Daily Iowa State Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1859, 1859-02-13
THE NEWSPAPER.

IuR IS"oih
please copy"
THE NEWSPAPER.
The old farmhouse wore a qniet,
pleasant look, az the setting sun glided
its small windows, over which the lux
uriant grape vines were carefully train
ed. In the open air sat the farmer,
with little morocco-covered book IN
his hand on which his attention had
been fixed for the last hour. lie was
a man of method and order-old
Richard Heath-and aside from his
regular account books, which he always
kept with scrupulous care, he always
set down in this book, in the simplest
manner possible, all his expenses, no
very complicated account by the way,)
and all he had received during the
year, in the metal, as he said, by the
way Of trade.
The last account he had just reck-
oned up, and the result was highly
satisfactory, if one might Judge from
the pleasant expression Of his face
as he turned to his wife and addressed
her by her pretty old fashioned name.
MiIlicient," said he, "this has
been a lucky year. How little we
thought, when we moved to this place
twenty five years ago, that we should
ever get five hundred dollars year
out of the rock barren farm"
at does pay or good deal Of hard
work. said she, "see, too, how differ
ent things look from what they did
them
"Now, l am going to figure up how
much we have spent" said Mr.. Heath;
don't make noise with your knit
ting needles, cause it puts me out"
The wife laid by her knitting in per-
feet good humor; and gazed over the
broad, rich fields Of waving grain
which grew SO tall around the laden
apple trees, that they looked like mas
sive piles Of foliage, Hearing her own
name kindly spoken, led her own
thoughts far back, to the past for
after the lar Sc Of twenty-five years the
simple sound of the name she bore in
her youth means more to q wife, than
all the dearest ephithets of dearest
love, and darling, so lavishly offered
in long past courtship.
Very pleasant was the retrospect to
Millicient Heath. The picture Of the
past had on it some rough places, and
some hard trials, but no domestic strife
or discomfort marred its sunny aspect,
There were smiling faces on..it-happy
children's faces without which no life
picture is beautiful. Soft blue eyes
shone with unclouded gladness, and
wavy hair foated carelessly over un-
written foreheads. She forgot for a
moment how they were changed, and
almost fancied herself again the young
mother, and their tiny hands nestled
there as of old.
! The illusion vanished quickly, and
she sighed, as she thought Of her
youngest born, the reckless boy who
had left her three years before for q
home on the sea. Once only had
tidings reached her of the wanderer,
The letter spoke Of hardships and
homesickness in that light and careless
way that reached the mothers heart
more surely than repining and COM
plant. To know that he suffered
with a strong heart with noble and
unyielding resolution, gave hera feeling
of pleasure, not unmingled with pride.
"Ile will surely come back" MUIR
INJURED the affectionate mother to her.
self; land l read the paper SO carefully
every week, that if it says anything
about the ship Alfred sailed in, l shall
be sure to see it"
"Mrs. Heath" said her husband, in.
terrupting her meditations somewhat
rudely, i've have spent thirty dollars
more than usual this year where can
it have gone TOT"
"The new harness." suggested Mrs.
Heath; "that cont come every year
you know"
swell, there's twenty dollars &C.
counted for"
1--WE had the carriage fixed up when
you bought the harness." continued
his wife.
"Well, that was eight dollars, that's
twenty eight We don't spend every
year-but the other two, where can
they have gone 2"
CHANGING his eve over the pages Of
the memorandum book, be continued :
"l'll tell you what 'tis, the newspaper
costs just two dollars, and We can do
without it. 1t isn't anything to eat,
drink or wear. l don't do anything
with it, and you only lay it away up in
the chamber. 1t may as we'll be left out
as not and III stop my subscription
right away"
"Oh," said his wife, ayou don't know
how much I set BY the Newspaper.
always have . sort Of glad feeling when
! zee You take it out Of your coat and
lay It on the kitchen mantlepiecs, just
- l do when some Of the children
come home and when l am tired !
sit down with my knitting work and
read. ! can knit just ~ we'll when I'm
reading, and feel 20 coutsnted. / don't
believe Queen Victoria hsssslf take
more cold comfort than l DO sittinr s.
~ sast window, q ! sammse -.
seoa, reading ~ paper"
30 yoa ~ just = veil q VIM
"a. lsiNlls1 g. issid13 r. ~