Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1855-08-25


every best" variety of fruit had o place
there, and the father aud sons found pleasure
and profit in the garden. after being coOped
up in the shop till the "stent" was done, and
the exercise was far more profitable than
the spasmodc, violent exercise, taken in
games.
Mr.. Chapman. the other neighbor. was n
man of the common stamp" He looked
upon every thing new or uncommon, as
folly" and nonsense, aud was ready to snecr
at every one who stepped aside from the
common track. 1t looked simply silly to see
a man stay at home from muster" or train
ing" or "shows," and spend his time in cuIti-
waiting garden: or instead OF iOitering away
the evening at the store, smoking, and hear
ing or telling deal of nothing, or worse. TO
spend the evening ut home, reading such
"nonsensc" as the Farmer and H0uiculturia
affords
Years pass. and Mr.. Briggs "onc acre
farm" shows that he and his boys have not
read the paper in vain. They have learned
how to set out n tree, and how to take care
of it after it was set out Everything showed
it received the right kind Of food and care,
and straightway began to bring forth fruits
meet for good cultivation. In short time
the wants of the family were more than snp-
piled. and the surplus found ready market
with the neighbors at good prices.
Those early apples. so rich and tempting,
when all other apples were so green and
hard and then snch pears; they went as
fast rs the sun and house could rircn them,
at three, four, and five cents apiece. Then
such rich ripe grapes-too tempting for the
coolest to pass without watering mouth
Mr.. Chapmau's family were almost the best
customers for the tempting fruit--frst having
learned their excellence by the lbcrality OF
Mr.. Briggs, who never failed to send speci-
men of his best TO his neghbor
The fifth season came. 1t was fruitful
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 Mt its worst
ebb 4; little work and very low wagcs--and
yet the price Of every kind of provisions
was up to the highest notch, and money eX-
tremely tight.
But there was one family that did not
seem to be the least affected by the hard
times low prices Of labor, high prices Of pro-
visions. or the scarcity Of money. Mr. Briggs
and his two eldest sons all of them had Il
little spare change to LED on short time,
with interest" to their needy neighbors.
One day Mr. Chapman. who was short,
applied to Mr.. Briggs for half for a
quarter" meaning fifty dollars for three
months.
Yes" said Mr.. Briggs, al have half
or whole Just rs you like.
what, hundred dollars by you at these
times don't see how it comes. You AID
your boys don't work any harder than | aud
my boys do, and we can hardly get along !;
we are saving and pnching as can be. too
times are 50 dreadful hard, ard everything
family has to buy is so dreadful high and
wages so low potatoes dollar bushel,
beef fifteen cents pound, pork sixteen
cents pound eggs twenty-five cents II
dozen. and flour tea or twelve dollars bar
rel. How can man live?
1T won't ue hardly fair for me TO ask you
for that twenty-five dollars now, will it 2
"rwenty-lve dollars What do you mean
don't understand you?"
Don't you recOllect we had n bet be-
tween us about the price of some fruit trees
hought five years ago next spring 2"
"Ah. do remember something about il.
Yon were to give me twenty-five dollars
back if you didn't get your twenty-five dol
lars bark from me for the products of these
trees and things! 1t will come very hard
just now"
Don't be too fast, ncghbor? am afraid
it won't come very hard 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 OF stuh from
your garden 2"
More than that from that very twenty
five dollars worth Of trees and other things ,
Here is an account of everything you have
bought and paid for of course it don't in
clude what have sent you gratis"
"And You have certainly not been stin-
gv.-Why the bill amounts to thirty-seven
dollars! is it possible 2"
1T is Just so You have had over twenty
bushels of apples. and three bushels of pears,
and these alone come to twenty-five dollars"
Il own up the corn draw the note for
seventy-fve."
mo, guess we will let thetwenty-fve go,
| 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 rs yours, though i
have had one more in my family"
III bad not been so badly taken in be-
fore, ! would stand you but guess it won't
be safe"
I'VE have raised our own potatoes. corn,
peas. beans. and all other garden vegetables.
Onr eggs are always fresh and in abundance
from the nest and for more than two years
we have not been without ripe, fresh frnit."
"Well, | declare that is something |
never thought Of; but it takes so much time
and bother to get these things started
then it is an everlasting job to take care Of
| them"~
1T needs no more time and money than
you throw away on things that amount to
nothing IN ALL and an abundance of fruit will
save the expense of IA heavy meat bill, which
is not healthy in hot weather. No doctor
has been called to set foot in my door for
over four years past. Fresh. ripe fruits are
sure remedies for all ailments, aud they are
not hard to take"
Mr.. Chapman put the fifty" in his wea-
sel-skin." and left with flea in his ear
Ne,o England Farmer.
SINGULAR CoIScIpENcE.-The name Of God
is spelled with four letters in almost every