Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1909-05-12
Aunt Anna's Wisdom.
BY GRACE ETHEL wEEkEs.


copyright. 1904. by American Press Asso-
ciation.l
Miss Eleanor Hodges when BARELY
seventeen had lover, George Bergen.
two years her senior. Miss Hodges,
being an orphan, was brought up by
an aunt who was a very wise woman.
AS soon as she heard of the affair she
called the lovers into her boudoir and
said to them:
'In loving each other you two chill.
dren are but following a law Of ma
ture. But you must have forethought.
Neither Of you have any means. and
you. George. have but a meager sal
airy. 1t is all right II you VIII be pa.
tent. Far be 1t from me to object to
this match because neither Of you are
rich. What / wish for you to do is to
wait till George has a salary that Will
enable you to live without having the
wolf continually proving about your
door. Besides this, you should have
a little sum laid up in case of sickness
or other misfortunes. There is one
other matter that should be provided.
though / don't think it absolutely nee.
essary-that IS, a nest egg. a snow
ball. neither the principal nor interest
Of which is to be spent. That is fol
old age and the children when you
leave them"
Eleanor was convinced; George de.
INJURED. He said he thought it better
to be married and fight the battle to-
gether from the start The adviser
smiled upon him alphabetically and
drew a picture Of married life with no
provision against the thousand and one
expenses that come up continually to
make every day a horror. George
shuddered. Then he went away re-
solved to devote every hour OF his ex-
istence (when not sleeping) TO secure
all these provisions, including that
SNOWFALL"
He kept his word. In the morning
be was the first man at the store
where he was employed and in the
evening the last to leave. He not only
did his own work, but that Of every
one else who would permit He open
ed savings bank account and Satur-
day night deposited everything he
could possibly get on without spending
during the following week. and every
Saturday he made his estimate for the
next less in order that his deposit
might be more. His passbook became,
next TO Eleanor, the all important
thing Of his life. In year he had
several hundred dollars drawing inter
est.
One day his employer told him OF a
chance TO buy some shares of stock
very cheap. He drew his money from
the savings bank and bought three
shares. Soon after he was paid a divi-
dend. Here again was money produc-
ing money. He put his dividends into
the savings bank, where they drew in.
terest. and cut his expenses to the
quick. In a few months he had enough
in bank to buy two more shares Of
stock.
"Oh, George" said Eleanor when in
formed of all this. Aunt Anna will be
delighted, especially as you are acting
on her advice. What level head she
hast At this rate perhaps we may be
married IN another year"
Possibly, but since we have begun
to act as your aunt advised we should
complete the proposition. There is the
salary for necessary expenses and, say
10 per cent to be saved. There is the
fund for unforeseen contingencies and
the fund for old age. Your aunt said
we must be patient"
$50 we WILL" said the girl.
Another year passed. with more adj
ditions to the fund than had been ex
pected. and Georges salary was raised
to sufiiciency for a young couple tC
live plainly. The next year the contin
gent fund could easily have been put
aside, but IN that event George would
have to begin at the bottom for the
SNOWFALL" The desirable thing wal
to wait till the latter was big enough
to furnish the former and a working
capital besides. This George decided
upon. and Eleanor was disappointed.
} When Eleanor was twenty-on'
] George had a fair salary. a contingen
fund and his SNOWFALL" Aunt AIMS
thought they might be married with
, out trAnsgressing the laws OF pru
dence. but George had bis eye on som'
real estate that could be bought very
cheap and preferred to wait another
year. The rental would pay or a mort
gage there was on It, He bought thu
property before the year was out. bu
figured that by two years more O
careful expenditure he could pay Of
the mortgage and have the property
intact
Eleanor objected to these eonstan