The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1889-10-25
MISS GOLDEN'S LEDGER.
Money Is Not the Only Thing on
Earth Worth Having.

Money Is Not the Only Thing on
Earth Worth Having.
After Mr.. Golden had failed, and he
and Miss Golden took to letting out
the rooms in their house to dodgers.
and she found it necessary to work
hard at embroidery besides, and to
give up all those pretty luxuries she
had been used to. there came one day
to the door a sparely-built man,
rather handsome. but not very young,
and just little shabby. who asked if
they had room to spare for him.
lit must be very cheap one," said
he. "fOr l can't afford good one. I
don't care how high up it is, and I
don't want it to be furnished. have
very good furniture of my own--good
enough for me; plenty good enough
and don't wish to die in the poor
house. No; don't wish to die in the
poor-house.
Miss Golden opened her eyes as the
big man OF five-and-torty said this, but
there was a little hall bedroom on the
top floor which stood in place of the
traditional garrett. and thither she
conducted the gentleman who dreaded
the poor-hOuse so much. The room
suited him. the rent suited him, he gave
a well-known bankers name as refer
ence, and he declared himself to be
Mr.. Moss.
The banker to whom Mr.. Golden
went smiled peculiar smile and
said
Highly respectable, and feel sure
he'll pay his rent
And the next day Mr.. Moss came
with his furniture. A boy brought an
old-fashioned cot, and straw bed, and
a wooden stool. and little. three
legged table, and wanted fifty cents for
his trouble, and took twenty-five in
cash, and took the rest out in bad lam
guago on the doorstep, after he had
been shut out. Then Mr. Moss ar
ranged his room himself, and drew one
teaspoOnful of tea in little tin tea
pot. and had one roll and one radish
for his supper. The roll he bought;
the radish he took from a bunch on the
grOcer's counter.
"What are your radishes?" he said.
Then he nipped one off, and walked
away like an absent-minded gentle
man.
Poor SOUL" said Ellen Golden, II
40 feel so sorry for him."
SO she smiled and nodded to him
when he went out next day. and was
always very careful to be civil to him.
She knew what 1t was to be poor her
self. And what was cup of coffee
now and then, or just wedge of pie,
or bowl of soup? 1t wasn't missed,
and one could do it in neighborly
fashion, for man must be We poor
to live so.
And Miss Golden, who often laughed
at the idea of owning such name
She whose life was so little of golden
one-did thousand such little kind
nesses. They had enough to eat and
drink, her father and herself.
Then, when the nights grew cold,
their tenant who could have no fire
In his room, often warmed himself at
that of his landlord. He was not
without ideas. and he was by no means
plain; but his brain was full of
thoughts of one order thoughts of
money; how people made it and lost
1t; how they got high interest for it;
now they speculated with it and lost
1t; how unexpected legacies were left
to some people. and how others waited
In vain for dead mems shoes; and
sometimes when Ellen Golden. who
mad touch of romance in her, limited
That, after all, money was not worth
every thing else in life, he would stop
short in his serious. solemn way, and
say:
My dear young lady, you don't
mink enough of money. 1t would be
terrible thing if you were so careless
OF 1t as to come to the almshOuse in
your old age. Many worthy people
nave come to the almshouse in their
old age"
His grave, dark face, the little touch
OF foreign accent there was in his
voice his curiously earnest manner,
all gave his words curious weight
AMI meaning.
Ellen could not laugh at them.
but it is such pity, papa" she
used to say, ''such terrible pity that
poor MI. Moss should have let his mis-
fortunes warp him so. If he would
ou' talk of something else. "
And Mr.. Golden would say:
"Ah. you don't know how it hurts
man to have had all his schemes and
anoltlons come to an end in his ma
lure years Youth can rise again
after fall; middle-age can not No
oouot poor Mr.. Moss has failed.
And Ellen Golden supposed that
,nls must be so, and that night asked
ner tenant to tea. and made won
ueriul cake with view to his c0p,ing.
ne did not refuse to eat the cake. but
nc gave her little sermon on ex-
"aVagance, and begged her to reflect
what eggs cost