Rensselaer Republican, Volume 21, Number 36, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 May 1889 — SMALL SAVINGS. [ARTICLE]

SMALL SAVINGS.

■‘l don’t Bee how Holmes does if,” said John Stetson, with a puzzled expression. “Does what?’ r " asked. hiß •wife, looking up from her sewing. - “Why, save 80 arach money from his salary, tube sure*” * “Then he doss raee, does he?” “You know the bait a ire lot adjoini—ing his boast - ; ? “Yes.” “Well, he has just bought, it for a hundred dollars, and what is more paid for it out, of money saved from his salary this year.” “How docs hia salary compare with yours?” “He has only seven hundred dollars a year, while I have eight. Then our families are the same; each of us has two children." “Yeti Tam afraid you don’t save near that amount,.” “Nq«._ 1 guess not. The fact is, if I find myself square at the end of the year, I think myself lucky.” “And yet, John,” said his wife gravely, “it seems to me as if we ought to lay by something.” “It is easy enough to say that, but the question is, ‘How are we going to do it?’ There’s Mary’s music lessons, at ten dollars a quarter. That’s the only way I can think of, and t shouldn’t want to atop those.” ‘*No, to be Bure not; but isn’t tnere toy other way?” “Notthat I know oi,” “Don’t you think, John, the little incidental expenses cost more than you „ think for?" “Buch as what?” “Oigtos, —ice -creamr" oysters, The" theatre, and so on.” John Station winced a Tittle, “They are mere trifles,” said he, carelessly. *‘A few cents each time. Pooh! they would make precious little difference at the end of the year.”

“You know there’s an old proverb. ‘Many a makes a mickle.’ ” “Pshaw! I bate old proverbs. Besides, these little things are really very little account. A man doesn’t feel the sum he nays out, and, if it didn’t go in one way, it would in another.” “How many cigars do. you smoke pursued his wife. “Three.” “And how much do. you pay foi them?’’ “Four cents apiece.” “That would make twelve cents?’’ “And what’s twelve cents?” “Not much in itself, but multiplied by a large number it amounts to something.” “What are you driving at, wife?" “I am going to make a proposition to you.” , “I’m all attention.”

“You say yon don’t mind a few eenta a day.'* “01 course not.’’ “Then I propose that a small box be obtained, with a slit in the lid, just like the children’s tin Bavings boxes, in short, only larger; ana that for every cent you spend for cigars, ice cream, theaters, or any auch little lukury, you deposit, an equal sum in the box.’’ John Stetson laughed. “I dare say,’’ he remarked, “it would bring me out a perfect Croesus ,*at the end of the year.” “Do you agree?” asked Jiis wife , with some appearance of anxiety. “Yes; I have no great objection, if you desire it, though I acknowledge it teems a little f66ttsir and dluldislii” “Never mind about that. I have your promise, and we’U try the experiment one year. If it doeen’t amount to enough to make it an object, then it will be time to give it op*” “You most take all the trouble of it. I can’t engage to do anything about it except to furnish the money when it is called for.” “That is all I shall require of you. But I shall expect yon to give an account every night of all that you have disbursed in the ways I have spoken of, and to be prepared with an equal amount of change for deposit.” “Very well, I'll try.” , This conversation took place at the bre..kfast table. 'Having drained his

second cup of coffee, John Btetson put on his overcoat, tod took his way to his place of business. I may as well mention, in thiß connejction. that he 1 was cashier of a bank, tod, as his duties occupied him only a few hours in the day, he was more likely, from the leisure which he enjoyed, to indulge in stnall expenses. t r£gfe-;y I^l—k~TfMVwifedi an enthusiast;’" thought he, as he was walking down town-. However, her hobby won’t cost much, so 1 might as well indulge her in i:." He steppe 1 into a store and obtained liis daily allowance of cigars. Meanwhile, Mrs. Stetson proceeded to the shop of a cabinet maker. “I want you,” said she, “to make me a mahogany box twelve inches long, the other dimensions four incheß each. In the center of the top is to be a iilit, large enough to admit the largest silver coin.” “A money boxr- said the cabinet maker. “Yea.” “Pretty large for that, isn’t it?” “Rather,” said Mrs. Stetson, smiiing; “but rather too large than too small.” John Stetson fell in with a companion in the afternoon, with whom ho had a social chat. As they were walking leisurely along, they passed an oyster saloon.

Stetson was particularly fond of the bivalves, and he proposed that 1 they should go in and take some. To this his friend did not demur, and they accordingly entered. Two plates of oyßters came to twenty-five cents. Besides this, they took a glass of ale each, which made twelve cents more. _ThiMimaiisht,up..-tl)iiJhiU..ttxlh.lrty .-Severn cents, which" Stetson paid. Accordingly, adding to this twelve cents for cigars, he deposited forty-nine cents in his wife’s hands that evening. “I might as well make it fifty,” said he smiling. “No,” said she. “Not a cent over. I want the saving to represent exactly what you spend on these little luxuries, and no more.” The next evening he had nothing to deposit, except tne usual amount for cigar’s. “It won’t amount up very fast at that rate,” said he, triumphantly. “Never mind,” said his wife. “I don’t want you to increase your expenditures on my account. I am inclined to think they will not often be as small a 3 this.” She was right.

The next day, being Wednesday, John Stetson*bronght home a couple of tickets for the theatre. It was a benefit night, and he was anxious that his wife should go. “Certainly,” said she. ' “I shall be giaa to go; but you remember our compact.” “What?”. “How much did you pay for the tickets?” “Fifty cents apiece.” “That will make a dollar. Please hand me that amount for our fund.” “Was the theatre included?” asked John, a little reluctantly. “Certainly. That was expressly mentioned.” “Oh, well, then, so let H be. Here is a silver dollar.'’ The dollar was at once dropped into the box. 0 The next day in passing a shop window, Stetson noticed some fine oranges. “Just what Mary and the children would like,” thought he. “I’ll go in and inquire the price.” They were four cents apiece. He bought half a dozen, at -cost-* of a quarter, which, with his cigar money, left him thirty-seven cents to dispoait. The succeeding day he spent nothing except lor cigars. On Saturday he stopped into a confectionary establishment with a friend and had a lunch. This brought that day’s account up to forty cents.

When his wife added up the daily sums, she found, to her own surprise even, that Bhe had received from her husband two dollars aud sixty two cents. He would have been astonished to hear it, but she thought it not best to say anything about it. He would have alleged that it was a special case, as they did not go to the theatre every week. This was true; but then, something else was sure to come of equivalent cost, mnrh as a ride or a concert. So time slipped away. The necessity, according to the compact, of giving his wife as much as he spent for incidental expenses, no doubt contributed to check him somewhat, so that probably he did not spend more than two-thirds as much in this way as he had done before the agreement. Still, he kept up the average of the first week. JJe trill now suppose the year t» have glided bv. John Stetson came into the sitting room with a preocupied air. “What are you thinking about?" asked his wife. “About the half-acre lot adjoining the one Holmes bought last year.” “Did yon wish to purchase it?” “Yes; I should like to, but of course I can’t, rot having the money.” “How much do they ask for it?” “Holmes paid a hundred dollars for his. This is,on soiip accounts,preferable, and they hold it at one hundred and twenty-five dollars.” “Perhaps you could raise the money, John,” said his Wife quietly.’ “By borrowing? I shouldn’t want to do that.”

“You remember our fund?”— “Pshaw! That may possibly amount to thirty or forty dollars.” “Suppose we count it, as the year is up to-day.” “Very well." The box Was opened and husband and wife commenced counting. They soon reached p forty dniigra “Bless naysddfl" said John "Stetson. ‘M had uo idea that there was so much.”* Wnat was his astonishment when the total proved to be one hundred and twenty-nine dollars and forty - cents! “You see you can buy the lot.” “But haven’t you swelled the amount from your own allowance?” he asked, somewhat bewildered. “Not by a cent; and don’t you see, John, that if you had refrained from even halt of the expenses we spoke of, we might have had in the neighborhood of two hundred dollars?” John Stetson did see, anri he determined that the lesson should be a serviceable one. The half acre lot was bought, and now,at the end of five years, it is worth double what he paid for it. He has also laid aside two hundred dollars a year during this period, and—all by small savings. ' V'- v