Plymouth weekly banner. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1855-1856, 1856-05-08
Tom Crosby's Deed Of Magic.
BY sYLvANus COBB, JR.

in the country. He often had to turn
applicants away empty handed; for he
had more work on his hands than he could
attend to. Toms cottage was near the
center of the villsge, and his little shop
was close by it. end from morning till
night the merry music of his lapstone
rang out upon the Dir. Tom was a steady.
industrious man. end everybody liked
him. He was always kind, always good
natured. full Of fun and anecdote, and
above all else. he was one Of those rare
persons who spend their leisure moments
in looking after their own business. Tom
was now forty years of age. and though
ha had always worked hard and steady,
yet he had not cumulated much proper
ty. He owned the small house and the
shop. together with some four acres Of
land, which lay back Of the buildings.
upon which he raised goodly store of
fruit and vegetables. Besides this, he
had some one or two hundred dollars laid
safely away in a savings bank to serve
him on rainy day.
Mrs. Crosby was on excellent wife, and
one Of the best mothers. and no one
could have kept the humble cottage look
ing more neat and tidy than she did
The I;t,la (,ont xoopo al,v,ys Drsccuted A
the same spotless purity Of floor and
wainscot. aud the white curtains never
had spot or wrinkle. The kitchen was
more fus,ered, but never dirty; even the
ground floor of the woodshed was kept
swept and clean.
This excellent couple had four children.
Young Tom was thirteen. and helped his
father some in the shop when school did
nj keep. Willie was ten; Lizzie five,
and EfTie only Two. Tom named his first
child after himself. Mrs. c. had selected
pretty name. but her husband was de
termined that he should be young Tom,
and his wife gave in; bu, the rest Of the
| children she named herself, and we can
see that her taste differed some W hat from
Toms. He had wanted to call the Sc
cond boy Peter, in honor Of his grand
father; and then he suggested the name
Of Hannah for the first girl; but his
| plcbean (such wss the term Mrs. c. used
names were not quite up 20 the mark
But these children were good. They
eighborhood. for their father took great
pains in the formation OF their characters
ana their mother felt no greater pride
than to have them appear we'll.
People pointed 10 Tom Crosby as a
pattern of happiness and peace; and ye'
he was not always happy. An evi
genius had crept into his house-hi.
home-and he was growing more ant
more unhappy every day; for Tom hat
never been happy. The pain or Dispute
of a single individual in his family wa.
sure to upset his own cup Of Joy.
Now the truth is. the sweet angel o
content, which had for so long a time
KEEP, guard over Toms household hst
flown away. and another spirit had come
| in. Mrs. Crosby had become discomfort
ed and unhappy. She had allowed tht
spirit OF envy to gain possession of he
soul, and :he moment she let this demon
in. her peace of mind was gone. slo.
Tom Crosby she said, after the child
ren had gone to bed one evening. what
the use of living so7' -. .q
Living how?' uttered Tom. shaking
The ashes from his pipe and putting i
away. ism asi bei1fa
.why-living as we do now. Plod
ding along year after year in this sams
old train. | declare I'm almost fit 10 60
crszy when think Of it, sls bHaa.so1'
! But Hannah. thought you used to b
very happy here 49,, ts.;e.6
'And SO did; 5ul what does that sig
nifty? Because Twas happy when was
child. does that prove that | should al
+ ways want TO be childa used to be
happy here when ! thought we were or
the road TO some thing better. 1 didn'i
think when you married me, that wss
TO live stuck down here in this place, snt
tina, was 10 grow old and die with thu
the everlasting thumpety.thump OF you
old hammer dinging in my ears.
But what would you have. Hsnnah!
the husband nsked. with q tone and ex
preston Of pain. .l,..f - {.
'Whai?' uttered the womun, energeti
cally. Why'd have some higher
place in the world than nero cobbIer'i
wife, f ss .a,,a -
| .Ah. Hannah, we were once the hsppi'
est couple in town. and you were then
only just v hat YOU ere now. You only
wnnt what you have lost - -