Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1850-04-25

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an, m behoId. He had dropped off his slip
ners and thrust one and then another against
ihe dumb stove, as though he thought by
uressure TO elicit some little warmth. A
wise proceeding in truth, for if there were
any heat in that stove, il was fair 10 conclude
il was all latent at least 50 spake those
blue noses and quivering chins. The mod
el wife sat in an opposite corner, buslly en-
gagged in knitiag. One might have sup
posed to see her fingers ply, that a fortune
depended upon her roeing off her stocking
that evening. Around the stove were gath
ared the two girls and the youngest boy, all
coming their lessons for the morrow. A
goody portion of the evening had been spent
BY them, in a vain attempt 10 make their
lamps give light without smoking. One
would pick up tue wick and exclaim, 'now
can see little better !; and another would
draw il down. saying-I shall be suffocated
with the smoke Finally, it would seem
that they came TO the conclusion that what
could not be cured must be endured, and
chose what seemed 10 Them the least of Two
evils, a miserable carricarure Of light
Though once in a while, when a momen-
tary pain flashed through their strained eyes
a keen ear might have detected escaping
from them, the words cheap oil :
A bold blast swept down the allev, and
shreked around the ell. An involuntary
sIhiver ran over the parents and children, and
they looked hastily towards the stove.
DO. for PHYS sake exclaimed the young
est girl to her brother, run down and put
some wood in the stove. don't believe
there is spark of fire, I've been half frozen
all the evening, aud ! shall soon he quite so,
if somebody don't conjure up little heat
Il should think said the eldest one. in
tone purposey affected, as she looked up
from her philosophy, The mercury would
hardly rise higher Than zero here
Its well for you. then, sis, that you amt
thermometer cried the boy in his blunt
way. Here, put on your cloaks,' and he
brought them from closet and threw them
over their shoulders wrap yourselves up in
them few minutes. and reckon I'll steam
up here some. Yes apostrophizing the
stove, I'll warm your dumb tongue so it'll
talk a liItle. Give us the light
'The lamp. you mean. Ed said Fanny,
rather dryly.
oh yes, | forgot there is difference,
and lie boiled down stairs, his mother call
ing TO him, one or Two sticks will do, Ed
ward; us almost bedlime.' II his ears
heard the words, and il was hardly possible
to comprehend them, for furousy raking up
the embers, and Irespassing without mercy.
on the morrow's kindling he crowded in
piece after piece, till lie filled the stove with
a generous warmth.
Il wi>h,' exclaimed he, as he was running
up stairs Il wish, repeated he, as he leaped
nin the room ; then us he put down the
lamp and seated himself on one of the stools
close TO The stove. quire out Of breath, he q
| third Time cried on, Il wish
Wish what, Ed :? said Fanny. DO, pray,
take long breath and speak out
'Well, ihen, wish we could have com.
pany every day
The girls laughed, nevertheless exclaimed
with one voice, 'we'll join you i'll thai ; then
speaking the words slowly, as though She
We're all The while thinking, Mary continued
If we only could have company everv day
sWha;, children = cried Mrs Elton and her
mouth aud throat were full of impressive
sentences as to the folly of such wishes,
when Il sndden glance at her husband
checked their uiterance. and She swallowed
or rather chok-d them down.
'Why 2 children said the father, why
should you like TO have company every day.
Oh, h4cause'-e exclaimed Mary because
because clIimed in Fanny and Edward.
Because what? Don; all speak at once!
Come Mary, as The eldest ! will begin with
you.
oh, I have forty reasons, father
Say a hundrei,' said Fanny.
"A thousand, while you're about H. said
Edward.
Well said Mary, 4 can sum them all up
IN one sentence ] am so much happier,
them
Happier when strangers are around you.
than when your beloved parents and sister
and brother 2 asked her father lille re-
proachtully.
The tears gushe,l to her eyes. You mis-
understand me, indeed You do, father. Ii is
net the company | care SO much about,
though dearly love to see my friends il
is not that so much as the privileges we have
then"
What mean you by privileges z and Mr..
Elton darted Il searching glare AT his wife.
Why great many things. father. For
instance, that of having the parlors opened
and warmed and lighted, and then sitting
down III them and enjoying their comforts.
| believe should feel a great d ,ai better.
IT could spend al my evenings down stairs
and gaze upon those suberb pictures and
ornaments, tastefully arranged curtains and
you 10 20 out half SO often, if we sat down
there all the time, but up here she hest
tated.
Your father and L. said the mother in a
somewhat bitter tone, 'would have been
glad Of so comfortable a room as ;hs, VIXEN
we began the world.
We'll, mother, if we hadn't any better
room than this. if we couldn't afford to have
any other | shoudn't complain. AS il is :
"a long pause if ever have house,
nv family shall have the comfort Of it,
Fearing an outbreak from his partner, Mr.
Elton interrupted Mary by appealing to the
second daughter for her reasons.
Mary gave some, in what she said about
the parlor. We often lay awake nigats and
paint pictures of lhem.'
'Your brush Your brush? Sis cried
Ed, blunt as usual
'Our tongues are our brushes, sir. They
are not pictures for the eve to see, but for
the heart TO revel on word pictures, home
pictures, we call them. If we could only
see them in reality how happy should we be :
What do you suppose. though asked
the lad, in voice indicative OF momentous
thought, what do YOU suppose girls, would
become of this li:tle back chamber If we
should have company and use the par,or p
oh, have 1t now ! and rog,Hsh smile
Iurked IN the corners of his ewes and his
dimp'ed cheeks. III would he capital
place ior old Rover to sleep. It's TOO bad to
put him out of doors such cold nights
flne opinion you must have Of our he'd
,Inamner, TO think Of turning It inio n dog,
Se"nei, retorted Fanny as though highly of.