Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-01-05

and will be a more feasible route. About
forty engineers and 100 aids will leave
this country for Nicaragua in very
short time to begin on the engineering
The canal can be put through for a great
many millions less than can the De Les
seps canal. believe the money put il
the latter will be total loss"
SETH DAKIN's "FIGGERIN'."
After all His Work the Balance Remained in
Heaven.
Detroit Free Press
Ee was not mathematician, but from
his youth up ne had been ''figgerin'," as
he pronounced it, form of expression
common to most business men, and some
women, not Bostonian in elegance, but
very popular with ''the masses"
He did some fggerin' when he made
up his mind so marry sweet, pretty Nelly
NARROW, who taught in the primary de-
pertinent of the public school, and had
known him since she was a wee teddler,
and he was gawky, freckled-fac school
boy.
1--we been fgger1n'," he said to his
landlady, as he sat one night with pencil
and paper before him. She had looked
IN to collect his board bill, week before
1t was due, to protect herself.
Eve figured 1t out that it's as cheap
for two to live as one. l mean that it
won't cost me any more to get married
| and take care of wife than it does to
live single. You see, I've figured it all
out. The same fire will do for both, and
| won't have to pay out for mending, and
there's lot of ways young man spends
money with his friends that he can save
| if he has some one to look after him.
I've got it all down here and added up,
and there is a balance in favor of my
plan On the credit side"
Hes fggerin' on the rule that what
amt enough for one is plenty and to
| spare for two" thought his landlady,
'"twon't work, but it's none of my
affairs"
| Seth Dakip married the little school
mistress, and for brief year they
| boarded with his former landIady in such
a plnched and subdued style that they
were comfortably wretched most of the
time, and had it not been for the genu-
inc love that existed between them,
could never have survived their domestic
hardships. At the end of the year Seth
did some more "fggerin'."
This time he figured himself into a
house and lot, on some installment plan,
and 1t looked SO feasible that Nellie
clapped her hands with enthusiastically
thin white hands they were too.
Are you sure it can be DONE" she ask
| ed anxiously, as she reckoned up the long
column of items. "Can we ever pay for
them?"
Easiest thing in the world, DEAR" Seth
answered gently. He was very fond of
Nellie. If she had no cloak fit to wear
| neither did he have any overcoat, but
went out on the coolest day buttoaed up
and trim.
you've forgotten your overcoat, Mr.
Dakin," said polite friend TO him one
day, ''arut you cold?"
IN n-n-ever w-weae o-o-ne," stammered
the poor fellow, shivering like hungry
dog over bone, Il s-s-should d-des pise
to r-r-roll up l-l-like an o-o-old w-woman."
You see he was only clerk on a beg
carly stipend in a time and place that de-
manded luxuries; carpets instead of bare
floors; meat and pie instead of brown
lOaves or cabbage and beans; he could as
we'll have turned cannibal as to have tried
| to do without the kind of food they had
been reared upon.
"Figures don't lie," he said cheerfully.
"Nellie, we'll have horne"
The house was built for them and they
moved in. For another year they pinch
ed and saved, and pared down to the bone.
Then Seth began to digger" again.
This time it was the baby.
He was as cheerful and ight-hearted-
not the baby but Seth-as if the debt on
the house was not staring him in the
face He whisled and sung, and one
night he sat down by Neelie and showed
her two long columns of credit and debt.
I've been fggerin," he said gaily,
land that little shaver over there isn't
going to cost US cent. I've put every
thing down that he can possibly need for
year, and it only adds up $50. Why 1
can make that by writing up books in
the evenings this winter
Nellie smiled, but it was ead wan
smile. She began to see how Seth's Gig
erin came out-aiways deficit instead
of balance, but she hadn't the heart to
discourage him.
The baby grew and thrived. His
mother was his nurse, She was also
chief cook and seamstress, as well as
mistress aud housekeeper.
Give been fggerin', began Seth one
evening, shat the baby is the best econ
omlst in the family. He keeps US from
going anywhere, SO we can't spend any
money for outside pleasures if we try.
And we're ever SO much happier togeth
er, amt we little mammal"
The little mamma looked very tired,
but she assented with her whole heart to
what Seth said. Here was her world.
These two were her treasures.
They had barely been able to pay the
interest on their home with all of Seth's
'fggerin'," when the baby was taken very
i'll and doctor was called in.
Then followed dreadful siege of sick
ness. The doctor came three and four
times a day. The father and mother
were watchers and nurses themselves, but
at last the little fellow was saved and the
long and dreadful anxiety was over.
Then Seth brought out that well known
pencil and paper.
"I've been fggerin'," he said, but this
time more graYely than was his wont,
Sand it seems TO me now. if puthing hap
pens, that we'll have the house and lot
paid for inside of five years-that aia't
long, Nellie, is it?'
Nellie did not answer. she was looking
uI tAAC bA'A Ao10 O-At 0O mum
than hers had ever been-that held the
fatal pencil in such a jaunty way. Her
eyes were full of tears.
you're worn out" be said kindly, "but
you needn't worry, dear; the baby's all
right now, and I've been fggerin'."
''I've been figuring, too," said Nellie,
"and after this I am gong to be account
ant Of thu firm. You've loss your place,
Seth at ti1e store hut I've taken If T am
glad I learned bookkeeping and l need
change of work. Sister Alice is coming
to take care of the house and the baby,