Year: 1869

so late 2' said she; " the tea has been steep
ed this half hour, and | really began 10 fear
that some one had taken a fancy to your
watch, and caused you an unpleasant de-
lay"


This remark was made with reference to an
ancient time keeper which / carried--a huge
watch which had belonged to my grandlath-
er My wife was always predicting that
some gentemany footpad would seek to pos
sess himself of this valuable, if | 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 10 banter me.


We sat down to tea that night in our coy
little back parlor, beside a coy CRATE fire, and
the fragrant and stimulating Oolong, and my
wiie's CHEEKY talk soon caused me to forget
my long walk, and the drenching rain, and
the unpleasant incidents of the day.


Do you know, my dear" said |, break
ing open a white, creamy biscuit the while,
aud laying on a slice Of yellow butter, " do
you know | had some very serious thoughts
on my way home tonight ?"


o. no doubt you did said She " you
thought perhaps in a fit of mental abstraction,
thinking how much you made on the last
corner in speculation"


All this was decidedly naughty. You see
| had managed to save a thousand dollars,
and a friend of mine knew it, and he also
knew Of nice corner on wheat, and the
half Of my humble pile he said was sufficient
seed for rich harvest on such a corner"
as was preparing. Well, | invested, partly
to please my friend, and a good deal to please
myself, to make a little money quick, and the
result was the following Saturday night
/ viii Aitken minus five hundred dollars.


No. said |, nothing of the kind
was thinking how hard it is to be poor. How
hard to toll on year after year, and Just
barely make a 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 ought 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 a speculation, have let my
funds slip through my fingers, | don't know
how and my regular salary is only sufficient
for our yearly expenses


Do you mean to say said she, looking
at me archly over her cup, that you would
willingly compel the wife Of your bosom TO
live in a smaller and cheaper structure than
this 2 Do you really %


No, no. said | /; " and, indeed if |
were to think OF building a cheap cottage
where Is the money to come from ?" and then
l groaned audibly over the aforesaid " cor
ner.


Well" said she, am glad you are
sill devoted husband, not disposed in the
least to play the tyrani but would it not
be well, now that we are on this subject, to
see il there is not some way open to liberty
For my part, would like to walk over a
patch OF ground which we could call our own.
DO you know said she, that | have never
cared anything about flowers here? 1t is not
because l am not fond of flowers as you well
know but 1t seems so ridiculous to be cul-
uyatlng flowers on rented ground. How
would h6e TO be mistress OF little yard, ana
then the flowers would be my own:


Inc iact ls' my Wite had been always talk
ing after this manner She wanted me to
puiiu mousse even 'nough II had but one
room Ana so answered her. " es, yes,
but where Is the money to come from y and
again l thought oil the " corner.


wen sald she' " TINS Is the hrst time
that you ever seemed to see eye to eye with
me as to love IN cottage When the
thousand dollars was IN the bank you insisted
that we had not enough now that the half is
gone say that we stili have enough to be-
GIN with, and my feeling is strike for your
affairs and your fires


by thus time we were through tea, and
taking cigar IRON on the mantel' l sat down
in my easy chair leaned back took two or
three whlfis OF smoke, and said to her My
dear VIII you be KIND enough to inform me
how shall go to work to build house for
five hundred dollars


In the meantime she had drawn stool to