Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1852-08-19
Anecdotes OF Meanness.

must tell you that story of Hugo, for it
is not bad one aud good stories, like po-
taoes, amt so plenty as they used to be
when was boy. Hugo is aneighbor of
mine though considerable older than | be;
and mean neighbor he is. too. Well,
when he was going to get married to
Gretchen KoIp, he went down to parson
Rogers, at Dl'gby, to get license.
"Parson," says he, "what's the price Of
license 7"
"Sx dollars" says he.
six dollars" said Hugo, that's ter
rible sight Of money! Can't you take a
little less p
"No; that's what they cost me at the
Secretary's Office in Halifax"
"WelI how much do you ak for pub
fishing in church, then :"
Nothing"
"Weil, that's go cheap | can't expect to
get no change back. | think I'll be pub
lished. How long does it take2' asked
Hugo.
"Three Sundays Well, that's a long
time, too. But three Sundays only make
fortnight, after all two for the covers and
one for the inside, like; and six dollars is
great deal of money for poor man to
throw away. must wait"
SO off he went a-joggng towards home,
and a-lookiDg as mean as new sheared
sheep, when all at once bright thought
came into his head, and back he went, as
hard as his horse would cary him.
"Parson," said he, "Pve changed my
mind. Here's the six dollars. III lie the knot
tonight with my tongue that | can't undo
with teeth
"Why, what in nature is the meaning of
all this!" says Parson.
"Why," says Hugo, "Pve been cipher
ing it out in M own head, and it's cheaper
than publishing bands after all. You see,
sir, that it's potatoe digging time; and if |
wait to be called in church, her father will
have her work for nothing; and as hands
are scarce and wages high, if | marry her
tonight, she can begin to dig ours to-mor-
row; and that will pay for the license and
lust seven shilings over; for there amt a
man in all Clements that can dig and carry
as many hushes in day as Gretchen can.
And besides, fresh wifes, like fresh servants,
work like smoke at first, but they get saucy
and lazy after a while"
But the meanest man we ever heard of
was loon who cried an hour on the death
of a child, and when neighbor, who
thought his grief legitimate and sincere,
offered consolation, he beloved out
,tJ, ,,F, to lnIk 70
Here's this child died Of fever, and was
at the expense Of having it vaccinated, and
bought it a new chip hat only week ago !
Boo-oo-oo !'-Litcrdry Museum
We know of meaner man than that,
Friend Dodge, one who refused to employ
physician for his child, sick unto death,
for fear of expense,-who complained of
the disturbance of the light, and solitary
watcher on the night of its death, and boo
wooed for weeks and months that he had not
its life insured. Might have made thou
sand dollars just as easy as not"
Then there is a man now living within
fifty miles of this, who is not a mean man,
but lost son of some seven years. While
he shed the tears Of sincere and legiti-
mate grief, he wiped his eyes on his coat
sleeve and sobbed, "I'd rather than twenty
five dollars he had lived | would indeed
this day! wouldn't have lost that boy for
twenty-five dollars down, for always in
tended to raise him if he had lived !''
The raising alluded to was not any ee-
walton of circumstances, but simply bring
ing up to manhood.