Blue-grass blade., 1892-09-03
LETTING THE STABLE.
How I Learned That "a Penny
Saved Is a Penny Got"

How I Learned That "a Penny
Saved Is a Penny Got"
"Let me see. There is n nice little
stable on the place, isn't there?" said
Uncle Franklin.
Really, / almost wish there was
not" ] replied, "for 1 do not keep a
horse, and never will. Ever since j
was run away with, two years ago,
with VIII and Trot in the wagon beside
me, have been afraid to touch the
rcins''
Uncle Franklin spread his silk hand
kerchief over his crossed knees, after a
fashion of his own, and smiled in a SUI
pcrior way he has.
'lf ever n woman had a faculty for
overlooking the opportunity of making
an honest dollar, you have, Fenella,"
he said. 1T behooves young widow,
with two small children, to look out
for the main chance. II you don't use
your stable, You can let it. So much in
YOUR pocket. 1t is very customary; and
a stable in use really makes the place
lCok better than one standing empty,
shut up, desolate, as if the family were
in distressed circumstances and had
sold their animals and equipages."
Uncle Franklin liked to round his
sentences with long words; and / did
not even mention that the resident of a
two-story cottage in the suburbs was
scarcely to bc rcckoned amongst those
likely to keep animals and equipages."
Besides. Uncle Franklin was a serious
man. He had been named after the
original benjamin, and was said to look
like him: and he rather disliked Jokes.
He would have liked to wear a queue
and powder his hair. His favoritc
motto was the one he now repeated as
he arose, took up his hat and his thick,
gold-hcaded cane.
"A penny saved is penny got, Fe-
nella- Don't forget that, for the sake
of my poor nephew's children"
i knew | was likely enough to forget
it every day. for at that time | was not
used to being economical ] said to
Lrcla Franklin that | would let the
able, and asked what he thought any
one would be likely to offer. He was
not sure. The Aucbesters, he thought,
got fifty dollars a month for their
stablcs-though, TO be sure, they were
much larger.
Fifty dollars a month. ] felt that
half of that would warrant me in hav-
ing more done to the garden than had
intended And / never told Uncle
franklin what / paid for those japoni
cas- and jessamines and climbing roses
and olcanders and forget what with
long Latin names; but Mr.. Guffin, the
florist, assured me that my garden
would be the envy of all my neighbors.
They certainly made a great show; the
grass on the lawn was very fine, and
there were some nice fruit-trees. A
suburban residence might be more
homelike and more tasteful than any
city one. began to tell myself in a
weeks time; but l was conscious of
having already spent a very great deal
more upon mine than | ought-es-
pecially as had not let my stable.
you ought to advertise it," said my
uncle. Describe it, and have the let
tcrs addressed to the post Office
did so. AS / was not accustomed to
making up advertisements, the result
was the appearance in the morning
paper of a fiowery little sketch of my
stable, with some of my reasons for
letting it. This. paid for at SO much a
line, was scarcely an economical be-
ginning. A lengthy correspondence
with various persons followed. One
gentleman even interviewed me, and
looking straight at the little building
of olive-grcen picked out with Indian
red, asked: Where are the stables
situated?"
Nothing, however, came of all this;
but humber method succeeded bet
ter.
Bridget, the cook, i remember, sug-
gested: "SticlI a bill on the back of the
stable, where the foine company COM
ing to the house won't see it"
The idea seemed good to me. Ipostcd
the bill after dark, and at dawn the
bell rang wildly. Some one thumped
on the door and beloved ''IIollo!' un-
der the window; and when thrust my
head forth, with wild cry of "Where's S
the fire?" a voice with a German ac-
cent replied:
Son de shtove, a'am. dat is all. ]
comes "A little early, before somebody
else hires dot shtable. Dat is all. Dere
Is no for alarm reason"
"Please take seat" ] said. 81 will
be down in "A moment;" and hastily as
suming "A morning robe and slippers, !
hurried downstairs.
A stout gentleman filled one of the
red chairs ON the porch, and nodded
graciously as appeared.
Good morning, ma'am," he re-
marked "Sumedimcs, in dis world,
bcoplc agrees even. You wish to let dot
shtable wish to hire it. So! DE next
qvestion is, how much is de brice?-by
de mont"
settled myself in another red chair,
deliberately, before j answered, as
though | had done nothing but let
stables all my life.
well, the Auchesters have fifty dol
lars a month for theirs"
Ny visitor uttered a low groan, and
muttercd "a remark in German, best left
untranslated.
Otter dot will like to know vot Mr..
Vanderbilt gifts for his.' he went on,
presently. Then he got upon his feet.
81 offer fife dollars a mont for dot
shtablcs," he said. "You can ask
efferybody. Dot is de regulor egs-
bcnsc of such a small shtable. Note"
lie was about to go; and what did
know about it, after all?
''If that is really fair rent" ] said,
hesitatingly.
.It Is chenerous," he said, stoutly
"Very well, them" ] said. 1t oc,
Cured to me that Uncle benjamin
Franklin would think much better OF
me for letting the stable even though
] got very little for A. The penny