"strive And Thrive."

" You do not really sy that your husland is going to buy a house these hard inies, Laura ?" ' 1 do tiet say he is going to luy one, cousin, but that he has butlit the dearest little hume, just a nice d stinee frorn the city, and that we are going to take xjssessiou bi'fore May D.iy, sj we can j( gin to iiuprcvo it brigbt and early next ppnng. Tliere is half in acre of rouiu tttaebed, uid a nice grass plat, where tlie children eau tumblu about to heir hearts' content, without being disurbed by any notice ' to keep oif the grass.' " "13ut how did you inanngo to buy it hese dreadful times? Yuur incoiiic is 10 lurger tliuu curs, and we thiuk it all ve eau do to live. Ai.d, to teil you the ruth, Laura," her voice sank to a coufilential wbitper, " we areseveral hundred Idllars in debt. Ilow it ia ever to be aid is more than 1 can see. It worries ne daily." Nu woDder the visitor's countenanco fsumed a troubled expiessinn, for what jurden can compare to that which a weight of hopeless debt imposes? One vho can be ut cas? in the enjoyment of ionio comforis, when he feels they ure ot paid for, must have feelings peculiar o himself aud not at all to be etivied - 'he diseonifort of self denial in luxuries, r even íd comforts, canuot cuinpure with he feeling of distress, which the conoiousnffa i f debt produces. " We tbongbt it the best time to buy, as the property was much lower tliiin last year. W e have been saving tbc money for it these eight years, and nnw have ecough ard a little over. The íooner we move uto it the butter for all of us, especially the childien. Just thiLk hut a chance it will ba frotn tliis dusty, close street, to a country home with puie air a!l about up, aid ; a real out doors to our house,' as Georgië says. The doctor says il ia the ooly medicnie our (Jracie needs ; and I uiean they shall all three enjoy it to the full next summer." " I can see the desirableue.s of it very well, Laura; bnt not tho ' ways aud means.' Has any one Ieft your hiisband a legaey ? I know we have no rich relaiions to expect auything trom, the more of a pity, too !" " 1 am not so sure that would have been so great a benefit to us, L'da, - what we gain by our own exertiona is reallyworth a greal deal more to us, be cause it dtvelops our own powers. Dr. Adains says 'T tier e is an invisible wealth in postessious acquired by personal industry and economy, which cannot be computcd by ihe numeration table.' You nsk how we got the money, und I will teil you, couein. When wc lirst cotn rricr.ced housekceping, wo ' sat up,' at my suggestion, a favmgs box, in a comer of the bureau and resolved every d;y tosave something, if only a halídime, uut of all our carnings, toward buying a home soine day. My husband rather laughed over the project, and had no great laith in the resulte; but I persevered, aud the first ye:u's suecess encouraged us to continue it. Year after year we kept on, until the siio'b:ill ifsumed quite a re spectable sizft. We have indulged ourselves in few espensive luxuries; but I believe we have enjoyed our mauy simple ones more than tlii'se who expend thousands every year on mero amusemeuts. - The ehilditn have frequent rides by cars or iteambo&t, and evcry few weeks a halfday in the country. By study and thougbt I have li-arned to preparo many excellent dislies for üur tabie at a trifliüg expense. I ahvays prepare a new dith for mystlf, and do not trust Arm wjth it until I am sure ilie knows liow. We live a, great deal better aud inuoh cbeap er thau we did the first year of houseketping, though there are three children to fted now. A cook luit without oversight will squander nearly aa ruuck as a iamily consumes." " l wnndur you ilways dressed }'our selfandcliildr.il so well, Laura, when you were so bent 011 ecouomizing," " ïliat was part of my ccüiiomy, Lida. I find a good artiole lasts longer than a poor one, whilo the trouble of raaking it in the saine ; and tlie cliildren íecl inore self respect, and are happier than wlien sbabbily dl■cB(d. It is not economy to buy a ioor ïrticle, nor the very best eitiier. Garments of a medium quality are the most serviccable; coumiou good delaiuc, tor twi'iity üve e nts a yard, lusts bettcr lor ehildreiTs dresses than wool delaine at fil'y cents a yard; while delaine for a shilling is uot worth making up." " But to my certain knowledge ynu give away a grtat deal. I saw you ïnyself put a dollar in the plate for missions, one Sabbath, at our church ; while I feit that a cjuarter was really more tban I knevv liow to spare. I think that ratbcr inconsistent with economy." " Thcre I cannot agree with yoa. We are none the pooror ever by wliat we give to the Lord. I sincerely believe that He ii:ts returned into our bosoms twenty fold all thnt we evt-r gave to Ilis oaue Not that this sliould be our motive, for all we possess is His, and we are only stewards; but then H:s mauy precious promisos to those who honor Him with the first fruils of all their to crease, are intendcd to be an encouragement to trust frecly to Hira even in times of doubt and perploxity." '■ Well, it is still nijsterious to me, with all your savings, liow you Irive aged to get so muoli togethcr." "I know it seems so to ouo who has never tried the experiment; but just try it once, and you will be astonished to see how the Bum counts up. I have never feit above earning sotnething by niy sewing machine when I could, and many odd dollars bas it brought me in toadd to our littlo stuck. If' we had not been willing to save the dimi-s, and even pennies, we ehould liever have owned a home " " AVell, Laura, I should liko the results Tvell euougli, but fear I shuiild never learn to be as prudent and careful as you are. So I must content myself to live araong these tirrsome briek and mortar houses to tlie end of my days " "Just try faithlully tbr one year, Liila. and 1 dure say ou wi 11 have courage to persevere. You and your hus band are both young, and the world is before you. Lt depends more on your selvea thuu on circumstaneea what you niake it. Hemember the motto our old mathetnatical professor used to give us, when we camt to vcry hard problems, ' We eau because we think we eau.' " So Lida walküd back to lier sbowy, thougli iar less confortable home, wiih strong reolutioiis in her lipart to prnfit by ber frieud'i example. It was jny indeed to her sincerely devoted liusband, who hud been led iu'.o sume extravaganees jy a desire to gratify his young wife's taste aud wishes, It was with a joy which only proprieorhip eau give, Unit Laura and her hus3and si-t abuut niproving and adorning their plea.-a:it country home. O ! ihere s a zt-st about such etforts. when one feels that the result of 1 1 ís labors are not liajle, in auother j'ear, to pass into oUkt jands. VN'hat an interest in every slirub bet out, in every tree planted, ia even ev Jry greeu leaf which breaks the black arden mould, giviug proiniso of earlj' vegetables fresh froni one'ü uwn soil ! If a man is but the owner of a huinble eabiu, he is more likely to be a sober, in dustrious citizen, his wile a happier voman, a better manager, and his ehildreti vill be better edueaied and fitted for ïigher soeial positions, tliau if the father owned nolhing in which to takc an inerest in his hours of rclaxation. A home is within reach of nearly evey diligent, perseverini; worker in our 'avored land j but reniember that thritt and econouiy go hand in hand. There s a homely old sayiog worth pondering u these hard timca. " Industry will mako a man a purso, nd frugality will tind him stringa for it !ieither purso nor stringa will cost him nythiue. If he draws ihe s!nng8 as 'rugality directs, he will ihvays be sure o fiad a user ui penny in the boltom of