Des Moines courier. ([Ottumwa] Iowa) 1848-1854, 1853-01-06
OTTUMWA, IOWA, THURSDAY, JANUARY 6, 1853.

home. His home! Ii scarcely desrrv-
ed the name. There was no FIRE there
to thaw his chilled and trembling franc.
no ligh, to gleam a,hwart the darkness.
and sending forth i's pilgrim rays To NEE,
h,m and guide hls foc,stsps 10 his thresi,-
hold. No wife--no children waiting ca.
gerly his rr,urn. I, was the mi-er's
h"me-dark. desolate. stern and tppul.
sive. It's deep cellars. is thick walls.
held hidden stores of gold. and notes.
and bonds. hn' there were garnered up
M treasures If The heart. ~ .
The miser's path lay through the
churchvart. a desolase place enough
even in the CAV noon of a midsummer
dav.. now d"uIlv repulsive in the wild
mi,lnie'r "f midwinter. The wall was
ruinnns. The black iron ga,ewav frown-
ell naked and nm,nous. The field of
death was crowded with headsiones Of
slate. and innumer ,ble mounds mark ell
the resting place of many generations.
The snow was now gathering fast over
the drearv and drsolste abode, as the mi
ser stumbled along the beaten pathway
hend;ng against the blast and drift. A
q range pumhness AID drowsinrss crep,
over him. lie M longer felt The cold
an uncomfortable desire Of siumber pos
sessed him. lie sat down upon fiat
tombstone. and soon lost all conscious
ness of his actual situation. ..
Suddenly he saw before him the well
known figure Of The old sexton of the
village. hnsilv occupied in digging a
grave The winter had passed swav-
il was now midsummer. The birds
were singing in the trees, and from the
far green meadows sounded the low of
cattle and the tink!ing IF the sheep bells.
Even The grave yard looked 40 longer
desola,e. f,r on many of the little hill
ocks. brigh, flowers were springing into
bloom and VprGure. aties,ing The affection
tha, ouIli.ed death. and decorating with
living blmm the precincts of decay.
my friend. FIR whom are you digging
that gravel" asked Israel.
The s. xton looked up from his work.
but did no, seem TO recognize the sPokes-
man.
.For man tina, died las, night; he is
to he buried to-day" ..as
"Me,hiuks this haste is somewha, in
decorous." said Israel Wurm.
a .fr the matter of that" said the
sexton, ",he sooner this fellows out OF
the way The better. There's nobody To
mourn for him." ...-. ....
"ls he 4 pauper. ,hen!' .. ..s.
10. no! he was immensely rich.
..And he had no relations-no friends!'
For Relationship had nephew who
inherits Ill his property. The Young
dog will make the money fly, | tell YOU.
A. for friends he had none. The poor
dreaded him-,he good despised him
for he was a hard hearted, selfish. grip.
ing man. In a word, he was a MIsER.'
sa;l ~. Sax,nn
"A miser." fal'ered the trembling
dreamer. "What was ais name?"
Israel WuRM," replied the sexton.
GRAVEYARD and sexton faded away
In their place arose splendid grove Of
trees. a cleariug--a village school house.
Two boys were saun'ering along the
roadside. engaged in seri ri,us. childish
talk. the was fair with golden locks.
The other dark haired and grave of as
pect. Israel started, FIR N the latter he
recognized bimself-a boy fifty years
ago.
..Israrl." said the golden. haired boy.
"i's lection day in morrow. Well hire
Brnwning's horse aud chaise and ga to
Boston. and have grand time on the
Common. seeing all the shows"
You forget, A.a,k." said Ire dark
haired boy. sadly, ",ila, have no mon.
ey."
.Wha, oi that" replied the other. |
have a pocket full. and what's mine is
yours, you knew. Come, cheer up.
you'll one day be as rich as | am-and
'hen il will be your turn to treat, you
know. can afford tu be generous. aud
So would you be. if you had the means"
Then the shadow passed from The face
Of the dark haired boy , and a smile light
ed up his counienance. and the two ho, $
passed on they way together.
Grove aud schonl house passed away,
melilng into another scene like one of
the dissolving views. Israel stood be-
fnre huge illuminated screen, in the
.,f n Si.t,t