Little Falls herald., 1904-12-16

Well. the months went by till De-
cember, and the Saturday before
Christmas l went to tie bank and
drew out my small deposits. l had
kept two accounts-the cigar fund and
the table fund, l called them. The
cigar fund was just $29.4O, and my ta-
bic fund was $21.32 Could l believe
my own eyes 1t fairly made me dizzy.
Over $50 to spend for Christmas! This
was what had been dreaming about
ever since last February!
My feet scarcely touched the pave
ment on the way home. sang all the
while I was getting supper. Would
John never come? At last I heard his
step. How his feet dragged! What
could be the matter?
"Do you know next Monday is
Christmas?" asked John gloomily.
II do"' I replied in so jubilant
voice that be turned and looked at me.
"Susie, I wish were rich.'
"Why, John, aren't we comfortable,
and isn't it better to enjoy what we
have than to mourn over what we
have not?"
John still looked gloomily into the
crate. Brown stopped me tonight to
show me a Christmas present he hes
! bought for his wife, beautiful gold
watch. He has been saving up money
for it for year. Susie. you deserve a
Christmas present if anybody does, but
see how much have to buy one vith,'
and he bitterly tossed his scant purse
Into my lap, mot quite $780,"
"But, Johnv' and I laughed in his
face. l couldn't hold back any longer.
I threw myself into his arms and
showed him both my hands full Of
money. ''This, John, is what you did
not smoke, and this is what we cid
not eat. We are rich. John! We don't
owe cent. We have months rent
| and coal paid for in advance, and we
have the whole of $5O.72 to spend for
! Christmas!'
John looked at the money, then at
me. He couldn't speak for a minute;
then he said, ''Susie, you're brick"
/ don't believe there was ever a hap
pier couple walked the streets Of Chi
! cago than John and I We're that even
ing when we went out to buy our
Christmas presents. Nor was there
ever a merrier Christmas in one room
than there was in ours. How far lit
tie money will go when one spends it
carefully! We were surprised at the
things it bought. There were some
books for John that he had been wish
ing for-he had taken to studying a
little evenings Of late-and there was a
little rocking chair for me to sit in at
my sewing, and there were new dress
and a pair Of gloves for me and a set
Of silver teaspoons, and there were an
overcoat for John and a pair Of slip
pers and q big easy chair, and there
was fine big chicken for the Christ
mas dinner, with celery and everything
to go with it, and few candies and
nuts to make it seem like a holiday.
And after everything was bought that
we had been needing we still had $3.50
left.
After our Christmas dinner was over
and we sat before the CRATE close to-
gether John said to me:
"Susie, how did you save so much
out Of the $3.50 a week for the table:
You always had enough and just the
right thing. I believe you could make
a feast out of nothing"
ut is all due to a little management
and economy, John," said.
II think for the coming year WOULD
better give you 81 a week, so you car
save still more''
"That will make $25 more saved"
laughed. Then 1 asked, "John, are
you sorry you gave up smoking last
winter?"
John drew me close to him a. he an
sWered, "susie, you have made 'thii
Christmas worth g. thousand timees
mere Ito me than asyears smaking3ra au
EipfrNot I,John. ~ IL couldn't have done
It 4 You hadn't quit smoking, "a
:And s1scouldn't have quit smoking II
III hadn't had you.' NJ
~ $50. q 3 -