Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1888-03-09
IT WAS NOT TO BE.
BY A. URBAN E.'ERETTE.

by A. URBAN E,ERETTE.
eJohn, when will you order the new
e:arpets?" want them ready to put
,tsown as soon as we get through with our
ssouse-cleaning.
GGeorgie, I wish you would put off
That bit of expense few years longer.
i..eally-"
@Put it off! Not put down newscar-
1'ets this spring? Keep them old
a:slgs through another summer? You
don't think of it, or if you do, 1 don't.
IAsok at Grace Fulton's room. Do you
wait your house to look worse than
theirs? Certainly you can afford the
expense as we'll as Sam Fulton can"
@Tor that matter, my dear wife, J.
think I can afford it better than Sam
can; for he is in debt and I am not. "
@There! What did 1 tell you? I
knew you could afford it. And now
we'll have the carpets. Don't be mean.
Don't for mercy's sake let our house be
fright to everybody any longer"
George, our rooms are. at this
moment, far better, in every way
better furnished, and better carpeted,
and far more inviting, than were those
Of our parents. which you and in
our childhood, thought SO grand
Carpets, they had none. And flu, Their,
those carpets are not worn to look badly
at all. Not worn spot is to be seen.
In fact, they are as good and as service
able as they were when first put down."
go, bah! One thing you can depend
upon; those things will: come up when
we begin to clean and paint, and they
won't go down again" And the femi-
nine foot came down with stamp, and
the feminine lips were shut with an
emphatic tightness.
George, have you any idea what
good Brussels carpets will costa"
"Iadon't know, and don't care! If
we can't have 'em we can go without I
can stand it if YOU can"
George" sill calmly and kindly,
BUT with mighty effort for self-con-
troll. cit required very nearly eighty
yards of carpet for our two best rooms.
They are very large. You know Brus-
sells carpet:ng is not yard wide. For
rooms and stairs we may safely esti-
mate one hundred yards. Between
forty and fifty pounds will be the ex-
pense. One more thought and I give
it in o your hands for you to do with it
as you please. You know that have q
settled antipathy against so-called life
assurance or insurance. Never mind
what my objections are. They are so
7strong-so mac, part OF my nature
Chat cannot overcome them. But
will do what is better, if you will help
me. You know that 1 do not squander
money. l have no expensive habits be-
You'd Che ab olute necessaries of life.
Every pound I can save will be put in
the bank, there to remain and accumu-
late until q need not to be otherwise
met shall demand lis withdrawal.
Really and truly, the money it would
save is for my little ones. Every penny
now laid away will be in store for flu
rture use; I do not like to talk of dy-
ing; yet we must meet the fate when
she call comes. If am called first, it
wifi brighten the passage more
than I can tell. to know that
/ leave my little ones in
comfort; that is the one thought that
Erdi1ence me when I look to the regu-
uation of my expenses. So my own
clear wife, it is not alone who must
pay for the luxuries of our home. 1t
comes from the bank account of the
Ganily. Don't say any more now,
please. Think of it. Sleep upon it. /"
And thus speaking, he arose and left
She room-and left the house.
The speakers were John and George
Mellen, husband and wife. The former
was 30 years of age, holding the re-
aponsible position of cashier in one of
the large city banks; the latter was two
years his junior, and one of the very
best and most efficient of housekeepers.
They had been married seven years,
and had three children-three bright
eyed, happy, healthful. laughter-loving
children, the light and joy of the home
There had been another occupant of
the room, and istener-Aunt Jane
Sleeper-Georgie's aunt, Johns aunt
and everybody's aunt who knew her.
She was widow, sister of Goorgie's
mot her snowy hair and deepening
furiows indicating near approach to
the late evening of life
"Georgie, I am going to tell you a
story that Iihave never yet told-some-
ching that only your mother and my