Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1860-08-24

Ing what nav be done IN Il year.
" ..Nfrs Frost, said John about this time,
re (flr he had .dopted the fashionable method
g of Addressing his wife, please don't tease
it aud torment me 50 about my business The
r. fact Is. feel as though this is the turning
point in my life, and am straining every
nerve 10 make the money necessary To re-
deem this place. Last year. and the year
before. could get along well enough with
it, but now. when it's beef and mutton all
day, SO many pounds to this one, and so
many to that, | cam bear to be bothered bv
your questions when | get home. Why
can't You leave the accounts t0 me -
Mrs Frost had been accustomed to ask
every night the amount Of the days sales.
and 10 whom, and as he had never before
manifested the least disposition to deny her,
she was n little hur5 at these remarks but
answered very quietly
Il know YOU are bothered to death, John,
but am trying to aid you. | am keeping
a little account all by myself, 50 that may
know every night how much nearer t. ,..o
goal We are, than we were in the morning
'Oh, pshaw =
you don't blame me, John ~
n It blame YOU, bat it's dreadful foolish.
i hope not SO bad as that.
1t is, Mrs Frost: it is all nonsense How
hate to see a woman forever medjling with
a mans business
John Frost saii this with considerable en-
phasis, and his wife. who could bear any
thing better than harsh language, said no
more.
John Frost bent a)i bis energies to the
task Of making money t1slya the homestead.
and what with rigid economy, close appllca-
iion, and large sdle~, hc bad gathered to-
d B. o
morning Of the last day Of grace. to redeem
the home. John was exceedingly troubled
Il great al was resting on hi. heart, and on
the hearts Of the whole family, for nyv that
ey had got domesticateI Ia the house. they
were exceedingly 10th TO give it up.
Thirty dollars must come that day, and as
1t was among the impossi5ilities 10 make it
IN trade, he determined to try his credit
But as by some universal law provided in
such cases, everybody would D. extremely
happy to acc immoda.e him, but uuiortGnate-
ly they had paid out thDir last dollar the day
before, ana John Frost couldn't borrow "a
cent, and, TO cast a still deeper shadow over
hIs sinking fort mes, old Mr. Jeremiah Funts
I with whom he had Il running deal ever sine
! be commenced business came along about
| twp o clock in the afternoon. with his
| acco lnt-book, to settle.
Yes, said Mr.. Flint to John who was
standing on the verandah, revolving in his
mind unpleasant thoughts, I'm wanting
few dollars now to pay taxes and SD thought
/ that I'd come down and We d square up
" NIr. Flint, don't for heavens sake. talk |
/ about settling up to-day. The fact is, am
! trying TO redeem nv house and only lack |
/ thirty dollars OF having enough to DO il. and |
! am hoping against hope that before night |
something may turn up to place that amount
in my hands, though what I've no idei Of. /
have sold every thing that ! can sell, and
pawned my pcddle-cart. household furniture
and every thing and now for the paltry sum
! of 30 dollars, | must see the homestead 60.
I If YOU viii paw tnat amount VIII pay you I
any per cent. that You ask, and You shall /
have the money again, as soon as | can /
earn il.
..Nes. ves,' said Uncle Jerry. slowly /
I've got putty nigh that, that / might /
spare On a pinch, for few days. on good /
security
1T will be impossible for mo to secure /
YOU. Alr Flint. unless my name Is security /
but ! should esteem it favor which | could /
never repay you, fyou would loan me the
the money
"Ah, yes-I forgot. pawned every thing
" Every thing
Yes, YES what was | thsnkin' about /
Fact is, I've got such a notion Of lcttm /
every body nave money when they ask Tor t.
that come putty nigh gittln myself INTO
trap
II ,lm sorry. said John Frost-sorry that
Uncle Jerry couldn't lend him the money, .
though not at all concerned about the trap.
90 wish it had come s5'st could let you .
had it, but seein' it hant We'll Jest look .
over, ard I'll 20 back.
Couldn't you wait little while, Nr. /
Flint2''
81 couldn't, Mr.. Frost; I'm sorry fort; .
but I'm needin the money"
This was little too bad, John Frost .
thought, he knew the old gent had the rep .
utatlon Of being little hard sometimes. but
to come out SO blreiacodly, told more than hc
wished TO know, both of the state of his own .
credit and the hardness Of Uncle Jerry's .
heart. He thought that he might, at least
have had the humanity to not press him t-r
the payment OF the small sum his due at
such time.
How do We stand , asked John.
Hum, we'll don't know exactly, but
tho we must "a been most even when You
bot the cow.
"Twenty-Gye dollars"
Yes, in the neghborhood Of that bat the
books viii tell. 80
Cant we jump at it? Its an all-dlv job
t. settle such an account as ours.
This was John Frosts iayorito way Of
settling old accounts.
Yes, yes we've had considerable deal,
and it's sumthin' to look it up, and If we
can jGmp so'st to satisfy both on us,
shouldn' care-any way to come at 1t.
"Name your figures.
"Well-thrty dollars, | guess on tac
whole that wouldn't be far from right.
Il Il give you twenty.
1--WE want 10 come as near t. ds we cIa
you don want to cheat me out OF my just /
| dues ?'
"Oh no. Of course not, uncle Jerry but |
wOuldn' t twenty dollars be fair
"Well, il 'twould [ shouldn't want any /
more Of you, now sartln, but IN thinkin' it .
/ can t be less than thirty.
Call 1t twenty-five then.
"Couldn't do it. Mr.. Frost and don .
say thirty because I think it's enough but /
IA wllIIn to give in somethin 10 save look /
/ in over, that all
John Frost unused for more than a minute, /
/ thinking which was best-t0 pav the money |
and endit, or be to the trouble Of settling by |
/ the books, but he Enally decided to settle in |
.
/ from his customary way Of doing business
well, come in; we viii look over"
Yes, yes"
They stepped into the si.ting-room and sat |
! down side by side, by the great secretary, /
and John Frost took down his account book, |
and Jeremiah Flint opened his. Mrs. John |
Frost was sitting, sewing very quietly by q |
work table at the window opposite As soon |
as she perceived their business, she drew out |
the lower drawer Of her work table, and as
they proceeded, glanced down every now and |
then as they disposed Of an article and made |
sundry little crosses with her pencil in an
account book there concealed.
II took "a whole hour for Jeremiah Flint (
ana Ohm Frost to come to settlement.
jeremiah had only kept John Frost's Dr.,
aiiu olI Frost had scrubbed down here and |
tneIe a charge, and credited here and there
an anu If'io1S, I and Tor the ret relied on his |
head, flret they added up Mr.. FIint's ac-
count. cOnsIsting of cattln III i - -