How many are there,
Felix?"
Felix said there were twenty-nine.
"Well," said the arithmetical George, "it is the
cheapest place I ever knew. Why, their Seniors get along
for three hundred dollars a year, and squeeze more out of
life than I do out of twenty thousand. The little ones
won't cost at that rate. A hundred and fifty dollars for
twenty-nine children; how much is that, Polly?"
"Forty-three hundred and fifty dollars, of course,"
said she.
"I thought so. Well, don't you see, we shall save
that in wages to these servants we are boarding here, of
whom there are eleven, who cost us, say, six dollars a
week; that is, sixty-six dollars for twenty weeks is
thirteen hundred and twenty dollars. We won't buy any
clothes, but live on the old ones, and make the children
wear their big brothers' and sisters'. There's a saving
of thirty-seven hundred dollars for thirty-seven of us.
Why, we shall make money! I tell you what, if you'll do
it, I'll pay all the bills till we come home. If you
like, you shall then each pay me three-quarters of your
last winter's accounts, and I'll charge any difference
to profit and loss. But I shall make by the bargain."
The women doubted if they could be ready. But it
proved they could. Still they did not start Saturday;
they started Monday, in two palace-cars. They left the
children, all delighted with the change, at Antioch on
Wednesday--a little tempted to spend the winter there
themselves; but, this temptation well resisted, they sped
on to Mexico.
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