Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1857-07-02
Jntertstine GaIe.
80. THE NEWSPAPER
BY N. T. H.

The old farm house wore quiet. pleasant look,
rs the setting sun gilded its email windows, over
which the luxuriant grape vines were carefully
trained. In the open door sat the farmer, with a
little morocco book in bis hand, on which his at
tention had been fixed for the last half hour
He was a man Of method and order, old Richard
Heath-and aside from bis regul account books,
which be kept with scrupulous care, he always
set down in his little book, n the simplest manner
possible. all his expenses. (no complicated ac-
count BY the way,) and all be received during
the year, "in trade"
The last account had just been reckoned up-and
the account was highly satisfactory, II one might
judge from the pleasant expression of bis face as
he turrsd to his wife and addressed her by her
pretty, OId-fashioned name:
"Millieent," said be, 'ths has been a lucky
year. How little we thought when we moved on
this little place, twenty-five years ago, that we
should ever get Eve hundred year out of this
rocky barren farm"
ut does pay for good deal of hard work to
see how different things look from what they did
then,"t
Snow I am going to figure up how much we
have spent; don't make noise with yOur knitting
needles becauseit puts me out"
His wife laid down her knitting work in perfect
good humor. and gazed on the broad, rich fields
of waving grain. which grew SO tall around the
laden apple trees that they looked like massive
piles Of foliage. Hearing her name thus kindly
spoken, led her thoughts far back to the past; for
this, after the lapse of twenty-five years, means
more TO wife than all the pulling epithes of
"dsarest" "love." and "darling," so lavishly ut
tered in long past courship.
Very pleasant was this retrospect to Millicent
Heath. The picture Of the past had on it some
rough places, and some hard trials. but no domes
tic strife or dscontentment marred its sunny as.
pect. There were smiling faces on it-happy
children's faces. without which no life picture is
beautiful. Soft, blue eyes shone with uncouded
gladness, and wavy hair fOated carelessly over un-
wrinkled foreheads. She forgot for a moment
how they were changed, and almost fanced her.
self again the young mother, and tiny hands
stole lovingly over her bosom, and young heads
nesteled there as of old.
The allusion vanished quickly, and she sighed as
she thought Of her youngest born, the reckless boy
who had left her, three years before, for home on
the sea. Only once had tiding reached her Of the
wandered. The letter spoke hardships and sick
ness in that light and careless way that reaches
the heart ofthe mother more surely than repinings
and complaint. To know that he suffered with
strong heart. with noble, undying resolution, gave
her a feeling of pleasure not unmxed with
pride.
"He surely will come back" murmured the af.
fectionate mother to herself, "and read the pa.
per so carefully every week to see if it says any
thing about the ship Albert sailed in, l shall"
"Mrs. HEATH" said her husband, interrupting
her meditations somewhat rudely, "we've spent
thirty dollars more than we did last year-where
can it have gone tor
"The new harness that don't come every year,
suggested Mrs. Heath,
"well, that iS twenty dollars accounted for"
"We bad the carriage fixed up when you
bought the new harness, didn't we9" said Mrs.
Heath.
"WeIl, that was eight dollars; that is twenty.
eight that We don't spend every year; but the 9th.
er two-where can they have gomez"
Gancing his eye rapidly over the pages ofhis
memorandum book he continued:
%Tll tell you what it is, the newspaper costs
just two dollars year, and we can do without it.
1t amt anything to eat drink or wear do
not do anything with il, and you only lay it away
up stairs. 1t may as we'll be left out as not, and
I'll 60 and stop my subscription right away"
"Ohi you don't know how much set by the
paper" said bis wife. 81 always have sort of
feeling when see you take it out of your hat and
lay It on the kitchen mantle piece, as I do
when some Of the childlen come home. And
when am tired, sit down with my knitting
work and read.' can knit just as fast. feel SO
eOntented. don't believe Queen Victoria takes
more solid comfort than do, sitting at the east
window Of summer afternoon, reading my pa
per-"
"But you would be just as we'll without it."
answered her husband, for want of something
wiser to say.
Il never neglect ANYTHING else for my reading"
said Mrs. Heath,
II don't know as you do" he said, "but it
seems to me extra like. I shall stop it," he ad
ded,, in tone that showed plain enough that he
wished to stop the conversation too,
"I shall take the paper" remarked bis wife,
'sven II I have to 60 out washing tOpay it."
I,,ko Al.