Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1839-10-04

travaganco, deprive us poor men of bread.
In order to crafty them with luxuries. we
are debarred almost the necessaries Of lie
'Tis piiable case, honest friend re
Piled the Fairy, and sm ready to do a Il
in my power to assist you and your d,stres
sed friends. Shall I, by stroke of my
wand, destroy all the handsome equpage.
and fine clothes, and dainty dishes, which
offend you?'
Since you are SO very obliging.' said
honest John, in the joy of his heart, 1T
would perhaps be better to destroy all lux
ures whatever: for, if you confnc yourself
10 those you mention, the rich would soon
have recourse to others and it will scarcely
cost you more than an additions stroke of
your wand. to do the business outright, and
get rid Of the evil. root and branch.
No sooner said than done. The good
natured Fairy waved her al.powerfu wand,
aud, wonderful to behold the superb man
SION OF the landlord shrunk beneath the
stroke, and was reduced to an humble
matched cottage. The gay colors and
delicate textures Of the apparel of its in.
habl'ants faded and ,hickened, and were
transformed into the mos, ordinary cloth
ing; the house plants sprou,ed out
cabbages, and The plnery produced pot a,ues.
A similar change took place in the COACH
house and stables-the elegant landau was
seen varying in form and enlarging 10
dimensions. I'LL il became a wagon; while
the smart gig shrunk and lhickened into
plough. The manes Of the horses grew
coarse and shaggy, their coats lost a Il bril-
lIancy and soflness, and their legs became
thick and clumsy; in a word, they were
adapted TO the new vehicles they were
hcnccforward to draw.
Honest John was profuse in his thanks.
but The FAIRY stopped him short Return
to me- at the end Of the week said she, st
will be time enough to express your graft
Iude when you can judge how much reason
you have to be obliged to me.
Delighted with success. and eager TO
communicate the happy tidngs to his wife
and family, John returned home. Il shal
no longer, said he TO himself, be disguised
with the contrast of the rich and the poor
what they lose mus, be our gain, and we
shall see Il things will not 60 on in a differ
ent manner
HIS wife, however, did not receive him
with equal satisfaction; for. having gone
to dress herself (t being Sunday in her
best cotton gown, she beheld it changed 10
homely stuff! and her China tea pot.
gwen her by her landlady, ana on which
she set no small value, though the handle
was broken, was converted into Crockery
ware She came with wo!ul cnon,en.
nnce TO communlcoie these sad tdings to
her husband. John 'hemmed' and 'hawed,'
and at length wise y determined to keep
his own counsel, instead OF Boosting of
being the author Of he changes which had
taken place.
Presently his little bov came in CRYING.
What aIs you, Tommy said the her,
half pett'shly, and somewhat suspeciing
| that he had caused his tears also. why,
daddy" replied the urchn. as | was play.
ing at bauledore with Dick, the shuttle.
cock flew away and was lost. and the bat
tledores turned into dry sticks fit but to be
burnt! 'Psha = cried the father, who be
gan to doub: whether he had not done q
foolish thing.
In order TO take time to turn over the
subject in his mind. and console himself
Tor his dlsappo ment, he called for his
pipe. The good wife rose TO fetch it
when. 10 and behold, the pipes were all
dissolved there was pipe-cIay in plenty,
but no means of smoking, Poor John could
not refrain from an oath; and. in order to
paclfy him, his wife kindly ordered HIM q
pinch of snuff. He took the box: i, felt
light, and his heart mlsgave him as he tap.
ped It. 1t was with too much cause, for,
on opening it, it was empty!
AT length. being alone he gave vent to
vexa'lon and disappointment. i was a
fool cried he, mot to desire the Falry to
NEEDLE with the luxuries of the rich only,
God knows we have so few, that il ia very
hard that we shonld be deprived of them.
! will return to her at The end of the week,
and beg her to make an exception in our
favor This thought consoled him for a
while; but long before he end of The week,
poor John had abundance of cause to repent
OF III that he had done.
His brother Richard, who had been at
work in silk mandatory, was, with all
the other weavers, turned out of work.
The silk had disappeared and the manu-
faclurers. with ruin staring them in the
face, had sent their workmen out upon the
wide world. John, conscience stricken,
received his starving brother in the house.
You will see grea. changes for the better
soon,' said he, and get plenty of work.
Where. and how ? cried Rlchard-bu
that was more than John could say.
Soon utter Jack, his eldest son, returned
home from the coach maker with whom he
had worsed-all the carriages being turned
INTO wagons, carts, and ploughs. Bot
why not stay with your master, and work
at the carts instead ofthe coacbes'' NAY.
but he would not keep me, he had no work
Tor me ne had more carts and wagons than
ne could dispose Of for many day: the
farmers, he said, bad more than they
wanted, aud the cartwright business was
at an end, as we'll as coachmaking'
John sighed; indeed he well nigh groaned