The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-12-10
John Henry's


| They had been married barely a
| month, and had returned from three
weeks honeymoon of unallOyed bliss
| and settled down together in a coZy
little fiat 1t was pretty near the
clouds. ana instead of a nice veranda
| or porch. or plaza. they had to be
| content with the fire escape But
what of that. Dan cupid is no re-
specter of purses. and the little god
roamed at will through the house
| night and day and seemed perfectly
| satisfied TO remain indefinitely. The
| new wife was entirely happy in caring
for the small rooms day after day and
| admiring and arranging the pretty
, wedding presents presented by loving
| friends and relatives. And at night,
John Henry helped her wash the tea
dishes and then they sat out on that
fire escape. way above the dirt and
din of the city, and he smoked his ci-
gar, while she told him all that had
happened during the day.
Little girl" said her lord and mas
ter one evening. II have some strong
notions about business principles being
applicable to every occupation in life.
You know / have stated income, and
when ! was d bachelor I knew to Il
penny where that money went. Very
convenient ii was. too. for ! was sure
what to count on when any extra eN-
pense came up. Now. | don't want to
restrict you one bit. but it's nice to be
exact and business-like. and if we
each kept a little account book. at the
end of the year we'd know exactly
how much we'd spent and whether
we'd got to retrench or might expand
little. Now, tomorrow night I'll
bring home two nice little books. and
we'll account for every penny in them
and compare ut the end of each
month"
The next evening. true to his word,
John Henry drew from his pocket two
pretty little leather-bound books. a
blue one for Mrs. John and IL red for
himself. She was apparently recon
ciled to the idea and was really enthu
siastic over his purchase.
For several months all went very
smoothly apparently. but the hours Of
tears and pouts and sobs and rubbings
out and writings in again and adding
and subtracting which Mrs. John spent
in trying To make the "received' and
paid" columns balance We're not to be
lost sight of in the reckoning. john
Henry knew nothing of il. and any
troubles he may have had were eX-
pressed in AN entirely different man
ner and audible only To the unrespon-
sve ears of the office boy.
ON the first evening of each month
Mr.. and Mrs. John Henry, in perfect
mutual trust and confidence, Went over
together item by item the accounts in
the little books and discussed the vari-
ations in the price of beefsteak and the
advisability Of intrusting another VEN
der of meats with the care of the fam
lily larder Also the cost of keeping
John Henry's cigar box replenished.
But Mrs John always ended by declar-
ing she would go without a spring bon
net rather than have him smoke cheap
er tobacco.
''It is SO injurious anyway, that one
must have the best if one smokes at
ALL" she said.
One beautiful autumn day an old
school friend of Mrs. Johns came to
town and Immediately hunted up that
lady. Now, Mrs. John had intended To
lunch that day ON Il sup and bite, for
the grocer had not come and the cup
board very nearly resembled the pro-
verbal one of Mother Goose fame, So
when the friend made her appearance
pelilously near the noon hour Mrs.
John was in Il nutter, This woman
was one for whom John Henry enter
tanned particular antipathy, ana also
one upon whom Mrs. John especially
desired to make "A good impression.
She examined her purse. Yes, there
was plenty in il. She would take her
friend downtown to lunch at IA fash
ionable cafe. AS they were drinking
their after-dinner coffee the friend
mentioned Il popular play which she
particularly desired To see. Had Mrs.
John seen IT.? No, Mrs. John had not.
John Henry had intended 10 take her,
hut there had been So many other
things to occupy the time. At the