Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1844-06-07

conVulSVe ShlVer, When the uoor-Dell was ONCE
heard to ring; but we will take his own text, and
thus innocently fill up this painful blank of time
by imagining what the sermon might have been;
and if our words are not precisely the same as
those by which he expressed his feelings in his
own mind, stil we doubt not but there may be
very striking similarity between the ideas.
Debt" Who is nursing a scorpion in his bo-
som, until the poison will faint his whole blood,
and madness or death ensue? 1t is the man IN
debt. Who is clingng to the top OF the unsheIter-
ed, eternal rock, gazing with bursting eye on the
vast and wide eXpanse of ocean around nun, ana
exposed to the pittless vengeance OF the wild ele-
ments, with no hope of escape! 1t is the man I'D
debt. who is sailing on the calm waters, far a
boye Niagara, and deghtng himself by gazing
into the clear depths beneath him, knows not his
nosition until the changed motion and the stag
gerng rapidity of his boat startles him with the
dreadful truth that he is in the rapids, and is near
! ing with increased speed the frghtful chasm' It'll
is the man in debt! All! and who is leaning over
Etna's crater, while he gaZes far down into the
depths Of boiling flame, feels his foot slip, his bal
lance lost, and finds himself sinking-snking? 1t
| is the man in debt!'
At length our man in debt sprang upon his feet,
with an energy so wild, and yet so determined,
that one might have we'll imagined that he believ-
ed himself suspended over the warning fires Of the
volcano, and fully gned to make his escape
His eye cleaned with new fire, and his counte-|
nance gowed with strange brightness. he
strded the room rapidly, and cleaHY eginced ny
his quick glances from one DIN b another THAT
some new and important subects undergoing
a thorough investigation IN his nEnu. Once ne
paused, and carefully eXamlnedfn quality OF his
coat and pants the high lustre of his satin vest,
the fineness of his linen, and the gold chain, which
was the safeguard of hundred and fifty dollar
watch Then he glanced at his wife's piano, but
quickly turned from it with deep sigh to a long
and sorowfuI gaze upon the flower-pots arranged
in the back yard. The dinner bell at length broke
in upon his reveres, and an unusual expression
was seen on his cOuntenance when he entered the
dining ROOM His wife tendery inquired the
cause, but he replied only by strict scrutiny of
her cap, her dress, the furniture of the room, and
lastly, of every thing upon the table. After the
meats were removed, beautiful glass dish, filled
with strawberries, covered with cream and loaf
sugar, was brought in and placed on the table He
started at the sight though an adder had bitten
him, and his affeconate wife again inquired the
cause of his strange conduct.
We are not able to afford such things, Lucy,
said he quickly.
"Why, my dear" answered Mrs. Hall, " the
woman told Betty that you paid only fifty cents
for them" FL
Only fifty centsp' reiterated the husband, rs-
ing from his chair; &c the bill of our poor washer
woman is only fifty cents, and though she greatly
needs it to-day, cannot pay it, in consequence Of
purchasing this unnecessary fruit"
Unnecessary'' repeated Mrs. Hall with a
sneer
But wife, added he with a severe determine
ton in his voice, there must be a change in oul
affairs. | cannot live longer us have lived for
year or two past. | am dunncd at the corner o
every street, and am always afraid to look abou
i me, lest should meet the eye of some one whom
y owe. | am utterly crashed with debts, and j
there cannot be a change in affairs are
IL lostw
q 70 The pretty lip of the young wife pouted in 81
= lence.
IL 81 repeat it with the strong emphasis Of
drowning man, there must be change in our af
Il fairs. We must abridge."
~ {" .AbrtdgeP cried Mrs. Hail. reddening t.
the very temples, what can we possibly a
brdge:"
u "My dear continued Mr. Hall, with soothing
" tone, as he heheld the distress of a wife whom 1t
'o most tenderly loved any sacrifice which you ma
q q be obliged to make, will cost me far more sever
~ trial than it can possibly cost you but | sec NJ
other Wayne must abridge our expenditures"
a' long pause succeeded. At length Mr. Hal
II resumed
III L" My brother has less lucrative trade thai
- mine, and yet with family three times as numer
" Gus, he owes no man dollar; besides, he ha
e money in the bank"
y "And he works like a slave with his ow
~ ~ hands," replied Mrs. Hall, and just look hi
~, wife-she is always in the kitchen, like boun
:. girl. Besides, only think of two dreary, half fur
10 nished parlors, and such morse of kitchen
.. with no nursery!'
as And intend to work with my hands, too,
81 answered the husband and my dear, as W
cT have but child, can't you give up your
- maid?"
az Mrs. Hall turned pale. Had it come to this !
Must she be tied up to her own offspring, no long
~ er able to ride, walk, or visit at pleasure?
ny "And," continued he cautiously" we had
ig smaller house, we could do with less help in tn
IL, Ia kitchen, aud besides, we should need less furn
m ure and several expensive and nearly useless al
y cles might be turned to the payment ofny debt
My gold watch and your pIano"--
"a The poor wife sunk back in her chair, and COY
~ erng her face, burst into hysterica flood
y, tears Had she heard the conclusion of the sci
-, tence, she might perhaps have felt more for he
w. against his throbbing heart he declared that deat
7s' not debt, was preferable to asking her to maxi
!. this last sacrifice, and with hollow groans he ira
US ersed the apartment
IT, Mrs. Hall was the spoiled child of indulgence
- still she was naturally kind and ~ ane a
u.s. thing was wanting but the propef elFcnmstanc
III and the right direction given to her feelings.
a. develope her true character, and make her mo
; " patient and selfdenying wife. That afternoon,
III soon as her husband was gone, she ran over Il
we street to see old Mrs. Green-a woman highly c
9ui teemed by all for her good sense, as we'll f
Hu her kind and sympathetic heart-and to her ST
ui- made known her troubles
AZ ttn "Tush tush child" said the old lady with
4