"Alger Jr, Horatio - Frank's Campaign" - читать интересную книгу автора (Alger Horatio Jr)

and had managed to save up from his earnings not far from a
thousand dollars. Thinking, however, that farming would be more
favorable to health, he purchased his fifty-acre farm for
twenty-eight hundred dollars, payable one thousand down, and the
rest remaining on mortgage. At the date of our story he had
succeeded in paying up the entire amount within eight hundred
dollars, a mortgage for that amount being held by Squire Haynes.
He had not been able to accomplish this without strict economy,
in which his wife had cheerfully aided him.

But his family had grown larger and more expensive. Besides
Frank, who was the oldest, there were now three younger
children--Alice, twelve years of age; Maggie, ten; and Charlie,
seven.

The farmhouse was small but comfortable, and the family had never
been tempted to sigh for a more costly or luxurious home. They
were happy and contented, and this made their home attractive.

On the evening succeeding that of the war meeting, Frank was
seated in the common sitting-room with his father and mother.
There was a well-worn carpet on the floor, a few plain chairs
were scattered about the room, and in the corner ticked one of
the old-fashioned clocks such as used to be the pride of our New
England households. In the center of the room stood a round
table, on which had been set a large kerosene-lamp, which
diffused a cheerful light about the apartment.

On a little table, over which hung a small mirror, were several
papers and magazines. Economical in most things, Mr. Frost was
considered by many of his neighbors extravagant in this. He
subscribed regularly for Harper's Magazine and Weekly, a weekly
agricultural paper, a daily paper, and a child's magazine.

"I don't see how you can afford to buy so much reading-matter,"
said a neighbor, one day. "It must cost you a sight of money. As
for me, I only take a weekly paper, and I think I shall have to
give that up soon."

"All my papers and magazines cost me in a year, including
postage, is less than twenty dollars," said Mr. Frost quietly. "A
very slight additional economy in dress--say three dollars a year
to each of us will pay that. I think my wife would rather make
her bonnet wear doubly as long than give up a single one of our
papers. When you think of the comparative amount of pleasure
given by a paper that comes to you fifty-two times in a year, and
a little extra extravagance in dress, I think you will decide in
favor of the paper."

"But when you've read it, you haven't anything to show for your