A Mystery Explained
"Going to the Falls and to the White Mountains!""Yes, I'm off next week.""How long will you be absent?""From ten days to two weeks.""What will it cost?""I shall take a hundred dollars in my pocket-book! That will carryme through.""A hundred dollars! Where did you raise that sum? Who's the lender?Tell him he can have another customer.""I never borrow.""Indeed! Then you've had a legacy.""No, and never expect to have one. All my relations are poor.""Then unravel the mystery. Say where the hundred dollars came from.""The answer is easy. I saved it from my salary.""What?""I saved it during the last six months for just this purpose, andnow I am to have two weeks of pleasure and profit combined.""Impossible!""I have given you the fact.""What is your salary, pray?""Six hundred a year.""So I thought. But you don't mean to say that in six months you havesaved one hundred dollars out of three hundred?""Yes; that is just what I mean to say.""Preposterous. I get six hundred, and am in debt.""No wonder.""Why no wonder?""If a man spends more than he receives, he will fall in debt.""Of course he will. But on a salary of six hundred, how is itpossible for a man to keep out of debt?""By spending less than he receives.""That is easily said.""And as easily done. All that is wanted is prudent forethought,integrity of purpose, and self-denial. He must take care of thepennies, and the pounds will take care of themselves.""Trite and obsolete.""True if trite; and never obsolete. It is as good doctrine to-day asit was in poor Richard's time. Of that I can bear witness.""I could never be a miser or a skinflint.""Nor I. But I can refuse to waste my money in unconsidered trifles,and so keep it for more important things; for a trip to Niagara andthe White Mountains, for instance."The two young men who thus talked were clerks, each receiving thesalary already mentioned--six hundred dollars. One of them, namedHamilton, understood the use of money; the other, named Hoffman,practised the abuse of this important article. The consequence was,that while Hamilton had a hundred dollars saved for a trip duringhis summer vacation, Hoffman was in debt for more than two or threetimes that amount.The incredulous surprise expressed by Hoffman was sincere. He couldnot understand the strange fact which had been announced. For aninstant it crossed his mind that Hamilton might only have advancedhis seeming impossible economy as a cover to dishonest practices.But he pushed the thought away as wrong."Not much room for waste of money on a salary of six hundred ayear," answered Hoffman."There is always room for waste," said Hamilton. "A leak is a leak,be it ever so small. The quart flagon will as surely waste itsprecious contents through a fracture that loses only a drop at atime, as the butt from which a constant stream is pouring. The factis, as things are in our day, whether flagon or butt, leakage is therule not the exception.""I should like to know where the leak in my flagon is to be found,"said Hoffman. "I think it would puzzle a finance committee todiscover it.""Shall I unravel for you the mystery?""You unravel it! What do you know of my affairs?""I have eyes.""Do I waste my money?""Yes, if you have not saved as much as I have during the last sixmonths; and yes, if my eyes have given a true report.""What have your eyes reported?""A system of waste, in trifles, that does not add anythingsubstantial to your happiness and certainly lays the foundation fora vast amount of disquietude, and almost certain embarrassment inmoney affairs, and consequent humiliations."Hoffman shook his head gravely answering, "I can't see it.""Would you like to see it?""O, certainly, if it exists.""Well, suppose we go down into the matter of expenditures, item byitem, and make some use of the common rules of arithmetic as we goalong. Your salary, to start with, is six hundred dollars, and youplay the same as I do for boarding and washing, that is, four and ahalf dollars per week, which gives the sum of two hundred andthirty-four dollars a year. What do your clothes cost?""A hundred and fifty dollars will cover everything!""Then you have two hundred and sixteen dollars left. What becomes ofthat large sum?"Hoffman dropped his eyes and went to thinking. Yes, what had becomeof these two hundred and sixteen dollars? Here was the whole thingin a nutshell."Cigars," said Hamilton. "How many do you use in a day?""Not over three. But these are a part of considered expenses. I amnot going to do without cigars.""I am only getting down to the items," answered the friend. "We mustfind out where the money goes. Three cigars a day, and, on anaverage, one to a friend, which makes four.""Very well, say four.""At six cents apiece."Hamilton took a slip of paper and made a few figures."Four cigars a day at six cents each, cost twenty-four cents. Threehundred and sixty-five by twenty-four gives eighty-seven dollars andsixty cents, as the cost of your cigars for a year.""O, no! That is impossible," returned Hoffman, quickly."There is the calculation. Look at it for yourself," repliedHamilton, offering the slip of paper."True as I live!" ejaculated the other, in unfeigned surprise. "Inever dreamed of such a thing. Eighty-seven dollars. That will neverdo in the world. I must cut this down.""A simple matter of figures. I wonder you had not thought ofcounting the cost. Now I do not smoke at all. It is a bad habit,that injures the health, and makes us disagreeable to our friends,to say nothing of the expense. So you see how natural the result,that at the end of the year I should have eighty-seven dollars inband, while you had puffed away an equal sum in smoke. So much forthe cigar account. I think you take a game of billiards now andthen.""Certainly I do. Billiards are innocent. I am very fond of the game,and must have some recreation.""Exactly so. The question now is, What do they cost?""Nothing to speak of. You can't make out a case here.""We shall see. How often do you play?""Two or three times a week.""Say twice a week.""Yes.""Very well. Let it be twice. A shilling a game must be paid for useof the table?""Which comes from the loser's pocket. I, generally, make it a pointto win.""But lose sometimes.""Of course. The winning is rarely all on one side.""One or two games a night?""Sometimes.""Suppose we put down an average loss of three games in a week. Willthat be too high?""No. Call it three games a week.""Or, as to expense. three shillings. Then, after the play, therecomes a glass of ale--or, it may be oysters.""Usually.""Will two shillings at week, taking one week with another, pay foryour ale and oysters?"Hoffman did not answer until he had reflected for a few moments,Then he said,--"I'm afraid neither two nor four shillings will cover this item. Wemust set it down at six.""Which gives for billiards, ale and oysters, the sum of one dollarand a shilling per week. Fifty-two by a dollar twelve-and-a-half,and we have the sum of fifty-eight dollars and fifty cents. Rather aserious item this, in the year's expense, where the income is onlysix hundred dollars!"Hoffman looked at his friend in a bewildered kind of way. This wasastounding."How often do you go to the theatre and opera?" Hamilton went onwith his questions."Sometimes once a week. Sometimes twice or thrice, according to theattraction.""And you take a lady now and then?""Yes.""Particularly during the opera season?""Yes. I'm not so selfish as always to indulge in these pleasuresalone.""Very well. Now for the cost. Sometimes the opera is one dollar. Soit costs two dollars when you take a lady.""Which is not very often.""Will fifty cents a week, averaging the year, meet this expense?"After thinking for some time, Hoffman said yes, he thought thatfifty cents a week would be a fair appropriations."Which adds another item of twenty-six dollars a year to yourexpenses.""But would you cut off everything?" objected Hoffman. "Is a man tohave no recreations, no amusements?""That is another question," coolly answered Hamilton. "Our presentbusiness is to ascertain what has become of the two hundred andsixteen dollars which remained of your salary after boarding andclothing bills were paid. That is a handsome gold chain. What did itcost?""Eighteen dollars.""Bought lately?""Within six months.""So much more accounted for. Is that a diamond pin?"Hoffman colored a little as he answered,--"Not a very costly one. Merely a scarf-pin, as you. see. Small,though brilliant. Always worth what I paid for it.""Cost twenty-five or thirty dollars?""Twenty-five.""Shall I put that down as one of the year expenses?""Yes, you may do so.""What about stage and car hire? Do you ride or walk to and frombusiness?""I ride, of course. You wouldn't expect me to walk nearly a milefour times a day.""I never ride, except in bad weather. The walk gives me just theexercise I need. Every man, who is confined in a store orcounting-room during business hours, should walk at least four milesa day. Taken in installments of one mile at a time, at goodintervals, there is surely no hardship in this exercise. Four rides,at six-pence a ride and we have another item of twenty-five cents atday. You go down town nearly every evening?""Yes.""And ride both ways?"Yes.""A shilling more, or thirty seven and a half cents daily for car andstage hire. Now for another little calculation. Three hundred days,at three shillings a day. There it is."And Hamilton reached a slip of paper to his friend."Impossible!" The latter actually started to his feet. "A hundredand twelve dollars and fifty cents!""If you spend three shillings a day, you will spend that sum in ayear. Figures are inexorable."Hoffman sat down again in troubled surprise, saying,"Have you got to the end?""Not yet," replied his companion."Very well. Go on.""I often notice you with candies, or other confections; and you are,sometimes, quite free in sharing them with your friends. Burntalmonds, sugar almonds, Jim Crow's candied fruits, macaroons, etc.These are not to be had for nothing; and besides their cost they area positive injury to the stomach. You, of course, know to whatextent you indulge this weakness of appetite. Shall we say that itcosts an average of ten cents a day?""Add fruit, in and out of season, and call it fifteen cents,"replied Hoffman."Very well. For three hundred days this will give another largesum--forty-five dollars?""Anything more?" said Hoffman in a subdued, helpless kind of way,like one lying prostrate from a sudden blow."I've seen you driving out occasionally; sometimes on Sunday. And,by the way, I think you generally take an excursion on Sunday. overto Staten Island, or to Hoboken, or up the river, or--but no matterwhere; you go about and spend money on the Sabbath day. How muchdoes all this cost? A dollar a week? Seventy-five cents? Fiftycents? We are after the exact figures as near as maybe. What does itcost for drives and excursions, and their spice of refreshment?""Say thirty dollars a year.""Thirty dollars, then, we will call it. And here let us close, inorder to review the ground over which we have been travelling. Allthose various expenses, not one of which is for things essential tohealth, comfort, or happiness, but rather for their destruction,amount to the annual sum of four hundred and two dollars sixtycents,--you can go over the figures for yourself. Add to this threehundred and eighty-four dollars, the cost of boarding and clothing,and you swell the aggregate to nearly eight hundred dollars; andyour salary is but six hundred!"A long silence followed."I am amazed, confounded!" said Hoffman, resting his head betweenhis hands, as he leaned on the table at which they were sitting."And not only amazed and confounded," he went on, "but humiliated,ashamed! Was I a blind fool that I did not see it myself? Had Iforgotten my multiplication table?""You are like hundreds--nay, thousands," replied the friend, "to whoma sixpence, a shilling, or even a dollar spent daily has a veryinsignificant look; and who never stop to think that sixpence a dayamounts to over twenty dollars in a year; a shilling a day to overforty; and a dollar a day to three hundred and sixty-five. We cannotwaste our money in trifles, and yet have it to spend for substantialbenefits. The cigars you smoked in the past year; the games ofbilliards you played; the ale and oysters, cakes, confections, andfruit consumed; the rides in cars and stages; the drives and Sundayexcursions, crave only the briefest of pleasures, and left new andless easily satisfied desires behind. It will not do, my friend, togrant an easy indulgence to natural appetite and desire, for theyever seek to be our masters. If we would be men--self-poised,self-controlling, self-possessing men--we must let reason govern inall our actions. We must be wise, prudent, just, and self-denying;and from this rule of conduct will spring order, tranquillity ofmind, success, and true enjoyment. I think, Hoffman, that I am quiteas happy a man as you are; far happier, I am sure, at this moment;and yet I have denied myself nearly all theses indulgences throughwhich you have exhausted your means and embarrassed yourself withdebt. Moreover, I have a hundred dollars clear of everything, withwhich I shall take a long-desired excursion, while you will becompelled, for lack of the very money which has been worse thanwasted, to remain a prisoner in the city. Pray, be counselled to adifferent course in future.""I would be knave or fool to need further incentive," said Hoffman,with much bitterness. "At the rate I am going on, debt, humiliation,and disgrace are before me. I may live up to my income withoutactually wronging others--but not beyond it. As things are now going,I am two hundred dollars worse off at the end of each year when thanI began, and, worse still, weaker as to moral purpose, while theanimal and sensual natures, from constant indulgence, have grownstronger. I must break this thraldom now; for, a year hence, it maybe too late! Thank, you, my friend, for your plain talk. Thank youfor teaching me anew the multiplication table, I shall, assuredly,not forget it again."
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