The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1850-10-12

| tHouSEt os thiS garment Came very n1tu-
rally into my mind, and with the thought
a pleasant cxhilaration Of Il el.ng, for !
already .aw the vases on my NANTES
"Any old clothrs?" repeated the ven.
der OF china ware
Without word left the dining room
and hurried up to where our large closr
press stood, IN the passage above From
this l soon distracted the coat, and then
descended with quick steps. I.
Ihr dull face OF the old man brighten
ell the moment his eyes tell upon the
garment. H. siezed It with a nervous
movement, and seemed 10 take in its con-
d''Ion at single glance. Apparently,
the examination was not very satisfactory
tor he let the coat tall, in a careless man
ner, across char, giving his shoulders a
shrus while slight expression OF con-
tempt fitted over h,s countenance.
mot much good"' tell from his lips at
ter a pause
BY this time had turned to his basket
and VA, examining more carefully ITS
contents. Most prominent stood the CHI
ma vases, upon which my heart was al
ready set; aud instinctively l took them
Snto my hands.
"Whas will you give Tor the coat,'
! said |.
The old man gave his head a significant
shake as he replied
"No very good'
cts worth something I returned. -
"Many poor person wond be glad to
buy it Tor small sum Of money. It's
ONLY little defacet I'm sure its.richly
worth four or five dollars"
"Pho' Pho! Five dollars! Pho" The
old man seemed angry at ny most un-
reasonable assumption.
"Well, WE'LL" raid I, beginning to teel
little impatient, jus. tell me what you
will give tor IT."
"What you wan,," he enquired, his
manner visibly changing:
81 want these vases at any rate,' an.
sw"rrd, holding up the articles had ,nen-
toned.
Worth four, five dollar!' CALCULATED the
dealer in we'll telgned surprise.
shook my head. He shrugged his
shoulders, and commenced searching his
basket, from which, after while, he
took china cup and saucer, on which
read, in guilt letters, "For my husband -
'G,,c you this" said he.
II was now my time to show surprise;
| sn.wetcd-
"lndeed YOU wont, then. pll tell you
what will do; III let you have the
coat Tor the vases and this cup and sau-
GER"
To thi. proposition the man gave an in.
slant and d. cided negative, AMI seemed
half offended by my offtr. He threw
the coat, which was in his hands, again
upon char, and STOPPING down took
his basket on his arm. | was deceived
by his manner, and began to think that
had proposed rather hard bargain; so
said
"Yon can have the coat for the vases,
hyou care to make the exchange; il not,
why no harm is DONE"
For The spac. Of nearly half a minute,
the old man s'ood in apparent irresolu.
tioni then he replied as he sat down his
basket and took on, the par OF vases
Il don't care; you shall have them"
took the vases and he took the coat.
"A moment or two more, and heard
the street door close behind the dealer in
china ware, with very decided Jar.
"Ain't they beautiful, aunty" said to
my old aunt Rachel, who had been ST.
lent witness Of the scene have Jus, de.
scr'bed; and l held the pair of vases be-
fore her eyes.
"Why yes, they are rather pretty,
Jane," replied aunt Rachel, little cold
y as I thought.
! "Rath-r pretty! They are beautiful"
sand warmly. "See there!" And I
placed them on the din,ng-room mantle
'How much they will improve our par
Tors"
"Not half 50 much as that old coat Won
as good as gave away would have iInpro
we'd the feelings as we'll a. looks Of poor
Mr. Bryan, who lives across the street"
was the unexpected and rebuking answer
OF aunt Rachel.
Inc WoidS s'note on my feelings Mr..
Bryan was poor, bu. honest and indus
tri"u. man, upon whose daily labor
wife and five children were dependent
He went mranly clad, because he could
not earn enough, in addition to what his
family required, to buy comfortable cloth.
ing for himself. l saw in an instant,
what the true disposition Of the coat
should have been The china vases would
little improve the appearance OF the
parlors; but how many pleasant feelings
and hours and days Of comfort would the
old coat have gwen to Mr. Bryan. Il
said no mor".-Aunt Rachel went OH
with her knitting and l took the vases
down INTO the parlors and placed them
on the mantles one IN each room. But