p. 9 | FAMILY FINANCIERING

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Apr 8, 1897

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 23, No. 14.

FAMILY FINANCIERING.

“They tell me you work for a dollar a day; How is it you clothe your six boys on such pay?” “I know you will think it conceited and queer, But I do it because ‘I’m a good financier.’ There’s Pete, John, Jim, and Joe, and William, and Ned, A half dozen boys to be clothed up and fed, And I buy for them all, good plain victuals to eat. But clothing—I only buy clothing for Pete. When Pete’s clothes are too small for him to get on, My wife makes ’em over and gives ’em to John. When John, who is ten, they have grown out of date, She just makes ’em over for Jim, who is eight. When for Jim they become too ragged to fix, She just makes ’em over for Joe, who is six; And when little Joseph can wear ’em no more, She just makes ’em over for Bill, who is four. And when for young Bill they no longer will do, She just makes ’em over for Ned, who is two. So you see, if I get enough clothing for Pete, The family is furnished with clothing complete.” “And when Ned has got through with the clothing, and when He has thrown it aside, what do you do with it then?” “Why, once we go round the circle complete, We begin to use it for patches for Pete.”

—Selected.