Still we'd gone on for years putting up with the marble dining-room clock thathad a hand off, and the Art Nouveau drawing-room one that had a pewter faceand had never kept time, and the hand-painted satin cushion, and other out-of-date fancy-work which represented the prevailing crazes of various years, While 1 bought the latest fashions, now and then, in table-furnishings, we nomore thought of buying new clocks or new cushions than of—well, of goingup the Mediterranean.That was something that had never occurred to us as being possible, though we both grew hungry sometimes for the sun and the sea and fresh places. Butthe fares!Often and often we'd say, "If we could only do this or that," and if we didn'tenvy people who could, it was because it never occurred to us to dream of living any differently. Our limitations seemed as much a part of us as thecolour of our hair or the shape of our noses. Of course we said, "Perhaps someday," but castles in the air aren't satisfactory to visit.Now come’s the revelation.Jim brought home a magazine which had an article about the spending powerin money, and a sentence simply hit us in the eye. The writer said that someday people might plan out their money before they spent it, and control theirincomes instead of their incomes controlling them, by arranging theirexpenditure in right proportion.For instance, they'd put a certain percentage away for rent, and another forclothes (big or small, according to their sartorial inclinations), and another for books, and another for travel.The idea was thrown out as a casual, rather visionary, suggestion, but itseemed to strike home to us, like a big light." But we don't know what our exact income is," said I. "Yours fluctuates so: Ican see the point of a definite salary being planned this way." Oh, dear, it didseem lovely too. Every woman loves system, in her heart of hearts, becauseshe loves feeling comfortable and safe."But that doesn't matter if we set aside- a definite percentage of the income asitcomes in," said Jim, very thoughtfully; and I could see he saw possibilities,too. "The idea is to think out seriously what we really want to spend ourmoney on, instead of letting it slip through our fingers almost blindly.""I don't see where we can save," said I. "We scarcely ever spend a penny on what isn't necessary."Now I had tried to save, sometimes. I hated bills, and there were always bills
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