Litchfield enquirer., 1856-02-14

it brings such strange things to my me mo- ry," mutlered the old man.
 !" Is that all ! thought there might be something else necessary to your happi- ness
 i" Nothing-no,hing.'
 l" Nothing at all. Are you sure !"
 !" ladeed"-a cloud passed over the old man's face-" there's one thing | would like to have mended a little, but have no thought of asking the favor of you"
 "Speak out, l tell you, old man, I knew there was something else"
 " My lodging is cheerless and cold !; freeze there these raw nights and ain't sure that three meals day and the warm- est clothing will be sufficient to carry my happiness into that gloomy hole"
 e What will you have. then !"
 70, ask nothing but the truth is. if was able to rent little more comfortable lodging"
 "Wha, would you fancy. Twill do no harm to talk"
 "I am well aware that the only genuine civilized way of living is to have house of ones own; but that of course am not iooHSn enouph 70 thlnk OI.
 "But sapposing you were to have house; what sort of house would you like f''
 "If you mean just such house as l would like, why, I'd say some such house as this of yours. Everything seems so comfortable here! A man ought to he as happy as Adam in an Eden like this"
 Now. I'll tell you what, old man." cried the enthusiastic merchant, "I can't think of turning yself out of doors, even for the sake of philosophy. bu, if you'll let me live here and have my own way lit- tie. I'll give this house 10 be your home as long as you Iive.'
 Old Roger Johnson opened his e es wi der with wonder.
 "Ii shall be as if you were my fa,her," said the eccentric Mir. Upton. "Every,hing l have shall be at your service. You shall sit with me at the table, and enjoy three meals day; nay baker, my tailor. my ser wants all are yours. So you will have no,t- ing to do bu, 10 be happy. 'Twill be worth half my fortune 10 have a happy man in my house. What do you say to that !"
 Now you are mocking me-" said the old man, deeply troubled.
 "So you thaugh, at first; but I'll teach you that was never more earnest in all my life |"
 But can never pay you"
 "You will pay me. l tell you, by being perfectly happy"
 "I, is too much, too much"
 "Not bit too much, cid man. And take my word for t,, 1t won't be long before yon will think of something else necessary to full and complete bliss. see by your eye you have already thought of something; am righ, '"
 Indeed" said the old man, letting fall a tear. |. can never think of being happy until know whether my child Edith still lives. or what has become of her."
 Ho, then, you have daughter ?"
 "l had a daughter. To know that l have one, that she is fair, ,and good. and hap. py, would be worth more than all those blessings you have so lavishly bestowed on me; 10 know that, is all 1 ask of heaven; then l would be content to dle."
 But how could J GU lose sight of your child !"
 "Oh, it would take long story to tell you that. The poor things mother mar Fiej me agains, the will of her fami.y, who hated ne bpcause l was poor. But l was fortunate in business, and in the course of time was able to invite my wife's proud parents to my own house. and treated them as we'll as such people ought to be treated. Edith was our third child. and all the dear er because she came late to fill the place
 4 sk... other had been taken from our hearts and laid in the grave. When she was thirteen years old the failure ofa large firm in which my fortune and reputation were stake.i, swep, away everything had earned, and left me penniiess. ln the midst Of trouble my poor wife died. and necessity compelled me 10 commit Edith to the care of her grand parents.
 "Oh, the sorrow of tha, time :" said the old man. weeping again. "To forget it, and to retrieve my fallen fortunes. made a voyage to the Ess, Indies. It would take all night 10 tell you what chances befeli me on sea and land. Let all that pass. IL is enough to say that after an absence of twenty years returned with broken health, poor AS when went abroad. Then con- menced search for my child; but her grand parents had been dead many years she had been thrown upon the world. could find no one to tell me what had be- come Of her-and no one remembered her even."
 "Ani is ii necessary to your happiness that you should find her." asked MT. Up- ton. "Consider how changed she is by this time, if indeed she lives"
 ell have thought of that" replied Roger |: " bus oh. she was the sweetest little girl If could find her as Ieit her, still child. then my cnp of happiness would be full"
 The merchant arose smiling. his noble browed. radiant with the inspiration that filled him.
 :. Have faith. i" Ee cried. i" have faith and miracles may yet be perforpsd. have power to do you good hsysnd anything you have yet conceived 5peak the word and it shall he done. Shall l restore your child !"
 He looked and spoke like prophet.- The old man was thrilled and awed His lips moved with feeble murmur; and on the instant open flew the door at the mer.