The Vermont transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1864-1870, 1864-10-14


1t troubled him to lift the money which
her small fingers, in which the blue
veins shone through the transparent
skin, had counted out He wished
she had sent the money instead Of
calling 1t was on his lips to remark,
DO not trouble or pinch yourself to
pay faster than is convenient, Mrs.
Granger, but cupidity whispered that
she might take advantage of his con-
siderate kindness and SO kept silent.
NO, dear, it's for fathers honor; I
cant spend it,
Mr.. Sterling was passing fruit
shop, where two children were looking
in at the window, when this sentence
met his ear.
An apple won't cost but a penny
Katie, and want ono so badly an
swered the youngest Of the children,
little girl not five years Of age.
Come away, Maggie, said the other,
drawing her sister back from the win
dow.
Don't look at them any more, =
don't think about them.
But l cant help thinking about
them, sister Katie, pleaded the child.
1t was more than Mr.. Sterling could
stand, Every want Of his own chill
dren was supplied He bought fruit by
the barrel, and here was a little child
pleading for an apple, which cost on
" ono cent? But the apple must be
denied because the penny must be
saved to make good the dead fathers
honor Who held that honor in
pledgel Who took the sum total Of
these pennies, saved in the solf-denial
of little children, and added them to
his already trimming Golfers? A feel
ing Of shame burned the cheeks OF Mr..
Sterling.
Here, little ones, he called, as the
two children went slowly away from
the fruit shop window. He was touched
10y the sober look on their sweet young
faces as they turned at his invitation.
Come in, and III get you some APP
pies, he said
Katie held back, but Maggie held
out her hand, eager to accept the Of
fer, for she was longing for the fruit
Come, repeated Mr.. Sterling kind
y.
The children then followed him in
to the shop, and he filed their aprons
with apples and oranges. Their thank
full eyes and happy faces were in his
memory all day This was his reward,
and it was sweet,
Three months moro, and again Mr..
Sterling had n visit from the pale young
widow. This time She had only twenty
dollars. 1t was all she had been able
to save, she said; but she made ex-
cuse and uttered no complaint Mr.
Sterling took the money and counted
it over i'll a hesitating way. The
touch thereof was pleasant to bis fin
gers for he loved money, But the
vision Of the sober child faces was be-
fore his eyes, and the sound Of plead
ing child voices i'll his ears. Through
over taxing toll, and the denial of her
self and little ones, the poor widow
had gathered this small sum, and was
now paying it into his hand to make
good the honorable contract Of her
dead husband. lie hesitated, ruflling
in half absent way the edges Of the
little pile Of bills that lay under his fin
gers. One thing was clear to him, he
would never take anything more from
the widow. The balance of the debt
must be forgiven. People would get
to understand the widows case; they
would hear of her self denial, and
that of her children, in order TO pay
the husbands and farthers debt in or
der to keep pure his honor; and they
would ask naturally who was the ex-
acting creditor This thought affect
ed him unpleasantly.
Slowly, as one in whose mind de
bate still went on, Mr., Sterling took
from his desk large poclSet-book aud
the note on which Mrs Gran
ger had now made three payments.
For some moments he held it in his
hands, looking at the face thereof. He
saw written down in clear figures, the
sum, $500. Seventy of this had been
paid. If he gave up or destroyed the
slip of paper, he would lose two hum
dred and thirty dollars. 1t was some
thing of q trial for one who loved
money SO well, to come up so square
Iy to this issue Something fell in be-
tween his eyes and the note of hand.
He did not see the writing and figures