Account.
Remnants, three cents per yard!
Whoop! Cheap enough! Goodsis GO
ing down; hope wages won't go after
them, Tom Dillon went on, hands in
his pockets. What connected in his
mind the brown calico gown with blue
and yellow roses with the thin, wee,
fretful face of his Betty? Betty was
aihng that day. her mother said, and
she had thought fit to whine and hold
out wistfully her little hand when her
father went off to work. The fingers
in Toms pockets held ten cents, the
price of his regular morning drink.
BY some mental process it occurred to
him that ten cents would buy three
yards of the Calico and that would
make Betty gown; and when she sat
on his knee unfolding it at night, the
cross, sickly face would grow child
like and gay. She'll be more glad
of the froek than will of my DRAM"
said Tom; and he turned back and
asked for three yards of the calico.
On the counter a basket held a narrow
white trimming marked 81 Ct"
"Does that mean a cent yard?" asked
Tom: "Chip in yard and bring the
dime even.
cit will make very neat little dress
and the edge will trim the neck and
sleeves" said the shop-girl, pleas
antIy.
'Just the price of drink" said
Tom, uneasily.
''If all men would use their drink
money so there would be less ragged
children and discouraged mothers.9'
Well, Betty was not ragged, but
she was shabby, and Nora, his wife,
was getting to look listless and hope
less. Was it his fault? He never was
drunk, never was drunk-cross. Ten
cents in the morning, the same at night,
now and then Sunday afternoon tip
pie. and Monday Off when he felt dull
and cross-not much over two dollars
week, on the whole, year in and
year out; that was all. 1t was an ''all''
that made the difference between COM
fort and safety, and narrowness and
anxiety at home. Tom did not realize
it. He picked up his parcel.
Suppose you buy the little girl
doll; these are only five cents, y said
the shop-woman, persuasively, holding
up doll. 1t was ten inches long, had
staring black eyes, tuft of tow with
gilt band atop for hair, short arms,
straight, wooden legs, but it had feat
ures and crimson complexion. Tom
was not wise in dolls, and this looked
fine to him; it would to Betty, who had
no doll. He paid the nickel. "Half
of to-nights drink gone" he chuckled,
and off he went to his work.
The master was going about the shop
that morning. He finally called out
clearly:
"See here, my lads, I don't want to
interfere with your private lives, but
you are spending too much on drinks.
Now, who has not had dram this
morning? Speak up"
II never touches it" said an old fell
low.
81 haven't had one," said Tom Dill
Ion.
''And what have you in the bank,
Abram?n asked the master.
''Six hundred dollars" quoth Abram,
feeling rich
well, had no dram, because l
spent the dime on a gown for Betty"
said Tom. Il usually has dram"
sit would be well if Betty stood al
ways 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 it
instead in box for Betty, and drew
out what she needed each year until
she was ten, she would have balance
of one hundred and four dollars.
Twenty-Five dollars year would clothe
her when little, and seventy-fve would
be laid up. Betty would be an heiress. -
AS Tom went home that night he
met a shabby old man selling oranges.
''Halloo!" said Tom. 'l've a nickel
due to Betty in my pocket"
1.-TWO for five cents" said old Tim.
When Tom went home he basto wed
one orange on Betty and one on Nora.
He felt as if he should excuse such gem
crosby and delicate attention to his
wife and child. "You see old Tim
worked in our shop once. But he got
paralysis, and so he's took to selling
oranges TO keep out of the poor-house."
What did he earn in the shop?"
asked Nora.
Say nine dollars week, year in
and out.
Chow many years did he work
there"
Thirty, I've heard say" replied
Tom, innocently.
"And what did he spend on drams?'
Well, he took little more than [
do; but he was not 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; I'm not so good at schoolin'
as you, my lass"
Nigh $1,000, without mite of in
terest; but with interest he'd have gone
away to sixteen thousand or more
He'd have been rich man now, not
an orange-peddler. A snug little house,
a servant, good furniture, a warm
hearth, tidy table. Now, what good
do his drains do him, and he round in
the cold and mud hobbling about sell
ing oranges?"
Betty in beatifc state, the flavor of
the orange in her mouth, her doll
Rugged in her arms; Nora looking
CHEEKY, diligently cutting and sewing
the little gown-these represented to |
Tom Dillon the price of two drinks?
"What are you about, Tom?" some
one asked at "nooning" next day.
"Im making box to hold my |
drains for Betty"
"Why, man, that child can't use
drams.''..
"She'll thrive on 'em surprisin',"
responded Tom Dillon. National Tenn
perGece AdUocate.