Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1893-07-20
MIR. ATWOOD'S ECONOMY.
The Experience That Proved TO
Him His Selflshness.

/
| Mrs. Atwood, with cheeks a little
redder than usual, only looked down in
her coffee cup in silence. Scenes SINH
lar TO this were of almost daily occur
renee
81 really don't see what you do with
the money l give you. declare, you
ask for dollar nearly every day"
There are five in the family; do you
expect TO have no expenses? Perhaps,
II you would economic a little your
self, we should get along better"
"Me economic! Mel"
eyes. don't see why all the pinch
ing should come from my side. need
a new pair of shoes. These arc really
quite unfit to wear Johnnie's are al
most as bad, and the two little girls
need some warm fannels and best
dress apiece"
BY this time Mr.. Atwood had got his
breath.
~ suppose you think I spend my
money foolishly, then" he said, angrily.
you spend IL as you choose. All
men do, in measure. 1t is the or
der of things at this time; but only
ask you To stop and think in a serious
way where good deal of your money
does GO"
"Why, for -four and coal, for pota-
toes and meat, and dresses for you and
the children"
Mrs. Atwood smiled.
"For nothing else?"
"Why, yes; there's my own clothing
TO be sure; but can't 90 out in public
looking like ragman; IL would kill my
business. suppose you nrc thinking
of my new overcoat; but it's the best
economy to get something good while
you are gett ting"
"a principle you must have forgotten
when you gave me five dollars two
years ago for my winter cloak"
''oh, well, you don't go out any"
"Truel
You are unreasonable, as all women
are, and you think I'm made of money,
guess. Here's Eve dollars you can put
TO any use you see fit l dare say II
will go for lace flounco."
"FOr my new cnlico2' queried Mrs.
Atwood, moctingly. But she picked
up the money very much as she would
have handled a snake. She thought of
the little children and knew she could
not refuse 1t, ungraciously as il had
been given.
Mr.. Atwood donned his new overcoat
and went out at the front door with
more than usually hard bang,
Mrs. Atwood took up the baby and
slow tears rolled down her cheeks upon
its little golden head.
Johnnie, the handsome six-year-old
boy, climbed down from the table, and
leaning on his mothers knee, gazed up
in her face lovingly.
when | get to be big man like
papa" he said, "Ill give you all my
money"
Then Mrs. Atwood smiled and brushed
the tears away.
YES, darling" she said, mamma
knows the kind Of a man you win be-
the kind Of man, please God, she will
try TO teach you to grow into
Then, while washing up the break
fast dishes, she planned and planned
how best TO spend that five dollars.
1.-TWO pairs of shoes must come out Of
it, I'll get low, cheap pair for my
self, perhaps for a dollar; they won't
be very warm, but they will cover my
feet. Then can get Johnnie's forp per-
haps a dollar and a half; that leaves
two and half for siannels and dresses
for the baby and little Nellie. Oh,
dear! did need ten dollars so much,
and fifteen wouldn't any more than
have made us comfortable. II papa
cared for his wife and babies very much,
he would not buy ffty-dollar suits and
forty-dollar overcoats and tcn-cent CT.
gars and all that. It's pity the tables
couldn't be turned for time"
Then, having made everything snug
and clean, she sent Johnnie off TO school
with loving kiss, called in Irish Nora,
a neighbor girl, TO STAY with the chill
dren, and started out To make her pur-
chases
III walk there and back" she
thought, II shall save ten cents, and
that viii pay Nora. But think Of papa
walking a mile over such streets as
these, in such shoes!' For they lived in
the suburbs, where rent was less.
The purchases had been made, and
Mrs. Atwood started homeward, tired
and faint.
III could only have hot cup of
coffee now" she thought, but don't
even dare TO spend a nickel. It's going
TO rain, too, believe"
And rain it did; not a gentle shower,
but terrible, drenching downpour, and
she had no umbrella. The thin cloak
was soon wet through, and a more limp
and bedraggled woman could not have
been Imagined than that poor mother
who staggered In at her own doorway
at last
Mr.. Atwood had just completed a
most splendid dinner at a most splendid
hotel, and was leaning back in his chair
chatting with gentleman friend he
had CHANGED TO meet, and whom he had
invited to join HIM. There had been
champagne, and they were laughing and
In the best Of spirits, when a telephone
message was handed 10 Mr.. Atwood,
which read as follows;
Come homei your wife Is dying
MARY ATWOOD"
"Ah. what's Il" sxclsinsd the friend