But he could see
no hope in a dollar bill, and much less could he discover the nucleus
of a grand saving in a fifty-cent piece.

With Alice it was different. From her meager earnings as
school-teacher she had in less than five years, saved up three hundred
dollars; and the first saving she had put by was a silver dime. She
knew what little by little could do, and she was determined to show it
to her husband. She must be patient and persevering, and these
qualities she possessed in an eminent degree. It was to be the grand
undertaking of the first years of her married life, and to do it she
would bend every available energy. She planned that if possible she
would get hold of that fifty cents every day; or, if she could not do
that she would do the best she could.

Generous, frank, loyal, and loving, Albert was an easy prey to the
wiles of a wife loyal and loving as himself. He gave her money when
she asked for it; and she asked for it when she thought he had any to
give.

And here let me say that Alice knew her husband would not run in debt.
That was an evil they both arrayed themselves against in the outset.
When Albert's purse was empty he bought nothing; but when it was full
he was apt to buy more than he needed. Alice knew all this and
governed herself accordingly.

"I think," said Alice, one evening, "that I must fix over my old brown
cashmere for winter, I should like a new one, but I don't suppose you
can afford it."

Albert looked grieved. The idea that he could not afford his wife a
new dress!

But such a one as she wanted would cost twenty-five or thirty dollars.

"If you want it, get it," said Albert emphatically. "I will let you
have twenty dollars from this month's pay, and the balance you shall
have next month."

Alice got the thirty dollars, but she did not get the new dress. By
the outlay of five dollars for new trimmings she contrived to fix over
the brown cashmere so that it looked every bit as good as new.

And so Alice worked. Sometimes she asked her husband for ten cents,
sometimes for fifty cents, sometimes for a dollar, and sometimes for
more, and at the end of a year, upon carefully reckoning up, she found
that she had managed to get hold of rather more than fifty cents a
day; but she had done it by denying herself of many things, some of
which seemed really needful.

The result of the first year's effort inspired Alice with new life and
vigor. She had saved one hundred and fifty dol