Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1847-05-27

How much have you gotF he asked.
I'VE have not done as well as we expected,
was replied. If you had led off, we should no
doubt have done much better"
Who headed the list?
MIR. r.
With how much
'One hundl ed dollavs.'
'Humph Let me see the paper.
It was handed to the merchant He ran his
eye over it, saying half aloud, as he did 30
tOne hundred-one hundred-one hundred
nothing above a hundred. What does il all a.
mount to
Five thousand dollars
The merchant took up his pen and wrote his
name with a flourish. Opposite 10 it he placed
a numeraI and three cyphers, with a dollar mark
before them, thns-$500O. Then, with a bow,
and a glow of satisfaction upon his face, he
handed the paper back to the gentleman who
had waited on him.
'Nobly done, Mr.. Percival," said the spokes-
man. You have saved the credit of the ward.
| have strong hopes now that we shall lead any
TWO of them put together.
Two or three days after this, the newspapers
announced the result of the subscription raised
in the various wards of the city. The particular
instances of liberality were named. col sp.cuous
among which stood the fact that Benedict Per-
cival, Esq, who was ever foremost in acts OF
benevoIence,' had subscribed the handsome sum
of five thousand dollars, had, in fact, Just doub-
led the subscription Of the ward in which he re-
sided
There lived in the city, when this fact occur.
red, a poor widow, in feeble health, who had
three children. Her only means of subsistence
lay in her ability to do plain sewing. Early
and late she sat over her work often in pain
and oppressive weakness, but the result Of hel
labor was ever sufficient for the many wants o
her little family.
1t was in the midst Of long and hard winter
and the widows greater expense for warm cloth
ing for her children, and extra fuel, consumed
all her little earnings, thus leaving nothing 70
the rent. She occupied TWO small rooms in
retired court, for which she paid a weekly rem
of one dollar. She was the under tenant c
a man who rented all the houses on one sid
of the court, and by letting them out again t
poor families, at a weekly or monthly rent, nc
only saved his own rent, but made from two I
three hundred dollars a year besides. OF cours
he was a hard man, and would have nothing les
than his own, no matter how much others wer
injured in his efforts to obtain it,
Since the Fall, the poor widow had been slo,
about paying her rent. Sometimes she had OF
y a quarter Of a dollar to give her %importuat
li,ulIo.I orJ ao,-.;.o- sLo o,,Jl u;,o L..
nothing. He had scolded, and threatened, an
warned her to leave the premises; but still
availed not to bring him his due. Food and #
ell the woman must have for her children; afe
these were obtained, there was little or nothin
left from her earnings. Thus it went on, unit
lord became seriously alarmed, lest, in a last re
sort, which was often made by him at little c
no cost Of feeling, there should not be enoug
in the widows two rooms that the law would "A
low him to seize, for the liquidation of his petit
claim. He at once informed the widow, thai
unless she paid him what was due, immediatelJ
he would sell her out.
But you know l cannot do that said the ur
happy woman.
60 and borrow it from some one
The widow shook her head.
You do sewing for several families. Go t
- them and tell them that you will be turned int
the street if they do not lend you enough none
to pay your rent. 1t will be but a dollar apiec
from seven different individuals. Do it, all
the money will come quick enough
s. i have no hope of returning it; and to boz
row under such circumstances would be dishor
est
1t 1T is Just as dishonest not to pay your rent
n said the petty landlord, harshly.
N The widow answered nothing.
you can do as you please resumed the VI
feeling man. But | can tel! you one thing
| do not get my rent tomorrow, | shall obtain
is in the quickest possible way, and let these room
to some one who will pay a deal better than 20
have ever done. SO you know what to depen
upon
d With this the landlord went away and til
widow was left to her own sad thoughts. Tn
oldest of her children was a boy between eleve
e and twelve years old. The other two were girls
the youngest three years old. The publ
schools afforded the means of education to thes
children and it was the mothers aim to kee
n them together as long as possible, that they Nigh
enjoy the advantages so literally provided &c
lie the poor as well as the rich. Charles, her sol
was advancing very rapidly, and in a few month
N she hoped to see him in the high school, wher
lie she meant to strive hard to keep him for at lea,
in a two years course, before he left home to lear
20 some trade or 60 into a store. This lad wa
is present during the brief interview that passe
between his mother and her landlord. H
s. young blood grew hot in his veins, and he wisl
ed, for his mothers sake, that he was a man.
/. Charles went to school with a heavy heart
He understood, from what had been said, cleal
lie y, the extremity in which his mother was plac
s. ed. And he also knew that the threat of sci,
ing upon his mothers things and selling then
would be executed the next day, unless the rel
was paid, for more than one distraint had take