Year: 1869

little wife met me at the door.


''Why, Will, what caused you to be so
late?'' said she; 1.-THE tea has been stepped
this hour; and | really began to fear that
some one had taken fancy to your watch,
and caused you an unpleasant delay"


This remark was made with reference to
an ancient time keeper which carried-a
huge watch which had belonged to my
grandfather. My wife was always predict
ing that some gcntlemanly footpad would
seek to possess himself Of this valuable if
L was not more careful about exhibiting it.
The truth was, she was sorry in her heart
that | could not afford a better one, and so
she took this method to banter me.


We sat down to tea that night in our cozy
little back parlor, beside CRATE fire, and
the fragrant Oolong, and my wife's CHEEKY
talk, soon caused me to forget my long walk
and the drenching, and the unpleasant Incl
dents of the rain.


EDO you know, my dear?' said I, break
ing open a white creamy biscuit the while,
do YOU know | had some very serious
thoughts on my way home to- night ?''


"Oh, no doubt you had" said she, ''you
thought perhaps in fit of mental abstrac
ton, how much you had made Oh the last
corner, in speculation.


All this was decidedly naughty. You
see | had managed to save a thousand dol
lars and friend of mine knew it, and he
also knew of nice corner on wheat, and
the half Of my humble pile he said was suf-
6cient seed Tor rich harvest on such a cor
ner' as was preparing Well, L invested,
partly to please my friend, and a good deal
to please myself to make little money
urday night-Will Atkins minus five hun
dred dc liars.


"No," said |, nothing of the kind.
was thinking how hard it is to be poor. How
hard to toll year after year, and just barely
make living. Here we live in a rented
house. We have paid out in rent for this
little cottage three times its first cost. A
man oug hit to own the house he lives in, if
it be but shed. | have never seen the
time when | could spend money for house.
When fortunate in speculation, have let
my funds slip through my fingers, don't
know how, aud my regular salary is only
sufficient for our yearly expenses.
''Do you mean to say, said she, looking
at me over her cup, that you would will
fngly compel the wife of your bosom to
live in smaller and cheaper structure than
this? Do you, really?'


"No,no," said |; 'and, indeed, if I were
to think of building cheap cottage, where
is the money to come from?'' and then
groaned audibly over the aforesaid cor
ner'


Well said she, II am glad you are
still devoted husband not disposed in the
least to play the tyrant; but would it not be
well, now that we are on the subject to see
if there is not some way open to liberty
| For my part would like to watch over a
patch of ground which we could call our
own Do you know" said she, ''that l
have never cared anything about flowers
here 1t is not because l am not fond of
flowers, as you well know, but it seems so
ridiculous to be cultivating flowers on rent
tu SIOuHu- I1OH "ouiu hhc W UC HIS
tress of little yard and then the flowers
would be my own.


The fact is my wife had been always talk
ing after this manner She wanted me to
build house, even though it had but one
room. So answered:


''Yes, yes, but where is the money to
come from?" and again | thought of the
corner.


"Well," said she, ''this is the first time
that ever you seemed to see eye to eye with
me as to love in cottage When the
thousand dollars were in the bank, you in
sisted that we had not enough; now that
the half is gone, I say that we still have
enough to begin with, and my feeling is
strike for your altars and your fires. -


By this time we were through tea, and
taking cigar from the mantel, | sat down
in my easy chair, leaned back, took two or
three whiffs of smoke, and said to her:


my dear, will yod be kind enough to in
form me how | shall go to work to build a
house for five hundred dollars.


In the meantime she had drawn stool
TO my feet, and was slttluS looking up ar me,
her rosy and lustrous face beautiful in the
gas-light 1t had been difficult from the first
for me to withstand that face. | believe
had never refused any request of hers save
to abandon my cigar and build cottage,
and now felt my time had come, and so l
pulled away at my seed HAVANA with un-
common zest.


Now, WILL" said she, listen | hear
there are lots for sale in c., great large
lots on long time, at three hundred dollars
each 1t is only six miles out by rail, and
property they say is rising in value there
every year. My plan is this; Go down and
buy lot now, and get ready to build in the
spring"


YES" said I, ''but you forget the mon
ey."


Stop" said she, pulling with her tiny
hand at my beard, 'you pay down for your
LOT 800, and have nothing more to pay for
two years. We shall be able to replace the
money by spring and have $500 to begin our
house with. We can build a coy place,
! loroo o,....-l r.. -, onJ p,a e.. . nan