Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1833-1861, 1856-02-29

From the National Magazine.
"All's Well that Ends Well"


by ALICE CAREY.
With a thin strip OF woods on one
side dividing it from a dusty lane, and
with almost interminable fields and or
chards on the other, stood, as many
years ago as ! can remember. the big
substantial brick house Of John Fish,
er. 1t was situated mile or more
fiom the main road, and the main
road was neither turnpike nor railroad,
but simply clay road that wound its
crooked way fromone town to another,
and where strangers were seen to
pass. Sometimes a small sPeculator,
whistling between two stout horses
and some fifty wooden clocks. travel
ed the road, and left clock at each
house, warranted to keep time six
months. during which time it was TO
serve gratis. Great was the delight
among the children on such occasions,
and it seems that they would never
have done listening to the striking.
and gazing at the brightly painted
pictures Of Louis Philippe or Joseph
inc. as the case might be. / am not
sure that these pedlars were not pub
lie benefactors, as the passing OF one
Of them thro' such obscure neighbor-
hoods was something like the drifting
of green branch in the path OF Col
umbus. speaking Of a world they know
about.
From the day the clock began
to shine and count out the hours
from the mantle piece. or the top OF
the bureau, the Mechanical genius oI
the boys received an impetus, and wa
ter-wheels began to work along the
brooks. and weather cocks to veer to
the winds on the gables of smokehouse
and barn. The young women accom-
plished more in given time, and
tasks Of spinning and knitting and sew
ing were measured off by the hour;
and not unfrequently they made the
dress and hair Of Josephine models for
their own fashions. The farmer and
his wife would even sleep by the clock,
which was in fact the promoter Of gen.
eral order and precision in all things.
The very style Of harness worn by the
clock pedlar's horses was oftentimes
happily suggestive, and his snug little
wagon gave birth to thonght to other
little wagons. that took form and col
or IN the course Of time. o, they
have been too much abused thosa
Yankee clock peddlars!
Once in long time some one ol
these men instinctively found out the
house Of John Fisher, and with fine
specimen Of his wares beneath his arm,
knocked at the door; but Mrs. Fisher
would never suffer clock to be placed
between the two iron candlesticks that
ornamented her mantlepiece-not she
She would not suffer her eyes tc
dwell on the green dress and the
the graceful pIumes Of the painted la
dy which lent the chief glory to the
clock-it was not worth while--John
had good silver watch. and that was
enough. Sometimes Sally Fisher wo'd
stop her wheel when she heard the
sound of the pedlar's wagon coming
up to the dusty gate, for strange
wheels made strange. welcome noises
TO her ears. so seldom was il visitor
came. She would stop, and, with
heart beating thick. listen to what hel
mother said. hoping the pedlar's clio.
quence might not all be lost, and thai
their own dig room might be ornamen-
ted with clock rs well as the best
rooms Of the other well.to-do people
Of the neighborhood. She never da-.
ed to speak from the window where
she listened, and ask what use "a
them was fathers silver watch when
he had IL always in his pocket--Sally
was obedient and reverential. and ne.
'ver questioned the procedure Of hei
parents--never at least out other own
heart.
There we're two or three parlors in
the neighborhood the windows ant
tables of which were ornamented with
printed muslin curtains and covers
but when the same pedlar Of whom
they were bought came to John Fish,
er's house he found no sale for hi.
goods. Mrs. Fisher could buy cheap
er in town, and so perhaps she could
thought Sally. but she never will; ant
Sally was right. she never did, ant
year after year the big room had nc
ornaments but its myrtle pots, ant
the green boughs which in SUMMED
Sally placed on the hearth.
/ By thsse things you will see tn.
severe frugality Of the Fishers, and
understand the narrow and hard cir
cult in which Sally trod and trod.-
Few enough were her holidays, few
enough her pleasures. and yet she hat
heart that small thing wo'd fill to over
flowing. Once or twice in the yea
she went with pocket handkerohie
tied on her head to visit some neigh
Dor, and once in a long while sh,
walked with her father to tie meeting
in the log school house at the cross
roads. For the most part Sail,
staid at home. working hard and say
ing little. The Fishers were not peo
lJ,le who talked much--it interfere,
with the great object Of their lives
work. Circumstance, 6. however, no
education. nor nothing else coul'
keep Sally from thinking for herself
and in spite of her fathers strict su
pervision she often exchanged 81
glances with ths young men who oc
CURED the front benches opposite tn
women's side Of the sch dollhouse
Never one Of them dared to wall
home with her. however much The,
admired her at a distance. Once, in
deed. she was permitted to go the cir
cult preaching alone, with the con
sent, but not with the hearty good