Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1849-03-16
MISCELLANEOUS.
THE NEWSPAPER,

small windows, over which the luxuriant
grape-vines were carefully trained. In
the open door sat the farmer, with a lit
tie morocco-covered book in his hand,
on which his attention had been fixed for
the last half hour. He was a man of
method and order-old Richard Heath
and aside from his regular account books,
which were kept with scrupulous care;
he always sci down in his little book, in
the simplest manner possible, all his ex-
penses, mo very complicated account, by
the way,) and all he received during the
year, ain the real metal" as he said,
% not by way O. trade"
This last account he had Just reckon
ed up, and the result was highly salts
factory, if one might Judge from the
pleasant expression of his face as he
turned 10 his wife, and addressed her
by her pretty ld-fashioned name.
"Millicent," said he, I" this has been a
lucky year. How little we thought when
we moved on to this place, twenty-five
years ago, that we should ever get five
hundred a year on this rocky, barren
farm"
III does pay for a good deal of hard
work. said she, =" 10 see how different
things look from what they did then"
"Now Pm going to figure up how
much we've SPENT" said Mr.. Heath =
"don't make a noise with your kitten
needles, cause it puts me out"
His wife laid down her knitting in per-
feet good humor, and gazed out over The
broad, rich fields of waving grain which
grew so tall around the laden apple trees
that they looked like massive piles of TO-
liage. Hearing her own name thus kind
y spoken, led her thoughts far back TO
the past for after the lapse of twenty
five years, the simple sound of the name
she bore in youth, means more to a wife
than all the pulling epithets Of dearest,
love, and darling, so lavishly uttered in
a long-past courtship.
Very pleasant was this retrospect to
Millicent Heath. The picture of the
past had On it some rough places, and
some hard trials, but no domestic strife
or discomfort marred its sunny aspect
There were smiling faces on it-happy
children's faces, without which no life
picture is beautiful. Soft blue eyes
shone with unclouded gladness, and
wavy hair floated carelessly over I'M
written foreheads. She forgot for a mo-
ment how they were changed, and al
most fancied herself again the young
mother, and tiny hands stole lovingly
over her bosom, and young heads nestled
there rs Of old. The illusion vanished
quickly, and she thought of her young
est born, the reckless boy who had left
her three years before, for a home on
the sea. Once only had tidings reached
her Of the wanderer. The letter spoke
of hardship and inconsistencies, in that
light and careless way that reaches the
mothers heart, more surely thar repin-
ing and complaint. To know hat he
suffered with a strong heart, with noble,
unyielding resolution, gave her a feel
ing of pleasure, not unmixed with pride.
"He will surely come back" muir
INJURED the atfectionate mother to herself,
" and read the paper so carefully eve
ny week, that if it says anything about
the ship Alfred sailed in, | shall be sure
10 see it"
"Mrs. IIeath,' said her husband, in
%terrupting her meditarions somewhat
rudely, we've spent thirty dollars more
than usual this year; where can it have
gore tot"
1.-The new harness." suggested Mrs.
Heath. "That don't come every year,
you know"
well, there's twenty dollars account-
ed for.'
We had the carriage fixed up when
you bought the harness." continued the
wife.
swell, that was eight dollars /; that's
twenty eight dollars - that we DOM
spend every year-but the other two
where can they have gone CHANGING
his eye hastily over the pages of the
memorandum book, he continued 90 ri
tell you what 'tis-the newspaper cost
just W dollars, and we can do without it.
1t isn't any thing to eat, or drink, or
wear. | don't do any thing with it, and
you always lay it up chamber. 1t may
as well be left out as not, and III stop
my subscription right away"
"Oh," said his wife, "you don't
know much | set by the newspaper. |
always have a sort Of glad feeling when
| see you take it out of your hat and lay
il on the kitchen mantelpiece, Just as /
do when some of the children come
home. And when Pm tired, | sit down
with my kniIing-work and read, q can
knit just as fast when Pm reading) and
ieel so contented. don't believe Queen
victoria herself takes more solid comfor,
mar do, sitting by that east window of
a summer afternoon, reading my news.
paper"
/. But you'd be just as well off without
, it," answered her husband, for want OF
any thing wiser to say.
n - never neglec, anything else for nv
reading, do IL" asked Mrs. Heath,
mildly.