Daily American telegraph. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1851-1852, 1852-01-07
AMERICAN TELEGRAPH.
zEKE AND HANNAH's EDUCATION FUND.
BY MARTHA RUSSELL.
Nerer despise ue d1y Of small things"


to stand still, and this must have been the case
with little Hannah; for first she poised herself
on one foot, and then on the other, as she
washed up the dinner dishes at the kitchen
table, and then she fairly danced back and
forth to the cupboard, in way that might
have been considered dangerous, seeing that
those broken-edged plates which she bore in
her hands were all the crockery they had of
that description, while her brother Zeke almost
turned a somerset, as he sprang up from the
quill-wheel, and handed his mother basket
Of spools which he had been filing and then,
in reply to her I Pray be careful, Zeke ~ turn
ed upSto her his sun-burnt, chubby face, with
such an expression of happiness laughing out
of every feature, to say nothing Of the great
brown frecklcs that fecked it, that the good
mother was fain to laugh also, and right mer-
rily, too, though, Heaven knows, she had often
felt as if she should never laugh again. Truly
it was day of jubilee to them. Catholic Car
nvals and Puritan Thanksgivings were moth
ing to it, And why? What had occurred to
shed such CLEAN of happiness over that
poverty stricken home? Had they found a
treasure? f.9'..ga
When that great piece Of plastering de-
tached itself from the blackened and crumbling
wall overhead, and came tumblng with such
a crash to the floor, did they as related of the
unthrifty heir Of Lime, in the old ballad find
"a billie"
IF. And in it a key of gold SO rodde,"
which told them where lay hidden
9 Two Ghosts of beaten golde
And another as full of white monnaie :"
Not this.
Had some relation, better off in the world
/ tIox, laftt
All, the only legacy that they could expect
some friend sent them wedge of gold from
California? Not that They were too poor to
number friends of that sort No one would
have thought of remembering them in that
way, but old Granne Hall, the sections widow
worlds goods to keep soul and body together.
Did their joy arise from the hope that, for a
would be free from his besetting sin?
Alas this was far more improbable than
either of the above suggestions!
Was it because they knew that Deacon
Malvern's piece of table-linen was almost out
of the loom, and then the piece was to go in
which was to make their own summer clothes? !?
Or had knife, a kite, don or a lot of can.
dies or gingerbread, been added to their slender
store of treasures? Neither of these, though
the children were by no means indifferent to
new clothes or new toys: and as to eatables, in
the shape of candies and cakes, they might
have been lineal descendants of Hawthorne's
little Ned Higgins, judging from the gusto with
which they devoured things of that kind that
fell in their way.
"Well, what was it, then Z" do you ask
Nothing of less importance than this, dear
friends-Speckle had Matched eight chickens
Eight little, soft, round, f1ossy things, looking
like cocoons of cream-colored and brown silk,
Law nestled in the bottom of an old basket in
the ruinous old shed which joined the kitchen !;
and that was, surely cause enough for JOY
Still, as truthful historians, we feel compelled
to say that, at first, there had been a shade of
mingled with JOY when Zeke
drew from the nest two smooth, shining eggs
which his mother, after q close examination,
had ordered him to throw away as good for
nothing, for they had confidently counted on
ten chickens. A few moments reflection, how
ever, served to convince them that, considering
this was Speckle's first brood, they could not
expect any more from her.
Now, | dare say that some of my young
friends, especially those living in the country,
who can count their double and single crests,
and plain, topknots and ban
tams by the dozen, may be inclined to differ
with me as to this being sufficient cause for the
Joy in John Miners home but they must bear
in mind that Speckle was the first hen that
the children had ever owned-almost the only
thing that they had ever been permitted to
call exclusively their own-and never had a
brood of chickens been hailed with more de-
light. or given rise to more speculation, not
even that one of the country milk maid. Be-
sides, their pet had been a gift-and thereby
hangs tale"
1t 50 happened, one day, that Zeke had
ventured into Miss Sally Prices back yard, in
search of little Dick Harris's ball which, bolder
than its little owner, had made no scruple at
over the fence into the forbidden pre-
cincts.
While poking about amid clumps of broad
leaved burdocks and horse-radish that grew
plentifully under shelter of the fences and IN
the corners he came across a hens nest, con-
tanning q dozen or more eggs. As there was
no indication that any one had been there be-
fore. Zeke thought best to go and inform Miss
Sally of his discovery. This lady lived alone
on q small farm, and was equally noted for her
sharp temper her dislike of children, and her
habits In this instance, she
rated the boy so soundly, partly for venturing
upon her premises, and partly because her old
yellow hen had had the presumption to steal a
nest, and lay without her knowledge, that he
actually began to look wild, and wonder
whether he was guilty or not when a new
thought seemed to strike her, and suddenly
pausing, and pushing her glasses high on her
forehead, she asked, tartly-
"And what do you expect to get! :"
"Maam ~ stammercd the boy, inquiringly.
~ say, what do you expect to get for telling
me about the nest OF course if you hadn't ex-
pected to get something out of me- you would
have stole the eggs and swallowed them by
this timeo