The Portland daily press., 1864-03-05

Reader, pause Wnilc ask single question:.
Have you ever felt the full meaning of these
two words? If yes, then lay this paper right
away, for have no wish to harrow your feel
ings with painful "reminiscences. Turn over
for the twentieth time the stick OF sizzling
green wood in the stove, hopeing TO coax it into
q blaze, and if this fail, as it will, wrap your
self In your warmest shawl, cuddle closer in
the big chsir and forget your chilled fingers
and toes in the pleasant story in the paper.
But" SAYS some one, warm shawls, big
chairs, and The Daily paper are no: the
usual Accomplishments ofpoverty, nor are they
foundin abodes where fuel is not good and plen-
ty oft"
Yes, but they are not, though, begging your
pardon for the contradiction. have in my
minds eye at this moment several stately
dwellings where either of the pictures on the
parlor wall, or the gilt-edged volumes on the
center-table, would keep the room warm from
years end TO years end, and yet one is scarce
ly comfortable from the time one sets foot in
the house, until literally a freezing goodbye
is spoken. know the lords of these mansions
would resent as an indignity any intimation
that they are not good providers" and so
they are in the main. There is no lack in
larder or closet; the table is well and abund-
antly spread; they are each social, genial
family, and but tor Que or two things, pleasure
would reign unlimited. One is, you are a lit
tie chilled; the other, that the flushed and
worried face Of the wife as you sit at tea makes
an uncomfortable feeling creep over you, as if
somehow you had something to do with it,
1t Is all explained, however, when she passes
plate of pale biscuit, with the remark, in a
deprecating tone, "Tm afraid took them out
little too soon, as it was late; they may not
be quite DONE"
Poor woman! She never for a moment
thinks of laying 1.-THE of the blame where 1t
belongs, on the broad-shouldered maR oppo-
site, who had brought In an armful of coarse
green wood to bake them with, and who says
complacently TO his neighbor, between two
sips of tea, Il believe, Mrs. Wilson, it's quite
knack to bake biscuit, though, il remember
rightly, you never fall"
The subject is dropped when that lady re-
plies CURLY, looking him full in the face,
"Never, when l have good wood
Now Mrs. Wilson might truthfully be charged
with malice prepense,b but let US not blame her
TOO much, for was not the worried looking
woman her dearest friend at --- semina-
ry; land the tie had held good through all
the intervening years. and had she not been
trying ever SO long TO study out what made
Mary Thornton's face grow. pale and care worn,
while her own-she took her husbands word
for it-had not single track upon il? This
afternoon she had ciapped her hands mentally,
If she did not cry eureka! certain she had dis
covered all, when through half open
door she heard Mary say in low tone, "John
can never get tea with this stuff; wont you
get something fine to go with it?" Surely if
little drops OF water wear away stone, little
trials, coming daily, with power to change
naturally sweet voice into tones like that,
must wear away any woman not made OF
stone, and Mary did not happen to be. Such
was Mrs Wilson's thought, as she glanced up
at her companion TO see II she, too, had been
an involuntary listener. Concluding the Sc
cret was all her own, she very discreetly kept
It, only saying, Julia, please, as you are near
est the stove, wont you see to that fire a lit
tlsp
Certainly, / was thinking of it myself"
Lifting the lid of substantial, mahogany
painted, well vanished wood-box, and then,
opening the door OF a glistening, --latest pat
tent" parlor, stove that lady added drily
there's no fire to see too, aud nothing to see
it with. Are you very cold?"
"N-no, not very, and cold or warm, we've
only little while longer to stay, now"
Both ladies laughed shy laugh, as if each
knew that the other understood the real state
OF the case, but had too much delicacy to
speak OF it there; and neither showed any
want Of alacrity, when an hour afterwards
they were summoned TO late tea.
And SO Mrs Wilson detailed the whole affair
to her husband that night over their own
cracking fire, with many a half angry interpo-
lstion, winding off with, my opinion is Mary
Is just being plagued to death with poor
wood"
la, now du tell" says aunt Roxy, from
the corner, 81 shouldn't wouder a mite, for,
come to think ont, it used to be jist SO TO his
fathers. l remember stayin' TO Mis- Thorn
tons a week once when she was sick, and
'twant half the time we had wood enough to
keep her room warm till morning; and then
hid come in looking so pompous like-for all
the world like John-and asked her how she
was and II there was anything she wanted;
an she would say in her weak way-I almost
wanted to shake her for it-No dear only If
you would make little more fire. 1t was well
for him wasn't his wife, for he would have
got one blast can tell you"
Both her auditors laughed, but remember
ing she hadn't anybody TO dear or blast'they
forgive her and she went on.
Il know brother Dan used to say there
never came rainy spell in summer, nor asnow
storm in winter, that Thornfon's team was
not hitched up to get jag o wood, and then
1t lay out in the wet, chopped from hand to
mouth, and poor dozy stuff at that"
'Well,' said Mr.. Wilson, ''that's a good deal
the way 1t goes on, over to Johns, but
there's some excuse for him in the fact that
wood is scarce on his farm, and his uncle Job
gives him what he can pick up on his, after
they have got out all that's saleable in market
Its no small item in these times when wood is
four and five dollars cord at the cheapest"
Away with such excuse as that" said his
wife with an impatient gesture. $50 poor
Mary must die Inch by inch to save that rich
man few dollars year. Why old Lears
daughter, the heiress, mean, were angels of
Kindness, compared with the man who cody
calculates in that way TO bring additional care
upon woman already overwhelmed, even if
the mad the best of everything to do with |
say its wicked shame
so tis,wife, Tll agree, and sooner than have
face l know of, lose all its dimples
and freshness at thirty-ilye, I'd buy every
stick OF my wood and pay the highest market
price for it; that's so. And another thing, if
my boys become ever so shiftless in the future
they cannot say there wasn't always plenty of
dry wood in my wood-house, no more than |
can say it of my father"
Nor he of his'n afore him, said Aunt Roxy.
i know somethin about that myself Talkin'
o fresh faces, though, makes me think of one
tnat faded all of a student good many
years ago. You remember old Elder Mosely,
Deacon Mosely's father? Wal, he married
my cousin Judy for his second wife. his first
was-le'me see Il don't rightly remember.
out blieve Stewart - but anyway she was
siius poor, woe-begone loolSin' thing. UNI
finally died.A fever, ravin' TO the last 'bout
them pies BEN all raw on the bottom. AM
soggy wood, an stuff o. that sort. Come TO
ind out, she'd worked herself cen almost to
death maxim a Thanksgivin' supper, an when
at the last mint she'd heat her brick oven,
an all the most important things came out
half baked, she give up an went to bed and
never got up agin. Everybody said, though,
Judy'd do well enough, coz she'd allus want