The Kansas herald of freedom., 1855-04-28
nAnY Matches"

A little red face, bounded by strag-
CLING line of lair, peeped in upon us this
morning. with-a "want any matches to-
day ?' To tell the truth, we were very
busy, and what is more, were not partic-
ularly prepossessed in favor of the face
aforesaid. it being IA her too much sha l.
ed to tally with our ideas of beauty
And so we said what some people hardly
ever say, .No." Il was abrupt, explo-
sive, ana by no means dulcet. The Ii
tie face was Withdrawn, tie door closed,
and we were alone again.
We were little sorry we didn't buy,
if only single bunch, SO we FASTENED
after her, AM just as her feet were twink
ling down the last stair, we arrested her
flight with a Yes Our purchase,
consisting all and singular of .one box Of
matches, lies just beyond the inkstand,
and "to Pay ior its keeping" it furnishes
an item. =
Matches They are very simple
thing to be sure, but twenty-five years
ago, The wit and wis lom of the world
ha not succeeded in making one.
Is your hair gray only the least bit in
the world? Tlen You remember when
they usel to put the Goals to bed o'ni yhts,
and tuck them Comfortably in, with ash
es. And have you forgotten those
gloomy win er mornings, when stealing
shiveringly ous of bed, you made your
way through the dark, doubling the table
and disturbin { the eqaanimi Y of sun y
chairs. en- roate, to the FIRE place. How
the silver frosted nails proclaimed your
progress by salute along the way. How
with frosty tongs gingerly held 'twixt
fingers and thumb, you explore this way
and that among ashes and found solita-
ry coal to tell where the embers Lad been.
How delicately you coaxed the wick Of
the tallow candle in your left hand, and
how softly you graSpel the coal with Tie
tongs in your ri sht, and ''blew for ALI
tie life.' With cheek, distendei, and
eyes sufused, you pulled like bellows.
| 1t glowed little, and a little more, and a
blue fame was just playing round the
blackened wick, when, an one puff too
MANY, and out went coal and candle
there was no help for it. so you CROPPED
for the Old musket upon the immemorial
wooden hooks, over the fireplace. and
then with flint and steel and a precious
piece of punk do You know what
'punk" is ?-made a Ii sht at last.
Time went on. and by and by, the little
green vial made It's appearance, wherein
was thrust the little magic stick, and a
fame. Twas wonder, a very marvel,
the country through, thai little bottle
with It's latent FIRE.
Then cams the little pamphlet WITH
two leaves and the little markers" tip
ped at the end with mysterious some
thing. Have you forgotten how spiteful
you drew one of the magic strips afore-
said from between the sand paper pa ses,
once, twice, thrice, and finally and in
conclusion" had light for your pains ?
These passed away, and then came the
era of your true Lucifer, that gees of
everywhere-in your hat or your pocket,
wet or dry, at home or abroai-tiiss goes
off percussion that goes of of it
self.
And now, mountain pines are riye,i
into match timber. and huge cauldrons
redolent of Avernus and the Siyx are
bubling nj ht and day, and matches like
pins from mere luxury have become a
veritable necessity-Chiago journal.