The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1850-05-25

Much Gf their present prosperity was egi-
IDENTITY owing 90 lrr guuh management aud
skill 10 household affairs. They had hogun
~ llio foot of llir lnddur, hul, AFTER union Of
HlHereHU yoNir, bud Ion many q round be-
hiud thcm, They dwell Ia a spHTluusy ole,
CANT hnuur, furnished tune fooni esrrptrdI
with Taste and rplrndoU had a comfortable
sum Ht iulctcrt aud We're doing proHperpvs
! businerr The world had looked un, aud iIs
comment had always hcsn--'Elton lsa luck
! y fellow; but no wonder, lac hna such q capt
| tai wilri aud moro ihnn one uinn had secret
! " enyied his treasure, Everybody told lin
! lao ought 10 ba a very happy man, Tint his
ought 10 be n very happy faulty lie thought
"a lll ala iF4ail IA -lI4aag llEy laGEe hut
yonrs Of stern reality had convinced him that
such was not iho case and often he feared II
never would be-, And whYf reason there
was a strange Quo TOO. Tie wns Mrs Elt0u'r
husband, aud lhe young boys and girls chat
clustered around lbcir tTeAide, her children.
DO you stare Ldt M, stats ~, hnn, r pu-
other form Ito and his children were only
her Oirn family -hfy tcfTf not company.
Mrs Elton with nll her good qualities, aud
they wera many md ino oucr, belonged to
that class, lnlns, that should have To- hdd it
/ TINT large clnss who think nothing too good
| for company, nothing too poor lur Their lum'
! lis, There WIS no need ot warming the par
lor every day and lighting It every evening
lust for her own foll,s the liulo back cham
her would do quite M well, There wnH no
uccd of using lhe dlfiug room at every meal;
spreading the table with dnmnsk clolli aud
chiun aud silver; aud the kitchen with coarse
! brown linen, chenp eTuckery, and plated
spoons, would do Just NJ we'll when lhey
were alone, Aud 30 on, al uhnhum. Her
own family murt no; take the comfort Ol
their wealth, because, forsoutl, something
might wrur uut. Vet she would give phities
| though The company did more injury To her
house aud furniture ~ "a single evening ihnn
| her own family would do Ia whole ycar.-
! 4 plain Table would do for themselves, yet
shu would furnish M entertainment for visit,
ors, tho cost of which would spread their
private board with luNuries for many months
! She loved her husband and children dearly,
+t,,tt there ftu uf frinkitfg frtsH for
/ them; that must bo reserved for company
| She must do her diy to her family not strive
to mako their ha:ne- . happy one llGErhouso
in,-l he rlrusrtrt ,vhru friends were ghlher-
ed there, It was no concern Of hers low doll
Wien u,ry were absent.
They were nsscmblrd as ] have said, one
cold winter evening IA the lttlc back chnm.
bcr Mr. Elton sat ia oue corutr, his chnir
lcnncd hacb his head resting on tho wall, his
arms folded listlessly. His eyes were cast
upward with a steady gaze, riyitcd probably
on some imaginary picture, for TINT ceiling
surely could not arrest thcm. HE counien-"
uuce wore one Of those moody expressions,
so difficult TO Ausyze, so unplcasAnt to be-
hold. lly had dropped Oft his slippers Hnd
thrust for one aud then the other against the
dumb stove, ns though he thought by press
urc to elicit from IL some litle warmth.
WISE proceeding IN truth, for II ilrcro were
any heat ia that stovc't wus tair to conclndc
IA al a. lrRaf gttulA flpga lllnp
noses aud quiyeriug Chins.
The model wife sat in nn opposite cornor,
buSiiy engaged IN kntriUE bnD might iuNe
supposed, 10 seg TIER fingers ply, that a iur-
tune depended upon her tn"iHg oA h"r stock
ings that evening. Around the stove were
gathered the two girls aud the Youngest hoy,
all coming their lessons for the morrow.
goodly portion Of the evening had been spent
10y Them, in vain nuCmPt to make their
lamps give light Without smoking, One
would picl, NJ the wick and e&clnim, nov
eau see liule better and auother would
draw i, down SAYING, \ shall bc suiiocuted
with smoke Finally it would seem they
eHtite to The conclusion llIat what could not
bc cured must bc endured. and chose what
seemed To them the least OF thc Two evils, a
miserable cnfiralure of twilight. Though
once in n while, when -upmonlary pain
flashed through thuir sralnudcyrs, their lips
,.a.l. eutL +a.l- ka.lI-a lilil4t-lsatai do
tcctcd escaping from ihcin, the words cheap
oip
A cold blast swept down the alley aud
shrieked around the ell. An involuntary
shiyer ran over the parents and children and
they looked hastily towards the stove.
'Do, for pity's sake exclaimed the young
est girl 10 her brother, run ,uMn mud PM
some wood in the stove. / don't believe
there !. spark offre I've been half frozen
all the evening, aud shall soon be quhe SO,
perfect icicle, it somebody don't cowure up
n little heat,
4 -ltt,ttltl think, said the elder one, in a
Iono purpusriy affected, as she looked up
from hor philosophy, the mercury would
hardly rise higher lhnu zero here.
-I,s we'll ,,ry tlst, =i, tittti stsst amt n
thermometer, cried tho hoy in his blunt wny.
Here, put on your Cloaks,' and he brought
them from "A closet aud threw them over
their stioutdEFEy ryyTHP yourself UP NJ TttTn
few minutes and reckon I'll stenm up here
some Yes, aposwophizing the s1ove, Ill
warm your dumb tongue SO It'tt tuik tIjtte
Give us the hight
'The clamp, you mean, Ed,' saia-Fanny,
EniilFr dryiy.
'Oh yes, forgot; there is difference, aud
be bolted down stairs, his mother calling to
him, 'one or two sticks will do, Edward; irs
almost bedtimei II his ears heard the words,
and il was hardly possible for it 10 bo other.
wise, his mind did no, seetn to comprehend
thrm, for furiously raking up the emherS aud
trespassing without mercy on tho morrow.s
kindlins he crowded IN piece alter piece titl
no filed the stove with n generous warmth
Il wish exclaimed lac ns he WAS running !
up the stairs; i wish,' repeated he as he
leaned into the room; then as he pui down
tho lamp aud seated himself on one Of tao
stools close to The stove, quito out Of hrc1lhl !