Fremont weekly freeman. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1850-1853, 1850-09-07
From Dickens Household World.
The Golden FagOt-A Child's story

An old woman went into a wood to gather
tagots. As she was breaking, with much diff
hculty, very tough branch across her knee,
a splinter struck into her hand 1t made q
wound from which the blood flowed, but she
bound her hand up with a ragged handker-
chief, and went home to her hut.
Now the old woman was very cross, because
she had hurt herself; and therefore when
she arrived home aud saw her little grand
daughter, Ellie, singing and spinning. she was
very glad that there vas somebody to pun
ish. So she told little Ellie she was mink,
and beat her with fagot But the old wo-
man had for long time depended for support
upon her grand daughter, and the daily bread
had never yet been wanting from her table.
Then this old woman told little Ellie that
she was to unite the handkerchief and dress
the wound upon her hand.
The cloth feels very stiff said the old wo-
man.
And that was a thing not 10 be wondered
at, for when the bandage was unrolled. one
half of it was found to be made of thick gold
en- tissue. And there was lump of gold in
the old woman's hand, where otherwise a
blood clio. might have been.
At all this Ellie was not much surprised
because she knew little Of gold. and as her
grandmother was very yellow outside, 1t ap-
peared to her not unlikely that she was yellow
all the way through.
But the sun now shone into the little room,
and Ellie started with delight-slook at the
beautiful bright beetles, there among the fag-
otsf She had often watched the golden bee
ties, scampering to and fro near hot stone
upon the rock.
'Ahl this is very odd,' said little Ellie, see-
ing the bright specks did not move. These
poor insects must be all asleep
But the old woman who had fallen down
upon her knees before the wood, bade Ellie go
into the town and sell the caps that she had
finished; not forgetting to bring home another
load of flax
Grannis, when left to herself, made great
many curious grimaces Then she scratched
another wound in her hand, and caused the
blood to drop among the fagots. Then she
hobbled and screamed, endeavoring no doubt
all the while to dance and sing. It was quite
certain that her blood had the power of con-
verting into gold whatever lifeless thing it
dropped upon.
For many months after this time little Ellie
continued to support her grandmother by
daily toll The old woman left off fires, altho'
it was cold winter weather, and the snow lay
thick upon the cottage roof Ellie must jump
to warm herself, and her grandmother drag
ged all the fagots into her own bedroom. FL
lie was forbidden ever again to make Gran
MES bed, or to go into the old woman's room
on any account whatever.
Grannies head was always in bandage
and it never required dressing. Grannie
could not hurt Ellie so much now when she
used the stiek-her strength was considerably
lessened.
One morning this old woman did not come
out to breakfast; and she made no answer
when she was called to dinner; and Ellie when
she listened through crevice, could not hear
her snore.
She always snored when she was asleep SO
Ellie made no doubt but she must be obsti-
nate.
When night came, Ellie was frightened, and
dared not sleep until she had peeped
There was stack of golden fagots; and
her grandmother was on the floor quite white
and dead.
When she alarmed her neighbors they all
came together and held up their hands and
said, what clever old miser the old woman
must have been' But when they looked at
little Ellie. as she sat weeping on the pile of
gold, they all quarrelled among each other
over the question "Who should be her
friend!"
! A good spirit came in the night; and that
was ElIie's friend; for in the morning all her
fagots we're of wood again,
Nobody then quarrelled for. her ove;-but
she found love and was happy; because no
body thought it worth while to deceive her.