Litchfield enquirer., 1837-05-18
THE BUTTON.
BY 1T. II. WELD.

THE DUTTON.
 BY IT. II. WELD.
 I care not butlonr No! but butt ton may be of more importance many times than we are aware of. We have known an instance where an unlUcky vest button was the 'WndOing' of a man. He was visionary tn money matters, schc- mer in things appertaiHiDg to economy, shaver of flints, and collector ofruSty nails, rags, paper, and all the ct celera which are convertible into cash. Tn his earlier years he was remarkable for the indctati- gability with which he treasured up such small notions, and his parents predicted for him wealth and influence.
 A copper never slipped through his fn- gers except on holidays, and then he would not break fourpence half penny bit. Articles of necessity he was careful to pur- chase by barter trade, and when this was impossible he parted with the needful as reluctantly as sinner lets go his hold on life. Six cents and half, were never cx- pended by him for less than their positive actual value, for he said-'4 4 per cent. on dollar is too much to lose.' He would walk the ice at the risk of his life, or row himself over the river in scow to evade the one cent toll by the law establisl,ed,' and tie handkerchief about his hat to save it from shower. He would ccrtain- ly be rich, every body was right for once he has, but his riches he must enjoy | alone-
 No wife for hn--'
 Confound the quotation, we have forgot ten the rest of it, but at any rate he is still unmarried, and likely to remain so. Jeptha, by patient pursuance of the hab- it of frugalty, had at the age of one and twenty, accumulated some five or six hun dred dollars, which in his hands at the age of two and twenty was doubled. He had for long time been grieved at the unne- cessary outlay for expensive provisions as he deemed them which he saw in his bcard- ing house, and was inwardly persuaded that if he were married, the saving to be effected in housekeeping, clothes, mend- ing, and washing, together with the labor Ashat notable wife would perform, would
 Ske quite diminution in his expenses. eordingly he fixed his eye upon pretty " bress and determined immediately to a" nmence playing the amiable to her, His approaches were readily understood by the lady of the shears, and as Jeptha's property had become matter of gossip among marriageable damsels, these ap- breaches were by no means unencouraged. Jcptha went on swimmingly for few months, doing all his courting on Sabbath evenings, ,as that part his time could be de- voted to no other earthly purpose-for be- sides being prudent, Jepiha was very con- scientious wi,l,al, and although he would not buy hay and sell on the Sabbath, he would save time by driving bargain of this kind on that day.
 Things were approaching crisis. In the eyes of those who keep a register Of such affairs, Jeptha and Mary were already considered as man and wife. One night Jeptha brought to Mary vest, with re- quest that before the next Sabbath eve she would sew on a button. Oh that button that rascally button was to make !-
 Better for him had that button never been manufactured.
 It had been Jcptha's rule heretofore to mend his apparel, |" save expense. In the habit himself of doing nothing without consideration, he did not dream of having any thing done for him without paying for ir, even by Mary, and had departed from his usual rule out of friendship for her, while truth to say, the recollection that she and what she had, would soon be his, had it's weight with him. He did not cx- pect her to give him the labor, and expect cd that the price he paid her. would, like bread thrown upon the waters, return be- fore many days.
 After spending as much time in convcr- sa,ion as fear of ofderanging his rest, and con- suming oil would permit, he rose to go home. "Here, Jeptba, is your vcst," said Mary. 'Well, that's scwed on slick -what do you charge 2 inquired he.
 Nothing
 Nothing that word was poser to Jep,ha, who had his hand in his pocket lingering the three coppcrs which he had taken with him to pay for the button. Oh, thought he, she wants 10 see what I'll give her. I'll pay her liberal. And he put the whOte three cents into her hand !- There's three cents, Mary said he, in a tone half repentant at his own generosity, and with an inward wish that he had car ried his vest to some one else.
 'No,' said Mary, shan't take pay from you, Jrptha. If you want to make me a prescn.'-
 o yes,' interrupted he, and he lugged at his coat pocket-' there's an elegan: great apple, Mary, and l'll bring another when 1 come again. They'll fetch two cents piece in Boston!
 Mary, who saw more of Jep,ha in this affair than she ever had beiore seen, and
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