The weekly Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1852-1855, 1855-01-11

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ing, that he purchased another at the peri
odical depot, and then he became regu-
lar subscriber. His sons became interest
ed In the same direction, and the interest
OF the father andsons increased 10 the pitch
indicated in the foregoing conversation.
In time, every inch ofthe acre of ground
was brought under the spade, and almost
every best variety of fruit had place
there, and the father and sons found pleas
ure and profit in the garden after being
cooped up in the shop till the 'stent' was
done and the exercise was far more prof
table than the spssmodic violent exercise
taken in games.
Mr.. Chapman, the other neighbor. was
man ofthe common stamp He looked
upon every thing new or uncommon as
folly and nonsense and was ready to
sneer at every one who stepped aside from
the common track. 1t looked simply silly
to him to see man stay at home from
muster or training or Shows and
spend his time in cultivatinga garden; or
instead of lettering away the evening at
the store, smoking, and hearing or telling a
deal of nothing or worse to spend the eve
ming at home, reading such nonsense as
the Farmer and HorticaituriSt affords.
Years pass, and Mr.. Briggs 'one acre
farm shows that he and his boys have not
read 'the papers in vain. They have
learned how to set out tree, and how to
take care of it after it was set out
Every thing showed it received the right
kind of food and care, and straightway be-
gan to bring forth fruit meets for good cul-
tivation. In short time the wants of the
family were more than supplied, and the
surplus found ready market with the
neighbors at good prices.
Those early apples, so rich and tempt
ing, when all other apples, were so green
and hard! and then such pears; they went
as fast as the sun and house could ripen
them, at three, four and FIVE cents piece.
Then such rich, ripe grapes-too tempting
for the coldest to pass without watering
mouth. Mr.. Chapman's family were al
most the best customers for the tempting
fruit-first having learned their excellence
by the liberality of Mr.. Briggs, who new
er failed to send a'speeimen Of his best to his
neighbor.
The fifth season came. 1t was a fruit
full year. Apple, pear, peach, plum, and
all other trees were loaded with fruit
Keeping in mind his conversation with Mr..
Chapman, Mr. Briggs had directed his
family to set down every cents worth of
fruit sold to Mr. Chapman and his family.
This year, as it happened, was year Of
extreme hard times The boot business
was at its worst cbb; little work and very
low wages-aud yet the price of every
kind of provisions were up to the highest
notch, and money extremely tight.
But there was one family that did not
seem TO be in the least affected by the
hard times, low prices of labor, high prices
OF provisions, or the scarcity of money
Mr. Briggs and his two Oldest sons, all of
them had little spare change to let on
short time with interest to their needy
neighbors.
One day Mr.. Chapman; who was short,
applied to Mr.. Briggs for half for
quarter meaning fifty dollars for three
months.
YES said Mr.. Briggs, Il have a half
or whole. Just as you like
what, hundred dollars by you these
times? l don't see how it comes. You
and your boys don't work any harder than
| and my boys do, and we can hardly get.
along; we are as saving and pinching as
can be, too; times are so dreadful hard,
and every thing a family has to buy is SO
dreadfnl'high, and wages SO low; potatoes;
dollar bushel, beef fifteen cents pound
pork sixteen cents, eggs, twenty five cents
a dozen, and flour, ten or twelve dollars a
barrel. How can man live?
Itwon't be hardly fair for me to ask
you for that twenty-five dollars now, will
it?'
Twenty-Five dollars? What do you
mean? don't understand you?'
Don't you recollect we had bet be-
tween us about the price of some fruit
trees l bought five years ago next spring.
'Ah! | do remember something aboutit.
You were TO give me twenty-five dollars
if you didn't get your twenty-five dollars
backfrom me for the products of these trees
and things! twill come very handy just
now.'
Don't be too fast, neighbor? I am a.
fraid it wont come very handy just now.
That was what was dunning you for, that
twenty-five dollars!'
What, you don't pretend to say we haye
had twenty-five dollars worth Of stuff from
your garden
More than than from that very
twenty five dollars worth of trees and 9TH
or things! Here is an account of every
thing you have bought and paid for; Of
course it don't include what l have sent
you gratis
'And you have certainly not been stin-
gy. Why the bill amounts to thirty-seyen
dollars! is it possible!'
1T is justso. youhaye had over twenty
bushels of apples, and three bushels of
pears, and these alone come to twenty-five
dollars
4 own up tho corn draw the note for
seventy-fve.'
No, l guess we will let the twenty-five
go, 1 only mention it to show you that
there may be good sense in new things
sometimes. Now will bet the twenty
FIVE dollars over again, that my store bill
has not been half as large the past season
as yours, though have had one more in
my family
IF I had not been so.badly taken in be-