The Beggar's Purse

E. Van Tenner, a rigid Philadelphia bachelor, is startled by a cheerful professional beggar who hands him a strange purse and a simple challenge: carry all his money in it and ask at every turn, "What's the good?" What begins as a joke becomes a sharp, patriotic experiment in thrift, as the purse seems to know exactly where vanity, habit, and social pressure are hiding waste. On a trip to New York, Van Tenner skips porters, taxis, parlor cars, and other needless comforts, discovering that saving money can feel less like deprivation than like a game. At hotels, cafés, stores, theaters, and supper spots, the purse exposes the tricks behind tips, delivery charges, inflated prices, and showy amusements. Van Tenner grumbles, argues, and gradually changes, growing more confident as he learns to distinguish real value from empty expense. Blending comedy, social satire, and wartime patriotism, this witty fable turns ordinary spending into a moral adventure and ends with Van Tenner embracing disciplined, intelligent economy. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.