Year: 1871

LIE &AN AG4NG w 4c =.
Ezra Newton had just finished
looking over his yearly accounts.
: WELL asked his wife, looking up,
how do you come outT
Il find,' said her husband, that
my expenses during the last year
have been thirty seven cents over a
thousand dollars
And your income has been a
thousand dollarsY


Yes, 1 managed pretty well, did
} 1 not?'


DO You think it managing well
to exceed your incomeT said his
wife.
j What's thirty seven cents asked
he, lightly. .-


Not much TO be sure, but still
something. 1t seems to me we ought
to have saved, instead of falling be-
hind


But how can we save on this sal
ary, Elizabeth? We haven't lived
extravagantly. Still it seems to
have taken it ALL


Perhaps there is something IN
which we might retrench. Suppose
you mention some of your items


The most important are house
rent, one hundred and fifty dollars,
articles of food, five hundred dol
lars


Just half -...


Yes, and you'll admit that we
can't retrench there, Elizabeth. /
like to live well. l had enough of
poor board before l married. Now
l mean to live as well as / can


Still we ought TO be saving up
something against a rainy day,
Ezra


That would be something like
carrying an umbrella when the sun
Shines


Still it is well to have an umbrel-
la in the house.


Il can't controvert your logic, ,Eliz-
abeth, but I'm afraid we shan't be
able to save much this year. When
1 get my salary raised, it will be
time enough to think of that


Let me make proposition to
you,' said Mrs. Newton. You say
one half of your income has been
expended on articles of food. Are
you willing to allow me that sum
for that purposeT


You will guarantee to pay all bills
out of itY


| Yes


'Then I will shift the responsible
ity upon you with pleasure. But l
can tell you beforehand you won't
be able to save much out of it. :.


Perhaps not. At any rate will
engage not to exceed it.


That is we'll / shouldn't relish
having any additional bills to pay.
AS l am paid every month, 1 will at
each payment hand you half the
money


The characters of husband and
wife may be judged from the con-
versation which has been recorded.
Mr. Newton had but little prudence
or foresight. He lived chiefly for
the present, seemed to fancy that
whatever contingencies might arise
in the future, would somehow be
provided for. Now trust in provi-
dence is very proper feeling, but
there is a good deal of truth in the
old adage that God will help those
who will help themselves.


Mrs. Newton, on the contrary,
had been brought up in a family
which was compelled to be econom
ical, although she was not disposed
to deny herself comforts, yet she
felt that it was desirable, to procure
them at as tair price as possible.


The time at which this converse
tion took place was at the com
mencement of the second year of
their married life.


The first step which Mrs. New
ton took, on accepting the charge of
the household expenses, was to in
stitute the practice of paying cash
for all articles that came under her
department. She accordingly called
on the butcher and inquired:


How often have you been in the
habit of presenting your bills, Mr..
WilliamsY


t0pca in civ rnOnths


And l suppose you sometimes
have bills?' ..


Yes, one-third of my profits, on
an average, are swept off by Them


'And you could afford to sell
somewhat cheaper, l suppose, for
the ready money?


Yes, and l would be glad if all
my customers would give me a
chance to do SC"


Il will set them an example then,'
said Mrs. Newton. Hereafter what
ever articles shall be purchased of
you will be paid for on the spot, and
we expect you to sell as reasonable
as you can.'


This arrangement was also made
with the others, who, it is scarcely |
needful to say, were very glad to
enter into the arrangement. Ready
money is the great support of
trade, and a cash customer is worth
two who purchase on credit.


Fortunately Mrs. Newton had
small supply of money by which
lasted till the first monthly install
ment of her husband became due.
Thus she was enabled to carry out
her cash plan from the beginning.


Another plan which occurred to
her as likely to save expense, was
to purchase articles in larger quan
titles. She had soon saved enough
from the money allowed her to do
this. For example, instead of buy
ing sugar few pounds at time,
she purchased barrel, and so sue
ceeded in saving a cent or more ON
the pound. This, perhaps amount
ed to but q trife in the course of
the year, but the same system car
ried out in regard to other articles
yielded a result which was by no
means trife.


There are other ways in which n
careful housekeeper is able to limit
expense which Mrs. Newton did
overlook. With this object in view.
she was always on the lookout to
prevent waste, and to get the full