Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1849-01-05

lelt that any present would have been 9
useless formality.'
You cant say the same in regard &c
Jane. He might have passed her the
usual compliments Of the season.
Certainly he might said Jane. Liz
zy needn't try TO excuse him after thi;
lame fashion. OF course there is nc
cause for the omission but
that's my opinion, and | speak it oul
boldly
1T isn't right to say that, sister, re-
marked Lizzy !; Edward has other rca-
sons for omitiug the prevalent custom al
this season-and good reasons, | am well
assured. As TO the charge Of meInness,
| don't think the fact you alledge, a suffi-
cient ground for making it,
Well, | do Them said Margeret.-
: Why if | were a young man and enga-
ged in marriage to a lady, I'd sell my
shoes. but what I'd give her something
as u Christmas present.
'Yes-or borrow or beg the money!
chimed in Jane.
Every one must do as he or she
thinks BEST replied Lizzy. AS for me
| am content to receive no holiday gift,
being well satisfied that on the
part of Edward has nothing to do with it,
But, Notwithstanding Lizzy said this,
she could not help feeling a little disap-
pointed, more, perhaps, on account of the
appearance Of the thing, than from any
suspicion hat meanness on the part of
Edward had anything 10 do with the omis'
sion.
& wish Edward had made Lizzy some
kind of a present. said Mrs. Green to her
husband a day or i've after the holiday
had passed /; if it had been only for the
looks Of the thing. Jane has been teas
ing her about it ever since. and calls it
nothing but meanness in Edward. And
| am afraid he is a little close
Better that he should be so than too
Free replied Mr.. Green, though ! must
confess that a dollar or two, or even ten
dollars spent at Christmas in a present
for his intended bride, could hardly have
been set down 10 the score of prodigality.
1t does look mean, certainly
'He is doing very WELL
'He gets a salary of eight hundred dol
lars, and | suppose it doesn't cost him
over four or five hundred dollars to live
at least it ought not 10 do So
He has bought himself a snug little
house, | am told
IF he has done that, he's done very
WE'LL said Mr.. Green and can for
give 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 Edward would have q comfort
able house 10 put his wife in thar see
him loading her down before marriage,
with presents of one foolish thing or an
other
True. But it wouldn't have hurt him
TO have given the girl something, if it had
only been a book, a purse, or some such
trihe.'
For which trihe he would have been
us strongly charged with as he
is now. Better let it go as it is. No doubt
he has a good reason for his conduct
Thus Mr.. Green and Lizzy defended
Edward, while their mother and Jane
scolded about his meanness TO their
hearts content.
Edward Mayfeld, the lover of Lizzy
Green, was a young man Of good p%rinci-
plies, prudent habits, and really generous
feelings, but this generosity did not con
sist in wasting his earnings in order that
he might be thought liberal and open
hearted, but in doing real acts of kind
ness where he saw that kindness was
needed. lie had saved from his salary,
in the course of four or five years, enough
ID buy himself a very snug house, and
had a few hundred dollars in the Savings
Bank with which 10 furnish it when the
time came for him to get married. This
time was not very far off when the Christ
mas, 40 which a~llusion has been made,
came round. At this holiday season, Ed
ward had intended to make both Lizzy
and her sister a holiday present, and he
had been thinking for some weeks as to
what it should be. Many articles, both
useful and merely ornamental, were
thought of, but none of them exactly
pleased his fancy.
A day or two before Christmas, he sat
thinking about the matter, when some
thing or olher gave a new turn TO his re-
Elections.
They don't really need anything he
said to himself, and yet propose to
myselfto spend twenty dollarsinpresents,
merely for appearance sake. Is this
rightl'
Right if you choose TO do it, he re-
piled 10 himself.
Il am not sure of that he added after
a pause. And then he sal in 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 a 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