Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1850-10-05

THE NEWSPAPER.

ant look, as the setting sun gllded its small
windows, over which the luxurent grape
vines were carefully trained. In the open
door sat the farmer, with little morocco
covered hook in his hand, on which his at
tention had been fixed for the last hall hour.
He was man of method and order-old
Richard Heath-and aside from his regular
account books, which were kept with scru-
pulouS care, he always set down in this
little book, in the simplest manner posi-
bic, all his expenses, mo very complicated
account, by the way,) and all he received
during the year, Gin the real metal" as he
said, "not by way O. trade" a7s
This last account he had Just reckoned
up, and the result was highly satisfactory,
one might judge from the pleasant express
sion of his face, as he turned to his wife
and addressed her by her pretty old.fashion-
ed name.
"Millicent," said he, "this has been a
lucky year. How little we thought when
we moved on this place, twenty-five years
ago, that we should ever get five hundred a
year out of this rocky, barren farm"
at does pay for a good deal of hard
work." said she, s'to see how different
things look from what they did theu.,'
"Now Pm going tc figure up how much
we've SPENT" said Mr.. Heath; "don't
make noise with your knittin' needles,
cause it puts me out" i-... s
His wife laid down her knitting in per-
feet good humor, and gazed out over the
| oh fall Of Irh
grew so tall around the laden apple trees,
that they looked like massive piles of foli-
age. Hearing her own name thus kindly
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 vile than
all the pulling epithets of dearest love, and
darling, so lavishly uttered in long-past
courtship. ..t .a...
Very pleasant was this retrospect to Mil
icent Heath. The picture of the past had
on it some rough places, and some hard tri-
ais, but no domestic strife or discomfort
marred its sunny aspect. There were
smiling faces on it-happy chidren's ia
ces, without which no lte-picture is beau
tiful. Soft blue eyes shone With tbunclouded
gladness, aud wavy hair floating carelessly
over unwrtten foreheads. She forgot for
moment how they were changed, and al
most fancied herself again the young mo-
thpr, and tiny hands stole lovingly over her
bosom, and young heads nestled az of old
The illusion vanished quickly, and she
sighed as she thought of her Youngest born
the reckless boy who left her three years
before, for home on the sea. Once only
had tdings reached her of the wanderer
The letter spoke of hardship and home-sick.
ness, in that light and careless way that
reached the mothers heart more surely
than repining and complaint To know
that he suffered with strong heart, with
noble, unyielding resolution, gave her q
feeling of pleasure, not unmxed with pride
"He will surely come back" murmurec
the affectionate mother TO herself sand
read the paper so carefully every week
that il it says anything about the ship AL
fred sailed in shall be sure to see it
"Mrs. Heath" said her husband, inter
ruptng her medita,ions somewhat rudely
"we've spent thirty dollars more than usua
this year; where can it have gone tow
/ "The new harness." suggested Mrs
Heath, "That don't come every year, yo,
know" .-,.---.--.-
swell, there's twenty dollars accounted
for" M H a..s s-
"We had the carriage fixed up when yol
bought the harness." continued the wife.
"Well that was eight dollars that
twenty-eight dollars-that we don't spen,
every year; but the other two-where cal
they have gone 2" CHANGING his eye has
tily over the pages of the memorandum
book, he continued "I'll tell you wha
'tiS, the newspaper cost Just two dollar:
and we can do without it. 1t isn't any
thing TO eat, or drink, or wear. don't d
anything with it, and you always lay il u
in the chamber. II may as well be left OF
as not, and I'll stop my subscription, righ
awav."
"Oh," said the wife, "you dontt kno,
how much set by the newspaper a
ways have a sort Of good feeling when
see you take it out of your hat and Law
on the kitchen mantlepiece, Just as | d
when some OF the children come home.-
And when Pm tired, set down with m
knitting work ond read, Il can knit Just {
fast when / am reading,) and feel SO cor
, tented. / don't believe Queen Victor
herself takes more solid comfort than d.
sitting by the east window, of a summer a
ternoon, reading my newspaper"
"But you'd be Just as well off without it,
answered her husband, for the want of an
thing wiser to say. es.
81 never neglect anything else for m
:, reading, do ! ?" asked Mrs. Heath, midi
:, "No, don't know as you do," answers
her husband I; shut it seems to me an exit
like; | shall stop H." he added, IN a TOT
d that showed plainly enough he wished
g stop the conversation too. a.-. ..s.s.
is 81 shall take the paper" remarked b
A wife, 'if have TO go out washing to pr
for it,"
This was not spoken angrily, but
firmly that MIR. Heath noticed it, thous
4 by no means remarkable for discernme
"a in most matters. II sounded so dlffsre
. from her usual quiet ''as you think best