Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1858-10-01
MIS- c L. LII n Y.
NV WIPES SIN.

NNNulN lluf aH's NNiiNN Wv 'N""'" ~
INV vile whn resided in the city ofPhiladel-
phia. had MT seem him for long time,
bat having undrr.,opd that he was IN afIlu-
ant circumstances. was hut little prepared
Tor the condition In which found him.
Through information derived from Phila.
delphla directory. went 20 one Of those al
lev. with which that city ahounds, and
found his namc un sign board, associated
with that OF another man, over dark and
dingy shop. The sign purported that they |
were lock.mi.hs and bell hangers al'O that
locks wero rrpairt,l and keys fitted. With. |
out ceremony | walked into the gloomy re-
Gees whore thsr, wa, blaeksmith's forge
and where among several muscular looking
men up n their arm.Pit' in work. was my
wifo's cousin" lie received me most cor
daily, end l,r momen, in,urmittcd filing
a huge bras, kcy on which ho was engaged
and the shake Of my own Dexter By one of
h,- broad bnvny hand- | can l,ken to moth.
ing nearer than tie shock oi a young earth
quake.
"Take a scat. take scat, he observed.
b" and jus, as soon as finish this key, we'll
make track. for home
Of co1rsc replied that | was in no bur-
nv. and ~ oncc became interested In tho Ia
clio manner in which he was metamorpo'ing
a rough casting into polished key. As
soon a. il was completed, hc washed tho
wor., of the dirt from hi' hands, hung mp
his work apron, and putting on hi' coat
ami bat, remarked In cheerful tone, "comc
nov. Cousin Aleck. let. 90 and sec vheth.
er wifc has go, any tea for u"
After We were in the street, our conver-
.a,ion in.cr.ibly ran on business, and took
occasion to ny to him tha, had been Of
tho opinion that hc had retired from hi'
trade on a handsome competency. Don't
ay word about retirement" hc replied
q. /, nearly make. me sick 10 think OF IL.
People talk of retiring from businc" while
they arc healthy. and able tn work why,
| trll you they don't know what u means
didn't know what 10 meant until | tried
It, bat none retirement and misery '.und,
t. my ears. Ike word. of about ,hc same
meaning
P,rcyiying tha, be had struck suLjoc,
upon which BE- could easily b. commun,ca-
tive, I looked inquirinsIy, when he rejoincl,
" Pcrhar- you never heard the particulars
Of my retiring"
On my replying that hal not, be pro-
cc,d,d 4" You 49,. Al,ck, II 'hhout thrcc
year, ago. that having rs you weuli say, IA
c1mr. ten,y. made up my mind TO stop
work. aud move into the country. 50 |
.o.loui my shar1 OF the bu.in - o. my part.
ncr, spent a year or more IA looking %
two or three score .f country pacas, AM
AZ last found one, that vito and myself were
ruu,.l.uHy pleased with. Fine double
lpu.r. four acre, hauti'llly shaded, ycsr.
lb,, garden uu, 90 d. beat. AMI s,il OF - "a.
rsrivr quality. Ibr place is still in my
Ia.-. .,,,ou. bot hci,rc would 20 and live
,u Do again. I'G give it away yes, Alcck,
10 sas it sunk Ia the middle Of the Deal
S,a. but lam getting a little ahead OF my
story. For tso Or three months matters
and thing. went ou very we'll because | bad
something t. attend to IN making few lit
tla improvements about the house, and IN
furnishing a number OF the doors with locks
OF my own invention, bat as tho whole
premises w,Eu iu excellent repair when !
bought them ,Opn came 10 point where
tlsro WIS nothing to look alter, but the
cultivation Of the garden. was not long
though 10 making the discovery that had
no genius or ta,tc either for digging around
root. or pulling up weeds, and - rs wife
didn't wan. the garl'n to run to waste. !
employed a regular Enshsh gagdan,r to car
ry tie thing hai,onely through.
"well, didn', mind the expenses be
pot me To in the way OF guano, new'fan-
cled garden tools. and patent watering ap-
paratu. for had fully expected to spend
money, aud thanks to our previous economy
We had. the money To spend /; but Aleck 1t
was really very amusing to eco what thc
fruit and vegetables raised from our garden
stood us in. Making use Of the little arith.
metic vas master Of, rcccOllcct that |
cyphcrcl up the cost OF some Of the table
Griu-, and the result wa.-,ucumbcrs, sew
cntccn cents piece green peas, dollar
and three quarters for a balfa peck cur.
rants, hfy cents quart ra'pberrie', thir'
,y cents pint; bcets fourteen cents each
aud every thing cleo in proportion. All
ihi. cared nothing Abou, but somehow, !
felt out Of my gearing in not having the
right kind OF employment. Wife did her
best u coax me into genilemanly ways
had the old mechanical CRIME all thorough
ly scrubbed out Of my handsvfnger nails
cleaned out and rounded-so as TO make
it appear that had never done manual la
Dor.
Then we must get behind a couple OF
Morgan ponies which | had purchased aud
make fashionable calls in the day time on
those who had called on us; and wife wan
tel mc TO soften down my voice and to he
particular aboutmy grammar and the sub
pets talked on bat s5metimos forgetting
myself | would reyel in the proud memory
Of the locks and keys ! had handled in hap
nier days. md enmmence history Of my