The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1886-07-28
BeTTYS DRAINS.
How Tom Dillon Turned His Daily Drinks
to Good Account.

to Good Account
Remnants, three cents per yard!
Whoop! Cheap enough! Goodsis 60
ins down; hope wages won't go after
thcm," 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
aillng 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 frock 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 Z narrow
white trimming marked 81 ct"
''Does that mean a cent yard?" asked
Tom. Chip in yard and bring the
| dime even"
at will make very neat little dress.
and the edge will trim the neck and
sleeves said the shop-girl, pleas
antly.
"Just the price OF a drink" said
Tom, uneasily.
"If all men would use their drink.
money so there would be less ragged
children and discouraged mothers"
Well, Betty was not ragged, but
she was shabby. and Nora, his wife,
was getting to look listless and hope
less. Was it his faultp He never was
drunk, never was drunk-cross. Ten
cents in the morning, the same at night,
now and then Il Sunday afternoon tip
pie, and Il Monday off when he felt dull
and cross--not much over two dollars
a 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 a
doll; these are only five cents" said
the shop-woman, persuasively, holding
up doll 1t 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 it had feat
ures and crimson complexion. Tom
was not wise in dolls, and this looked
fine to him; il would to Betty, who had
no doll. He paid the nickel Halt
of to-night's drink gone" he chuckled,
and of he went to his work.
The master was going about the shop
that morning. He finally called ont
clearly:
"See here, my lads. l don't want ia
interfere with your private lives. but
You are spending too much on drinks.
Now, who has not had a dram this
morning? Speak up"
Il never touches it," said an old fcl.
low.
81 haven't had one" said Tom Dill
lon.
"And what have you in the bank,
Abramp" asked the master.
six hundred dollars" quoth Abram
feeling rich.
well, l had no dram. because
spent the dime on gown for Betty
said Tom. II usually has dram"
1T would be well if Betty stood al
ways in the way of the dram; Their
each little Betty would have clothe.
and schooling, and books, and good
trade or dowry. Say you spend two
dollars a week on drains; if you put i
instead in box for Betty. and drew
out what she needed each year unit
she was ten, she would have a balance
of one hundred and four dollars
Twenty-Five dollars year would clotht
her when little, and seventy-tive would
be laid up. Betty would be an heiress. ,
AS Tom went home that night hi
met a shabby old man selling oranges
'HallooH' said Tom. ''l've nicke
due to Betty in my pocket"
Two for five cents" said old Tim
When Tom went home he bestowed
one orange on Betty and one on Nora
He felt rs if he should excuse such gen
|, crosby and delicate attention to hi
|, wife and child. "You see old Tin
worked in our shop once. But he go
paralysis, and so he's took to sellin!
/, oranges to keep out of the poor-house.
What did he earn in the shop?'
asked Nora.
Say nine dollars a week, year il
8 and OUT
, How many years did he worl
there"
, Thirty, I've heard say" reptile,
Tom. inn0cently.
"And what did he spend on drams?'
, "Well, he took little more than
10; but he was not II drunkard. afte
, all Let's say about three dollars
week"
"Do you know what he'd have ha,
! if he had laid up that every week?'
, asked Nora.
! mo; I'm not so good at schoolin
as you, my lass"
Nigh $1,000, without mite of in
tcrest; but with interest he'd have gon,
away to sixteen thousand or more
He d have been a rich man now, no
an orangc-peddler A snug little house
a servant, good furniture, warn
, hearth, q tidy table. Now. what goot
do his drains do him, and he round il
/, the cold and mud hobbling about sell
ing oranges?"
Betty in beatiiic state, the flavor o