Mineral Point tribune. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1854-1858, 1855-09-18
miscellaneous.
HARD TIMES.
OR, THE PHILOSOPHERS STONE.
BY OLIVER OPTIC.
CHAPTER I.

. ehAPTEH T..
W hat makes you look SO dull thi
morning, Ellen 2 inquired Mr Chester
a young merchant In small gay. to hi
wife
They had been married about a year
and thus far, not an ill-natlred word ha.
been spoken By them. At this marriage
Chester had taken a small. but neat ant
convenient house in the upper part of tn.
city. He had been able to furnish it onl,
IN plain manner but since his marriag,
his business had added many articles o
luxury to his small establishment.
The times had begun to tighten up
however, and business was dull The
notes were Que, and he bad to bestir him
self to make his payments. Fortunately
tor him, however as the stringency in the
money market began to weigh most heav.
| lily, his fathers administrator placed him
IN possession of two thousand dollars
which had been reserved to await the con
tlngency of lawsuit, and which had now
been satisfactorily adjusted
With this sum be had been able to paw
off his more pressing demands, and to lay
by surplus of FIVE hundred dollars to
meet note which would fall due some
two months hence.
The receipt of this sum had also indu-
ced him to increase the luxuries of his
house. The parlor had been newly furn
ished, and the old parlor furniture placed
in the sitting-room They had every thing
that was necessary for comfort, and a
credible appearance in the world.
You look very dull, continued the hus-
band, as he rose from the breakfast ta-
BILE
Ellen looked at him with languid
smile but made no reply.
What ails you2
9 was thinking how lonesome I should
be here. all day replied she.
Lonesome Why don't you 60 out,
then, and take the air? Walk down
Washington street. around the common
1T will revive your spirits
How absurd you talk Walk around
the Common in the month of December
Why | should freeze to death
n OF so bad as that replied the young
husband, chucking his wife under the
chin Go to the Antheneum, and see
the pictures
1 couldn't do that every day, and you
don't know how lonesome [ am =
Can't you read 2
Il don't want to read all the time
Read part of the time. then
But, Fred, 1 have been thinking of
something and smile played upon the
pretty lips of you :. wife.
What, Ellen 2
miss something III our house
Do you2'
0. very much. indeed
Well Ellen, what Is il p
A piano 1t would be so nice to prac
tice, those long dreary days; | should be
as happy as princess, if [ only had a
piano
Mrs Chester's father was in affiuent
circumstances, and before she was mar
ried, she had been accustomed to many
luxuries which her husbands limited
means would not permit him to provide
But, Ellen, can't afford piano
The times have not been so hard before
for ten years.
You have five hundred dollars in the
bank
But I have reserved that to pay all
notes
Don't you expect to make enough to
pay them''
1t is very doubtful; nay business hard
ly pays expenses
You will be able to pay that, [ know,
continued the eloquent petitioner.
Well, well, my dear, you shall have the
piano
You are dear husband You will
get me one of Chickering's"
Any kind you please, my dear.
II
came home, and Mrs Chester vas as hap
py as piano could possibly make her,
albeit. she had little idea of the signif-
cance of three per cent per month, and
protested notes.