Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1848-11-23

IF he's done that. he's done very well I"
said Mr.. Green; and | can forgive him
for not spending his money in Christmas
presents, that are never of much use, say
the best you will of them I'd rather Ed
ward would have comfortable house to put
his wife in than see him loading her down,
before marriage, with presents of one fool
ish thing or another"
"True. But it wouldn't have hurt him
to have given the girl something, if it had
only been a book, purse, or some such tr-
he"
=" For which trihes he would have been
as strongly charged with meanness as he is
now. Better let it 90 as it is. No doubt
he has good reasons for his conduct"
Thus Mr.. Green aHdLizzy defended Ed
ward, while the mother and Jane scolded IA
bout his meanness to their hearts content.
, Edward May6ed, the lover of Lizzy
Green, was young man of good principles,
prudent habits and really generous feelings
but his generosity did not conslstln wasting
his earnings in order that lie might be
thought liberal and open-hearted, but in do
ing real acts of kindness where he saw that
kindness was needed He had saved from
his salary, in the course offour or five years,
enough to buy himself very snug house,
and had few hundred dollars in the Saw
ngs' Bank with which to furnish it when
the time came for him to get married. This
time was not very far off when the Christ
mas, to which allusion has been made, came
round. At this holiday season, Edward had
intended to make both Lizzy and her sister
handsome present, and he had been think
ing for some weeks as to what it should be.
Many articles, both useful and merely orna-
mental were thought of, but none of them
exactly pleased his fancy.
A day or two before Christmas, he sat
thinking about the matter when something
or other gave new turn to his reflections.
"Thcy don't really need anything" he
said to himself, and yet propose to N.Y.
selfto spend twenty dollars in presents mere
ly for appearances sake. Is this right?''
Right if you choose to do it," he repli-
cd to himself
=" am not so sure of that" he added, af-
ter pause. And then he st in quite a
musing mood for some minutes.
"That's BETTER" he at length said, rising
up and walking about the floor. "That
would be money and good feelings spent to
better purpose"
"But they'll expect something" he ar
gued with himself; "the family will think
so strange of it. Perhaps I'd better spend
half the amount in elegant books for Llzzy
and Jane, and let the other 20 in the way
propose"
This suggestion, however, did not satisfy
him. Z" Better let il all go in the other di'
rection," he said, after thinking awhile lon
ger 6" it will do real good. The time
will come when | can explain the whole
matter if necessary, and do away with any
little false impression that may have been
formed"
To the conclusion at which Edward ar
rived, he remained firm. No present of a
ny kind was made to his betrothed or hei
sister, and the reader has seen i'll what llgh
the omission was viewed.
Christmas eve proved to be one of unu
sual inclemency. The snow had been ial
ling all day, driven into every nook and cor
ner, cleft and Granny, by a piercing north
easter; and now, although the wind hat
ceased to roar among the chimneys and tC
whirl the snow with binding violence into
the face of any one who ventured abrood
the broad flakes were falling slowly bu
more heavily than since morning, thougi
tho Ground was covered already TO the deptl
of n7,nv inches II was n n;ght to max,
the poor feel sober as they gathered more
| cIosnly ,rou,d tbe;r small 6res and thouoh
~ ,ho ,o,y st;cks or wood mr. necLs of Goa
that vet remained If their limited store.
on his drcarv night small how
who had heen Al work IN !, n,;nt,no oA;c,
al d,y stood mar the desk nf his emnlnv
Or ,ya;,;n,, 70 receive b;s wook,s wares an,
o,' homa - HE mother ,oor ,y;doy Who's
ssIanJor income scarco,y snt,;cad 70 awe G,o
~ her li,,,e houseLoIJ
.Von necdn,, come ,o.morrow Jobu
said the ,r;n,er ,s no handed ,he lad m
,,y. drIl,rs ,ba, wore dino him FIR tho week
n,rk ,omnrrow IL Chr;s,mas,
MA hou 100 ,he n,nnov and ,,,er l;,oe,
inn - moment tnrneJ awav and walked II
we,ds tho dior He ey,den,Iv ,xnec,e
.nmo,b;na and secmed l;s,nnn;u,ed Th
nr;n t nee,;cod ,h;s md a, nncc c,mnr,
handod ;,s n,oaning NV
"U, M.ta - ~ na;I s;,u,,
w. hou s,onnod anj ,,rn.d around
LIZ IVY te'prua NV 49, ,a LIE ALL
n i' u'u 9o' a"p n'1 h' t"m " h nu u0 III