Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1833-1861, 1855-04-13

tempting fruit-frst having learned
their excellence by the libcrality OF
Mr.. Briggs. who never failed to send q
specimen TO his neighbor.
The fifth season came. II was u
fruitful one. Apple. pear. peach:
plum. and all other trees were loaded
with fruit. Keeping in mind his con-
versation with Mr.. Chapman. Mr..
Briggs had directed his family to
set down every cents worth Of fruit
sold to Mr.. Chapman or his family
This year. as il happened. was n year
Of extreme hard times The boot
business was Of its lowest ebb; little
work and very low wages-and yet
the price Of every kind Of provisions
was mp To the highest notch, and mon
ey extremely tight.
Butt there was ono 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 scare
ity Of money; Mr.. Briggs and his two
eldest sons, all Of them had little
spare change 10 let on short time
with interest TO their needy neigh
bors.
One day Mr.. Chapman, who was
short. applied to Mr.. Briggs for hall
for quarter meaning fifty dollars
for three months.
Yes said Mr.. Briggs. Il have n
half or whole just as you like.
What, a hundred dollars by you,
these times? don't sec how il 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 rs you can be, too; times
are so dreadful hard, and everything
a family has TO buy is so dreadful
high, and wages so low. potatoes a
dollar bushel. beef fifteen cents n
pound, pork l6 cents, eggs 25 cents a
dozen, and -four ten or twelve dollars
a barrel. How can u man liveY
1T woa't be hardly fair for me to
ask you for that twenty five dollars
now. will il?
Twenty FIVE dollarsl What do
You mean? / don't understand you.
Don't you recollect, we have made
a bet between us about the price oil
some fruit trees bought FIVE years
ago next spring?
'Ahl l do remember something
about il. You were to give twenty
FIVE dollars If you didn't get your
twenty FIVE dollars back from me fol
the products Of those trees and things?
1t will come very handy just now
Don't be too fast, neighbor. am
afraid il won't come very handy just
now. That was what l was dunning
you for, that twenty five dollars
What you don't pretend to say We
have had twenty FIVE dollars worth o.
stuff from your garden
More than that from that very
twenty-five dollars worth of trees and
things. Here is an account Of evtry
thing you have bought and paid for; o.
course It don't include what l have
sent you gratis
And you have certainly not beer
stingy. Why. this bill amounts tt
thirty-seyen dollarsl 1t is not posi-
ble.'
1T is Just so; you have had ovel
twenty bushels Of pears, and those
alone amount to twenty-five dollars.
L own up the corn; draw the not'
for seventy FIVE dollars
No. guess well let the twenty-five
90. l only mention IL to show yo'
that there may be good sense in new
things sometimes. Now / will bet thu
twenty-five dollars over again thatm.
store bill has not been, the pas
season. half as large as yours. though
7 have had one more in my family
III had not been taken in so badl,
before. | would stand you; but CUES
il won't be safe
we have raised our own potatoes
corn, peas, beans, and all other veg
tables. Our eggs are always abun
dant and fresh from the nest; and 70
more than two years we have not BEEF
without ripe. fresh fruit
We'll, declare that is something
never thought Of; but Il takes so mucl
time and bother to get these thing
stafted-then Il Is nm everlasting jol
10 take care Of thcm.'
'Itneeds no more time and money
than you throw away on things tina
amount to nothing at all, and will
abundance Of fruit. you save the OK
pense Of n heavy meat bill. which !
not healthy in hot weather. No doc
tor has been called TO step foot with
in my door for four years pastl Fresh
ripe fruits are sure remedies for all oil
ments. and they are not bad to take.
Mr.. Chapman put tho 'iifty' into hi
weasel shin.' and left with a flea il
his ear