Ka Nupepa Kuokoa, Volume XXIX, Number 20, 17 May 1890 — Our English Column. [ARTICLE]

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Our English Column.

"A Yculh prepare fer \f3nkood~

UNCLE I ī,> l>K>K Unc!e Phil r iir»c i< r m a v; : n whieh be tho«:ght *a< goi he deterTjjr.e<' to put it imo b % i»y.>k Jor tie bener.! of the who cr»rne \ * his rorncr. I"he styr>* i» t ! d (A J >ur li:t!e r»s, bui it wi'l do the jjst a* :nuch g,xxJ to read it a* the s«r'». Voa Hawauan IjO>s and gir'j» may not haTe as ri« h fathcn» as had these four i*irh :n the *tory, >tiil all pet enough montry to spend. to make it worth whi e for jqm ;o keep an viint < t new yoo spend it Spend nothinc i >olfstj!y. spcr.d less than v earn, and keep a true aerount of al! you earn ard s,vend, and you will a!ways have mor.cy rcidy for the t»me of ~) a it*»a." Really t b'»>> and girls. there is no one word ;n the Ln*;lish language whi« h mean-» *•« rn .< h 3> does "piiikia" and so 1 use it And now iwī the story »h;< h is e j!ied "imk «-UIN Among the ri< h pe#j>se *ho lived in Eng!and om e. wcre a bd\ and g ritlemanwhowerevery kind f«j!ks 'l hey wtre aUo >ery wise parcnts. Tncy had four htt r c daughters. Now, the mothcr knew that, by and by, hcr g.rN wuuld be< ome young »adtes, and would 'nave to gointo companv with oiher rich young [īeople. Thvn they would havt- many temptatior.s to spend monty f->olishly. So iheir parent<i decided th.u they mu>t be tai)ght thc wise nse of money, while they were little gir!s "I wanted," said >trs. Uewett, their mūther, ,4 to allow thein to spend money f')ī themselves, and yet to know that they must give an a< count of what thev did with it."

So, al the of the ncwyear, thesc f(>ur sjstcrs wcrc told f>y their parcnts, that thcy wmikl he givcn twelve dol!ars apic< e tvcry month. But they must huy all their own boots, glcves, ribbons and stationery out of this raoney. If thcre was anything left over, after they had these necessary things, thcy might sj»end it as thty wished. They were not to leavc any bill unpaid, nor have anything at the store. Also, they were to buy their ne< es.s.uy at the beginning of eaeh month, beforc thcy had spent any of their monev.

To earh girl wns given an arcount book, and for a week they went every d.iv to their father'sstudy, for an hour's lesson in book kecping and ai rounts.

One Novcmt>cr day, the gir!s rcceired invitations to go to a roy .1 dancing party fur rhildren. So thcy asked permi.Hsion of their mothcr to buy somc new satin boots. Stich boots wcre worn vcry nuu h in those days. Their mother gave the ilcsircd pcrmission, although it would takc a grcat part of the month's in< ome to buy them. So the little gir!s went to thc storc, in thc care of Miss Kcll»u, a young lady t'riend ot tbeir mother's, to buy their boots. After lookinn over a gr>:at many pairs they chosc and p.iul fi*r four pairs, ānd returncd home perfcctly happy. Hut, at the end «( the month, Blan* rhe, the e!dest daughter, was calkd into her fi»ther's study. He had a big bill in his hand. M What is this ?" he said. "Waa it not agreed, lilanehe, that you were ncvcr to have a bill ? Hcrc Poeson, thc boot makcr, scndsin a bill for six pounds, eight shillings for your satin boots." Hlanehe sa»d at onee that thc boots had bccn paid for, and so did her ters and Miss Kcllcr. "Wherc are your rfcc»;»t§?" asked their father. But the girls had bccn so mueh takcn up with thc dancing party, that thcy had forgotten to ask for any bills when thcy paid t'or their boots ! Mr. Hcwett said, he did not know but that he ought to make them pay the sum ovcr again, as a lesson for their carelessness. But, finally, he rcfuscd to pay the bill; so Mr Poeson sucd hira for it. When the case eame before the court, Miss K.eller «itncsscd in tavor of the girls, To prove that they had paid the bill, she said the amounts bad bccn written down at onee in their little aeeounl books.

l'hen the judge arsd jur> wcre toUl how cir<fully the girls ke{X their ircounts. Ali the jury*men s ni)eii «hen sbe But the judge ordered tl»t the books ihouKi be hrought into court, and be given around to the jury» men to ex«mine! Thc> rcad page at'ter page They added up the columns. The b«lances were examined The rtceipts were read out; and aU this while the little girls were sitting near by, trtrnbling with fear ? "I*hey ne»er thought their little accouot books «oold gel into ihe bands of a judge and jury! It wm ieen, that erery week a buoch 0i ftowers had been bought for a tittie skk (Heiui, and two shil!iofs girea in charity, The mooUi in whieh the boots were bought they had not bought tbe <lowers, because they did not have mooey enough. The )ury were *ery mueh plc**.d with the great neatness and oorrrct-

o«*i io whkh ;bf b00%5 were kcfri. No one but Mr. Focson ard r * c*crk wa* s*rf,ri*ed »hcn th€ iur> br-i,gbt m a verdKt tn taror of Mr. He*etL Bef re tht»e (our httle g*rls leū the court;hc judie to!d thero he »i» rcnr routh p!eis<d with thc succcss cf thr.r bxik k«epirg The whoie ot :he case t he !va:d, had becn dwc;dcd by the;r pcr!e«.!ly corret:t ard weli balanctd aeeooo: lxKjks. He w u:d iW> say to ;hem. he hofKd they wou d never f>rgtt :he lessou they had leir.-.<<l fron their 6rst da\ in court. About a year after tb?s Mr. He»ett re< eived a very hamb'e !etter trorn Mr. I'oe> n. saymg he bad just :ound out that Ms c!erk was a thief * The man had ?jeen in rbe habit c( receirmg >ums o( mor,ev and givmg no receipts tor tbem. He had done so when the girls bought their boot», and h*id kept tbe mon.y. Tr.ere, that is the story\ girls. wha: these four girls did you ean do. It they cou!d learn to keep tlieir litt!e ae counts so ean you. If tbey could pay as they went, and not g > if thcy could not pay »o ean you, Try and see if you cannot do as well as did these four little Kng!i>h gir!s.