The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1859-05-07
Tho Lent Paper

"John, what hns become uf last weeks pa,
pfrW inquired Mrs c., uf her husband.
"hurely, wife cannot tell twas brought
irom the office, / think"
"Yrs, Jamrs brought it home on Saturday
EVENING" but npighnor NJ and his wiiu
being here, hu Inid IL on lhe parlor table"
"Oh, ~ has got the paper ] remem-
Der uuw 0f lending l 10 him,"
"l ana very sorry Tor that / think you do
very wrong, husband, iu lending tho papers
before we have read them. llr who takes u
paper and pays for ltl 10 certainly entitled %
tl'.l tisst i'sg-sal al y
II know il vlic, bul ncgbar ~ don't
take papo, and / can't refuse when bee asks
90 borrow nurs,"
"DoDt ~ take O pnper2" inquired
Mr. c. with surprise,
"Nu."
"why not he T., as ho says always yeg
fond ot reading"
"Yes, bul be- seems to think himself una
ble a. take one"
Unable lie h certainly ns able os We
are. he pays much larger Tax, anG is al
mDsl always bugging Of hIs superior cattle,
Hnd--"
"lIush, wife II Is wrong 10 speak ~ our
urishbors' faults behind their hacks lie
promised go return the paper to-day"
q II hope hc Will II contains uu excellent
article which desire ,cy much 60 read"
Mrs c. WIS uu excellent lady, and
probably possessed as liberal lcrugs ns her
pcacc.lU,iug husband hut she could nat hc-
l0r,r 10 Go Doc their duty Co furnish q lsoe pee
per 60 their mbrc wealthy aud co,rtous neigh
1ur
" bad formerly taken o papers but
thinking lt too expensive, 90 lhc uu small
discontinue ot bis wife and lililr ones, hc
had ordered 10, di,couliuuluCo lie, huVc,-
CO., dearly loved Co read, aud bad, for year
or more, been iu the habit Of sending "hlllc
joe ou the disagreetble erraud Of borrowing
old p1pcrs from his ucighhots,
Mrs. c. waited patiently through the
day, expecting To see little Joe coming with
the paper, but the d1y passed. ~ Likewise did
the evening, and mo- paper camo,
The nest morning, after breakfast she /
va, heard 90 say
"Wrll, john, The paper has mol, been re-
turned yet"
"Ah, indeed guess ncighbor " hns I.
either iorgn''rn. his promise or 10 absent
from homc" replied c..
81 think" ,hc continued, eve had better
send james after g."
Would il not be. best, wife, 10 wait until |
afternoon N may return it before that .
time"
"As YOU think best" va, the reply.
They waited 'uutil neatly dlrk, but no pa
per made its appearance. James, q smart .
lad OF ten years, was now instructed 10 pro-
coed to urighbur ~ and get the paper
lie soon arrived and made known bis rr.
rand, llc WAS very politely informed that
10 was lent 10 II the blacksmith. who .
lived bali mi,g further on. James. uuvil- .
iug 20 return home without, Notwithstanding .
,hc lWcncss OF the hour, continued on to the
.flrL sutitl's
soon made hi, hu.ncs, known, ana was IN.
formed ty Mrs. IL that little ais got .
hold orTSc paper and tore it up
"l'll tlRc the Fragments said James, who .
was for having nothing lost
"Ihc fragments, jim 4" exclaimed Mrs /
r., "Old DnuA. the pcdicr came along /
here to-day, and sold EN- with the rags
James, somewhat diNpititcd hy his uusurcrss.
fll mission, and not being very courageous
ion the dark, silently beat a hasiy retreat for
home, where in due season he arrived aud
reported the result Of Ais crrand.
"Ah," very c0mposedly remarked Mr.,
c.. Il suppose X. asked ncighhsT y. 20
Lead Aia. ill., paper allhc did not like 20 de.
ny him. We cannot, thluh, 0ccusc t,ihor
of doing intentional wrong and one paper
continued be- "is OF little value
"Nou may argue N.s case as YOU please
replied Mrs. C., "but be assurrd/oi one
thing"
What is tha, ?" asked Mr. c. with c,i-
dent fear
"Nothing. only rcighbor y. will not long
hc at the Inconvenience OF troubling people
for old papers
In about three weeks after this converse.
tioh, ~ was Informed hy'thc postmaster that
hU had Il uuprr in the utiirr Hrwes highly
pleased at This announcement b-ft' could not d,
think who WAS 50 very Kind Us 10 send him
a pnpcr. Ailcr mnuy corjccturcs, however
he came 90 the conclusion that il was from
some friend whom he had assisted in former
years.
One year had passed, the paper continued
to come and y. WAS still ignorant fronr'
whence it came; bur one day nt u "hauling'
he informed his neighhors Of his good for
tune, ami expressed some fears that he would
have TO do without paper soon.
mo YOU shun't," said James C.. in loud
tone Of voice, "for mother sent on two dol
lars for YOU last week.
"Wcll done, Jim r. shouted dozen voices
while simultaneous roar of laughter ran
along the line of teamstcrs.
~, who had previous TO this announce
ment been remarkably cheerful and tnlkatve
became suddenly silent, while n deep red
colors the emblem of shame, mantled his
brow This was a good lesson for y.
Early next morning he went and paid Mrs
c. the 81, acknowledged his error, and was
never known afterwards to take less than
two weekly papers.
rR~ Lyman Capron of Willinmstown has
made, the present season, 500 lbs. of sugar