The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-05-27

on forty dollars year.
Her name was Mrs. l.. N. Monmouth.
and she lived In the little town OF Can
terbury. in the State of New Hampshire
She was a middle aged woman. and had
lived life of ease. when she lost her
entire fortune, and found herself without
one dollar, without any earthly posses
sion beyond the old homestead.
She was. at the time misfortune over
took her. very I'll. and with a crippled
arm and one blind eye. What, she
thought TO herself, could she possibly do
to earn q living and maintain her SELF
respect
Her friends came to her with advice,
but nothing more, and much OF tneir
advice was very foolish indeed.-'Wen'
said she TO herself, II must think Tor
myself. and think and act quickly
The house in which she lived was very
old Says she, 1.-THE roof leaked. the
windows were rickety, the chimney as
charged a mournfui brickbat In every
storm" However. she had lived In II
for many years and loved Il very dearly
49," said this energetic lady, Il VIII
keep it,
The land upon which II stood yielded
bav amounting 70 twenty dollars year;
twelve dollars for pasture ana three ior
anolas Added together these amounts
make thirty-fve dollars, you see. by
making artificial flowers and by KNIT
ting she could, she found. earn fifteen
dollars more. which added to the thirty
five. made fifty dollars. Ten OF these
must 90 for taxes, leaving forty, ana
upon these forty did the clever lazy i've
She set aside seventeen dollars for food
ten for good reading matter ana tnirteen
for fuel.
She did not, for three years. spend one
single penny upon dress. but managed,
during that time, TO clothe herself quite
respectfully and nicely in made over
garments. It Is interesting to read Of
how she made pretty dress out Of the
flannel lining Of an old gown.
She says Of It: IT took genuine comfort
In planning and pleclng 1t out day after
day, with half mlttens on my cold hands,
sitting close TO the small fire. I was
more than a week about It, for. owing 10
lack Of fire-wood my days were very
short. and my lame hand was very de-
crepit and painful. I recolected that
when | had made this wrapper out of an
abundance of nice new materials | had
been quite impatient at having 10 sew
on ii for two days, and called in help
to finish It off. People who saw 1t after
II was remodeled said 1t was handsomer
than when Il was new, and It Is certain
I thought a good deal more Of It,"
We read OF her turning rusty old
coat of her fathers into coat for her
self. and a portion Of its lining for shoes
after having ripped up an old shoe that
she might use it as a pattern Of how
she converted an old shawl into stockings
Of her little schemes for varying her
spare diet, and how she luXuriated in one
doughnut a month, baking It over her
little oil stove. Think Of that, children
In spite of a lame arm. she sawed her
own wood, telling us that she worried
Off a few sticks each day" Her inge-
nulty soon converted the old home into
an actual museum and people came from
long distances to see It and her. Coming,
as they did. in large numbers, she was
soon obliged TO charge fee for adnis-
sion. and issued the following circular:
children. seven cents; ladies, ten gen
nemen. fifteen No gentlemen unaCcOm-
panied by ladies will be admitted, and
strangers must bring an Introduction.
Ladies are requested not to come with
horses they cannot manage Such rs
wish to remain most of the day can do
so by bringing lunch ana paying twenty
five cents"
Mrs. Monmouth, in spite OF her pow
crty. gave a regular portion of her little
income to charity. and found time to
write a little pamphlet entitled Living
on Half Dime Day"
She seems to you very odd old woman,
does she not? But the details OF her
life ought to teach us all useful and
ttat atrnr Good
something. and that silly extravaganza,
surrounded as we are by the needy, is
a sln.-Southern Churchman.