Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1864-03-24

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advantages II was indeed bitter day.
! In an attic room, meaply furnished, sat
young girl, pale and thin. She was COVER |
ing over a scanty wood fire, the best she
| could afford, which heated the room very
/ insufiiciently. She was sewing steadily,
I shvering from time to time as the cold blast
shook the windows and found its way thro'
4 the crcvices. l
Poor child Life had a very black aspect
1 for her on that winter day. She was alone
in the world. There was absolutely no one
on whom she could call for assistance, tho
: she needed il sorely enough The thought
/ came to her more than once in her disconl
fort, is it worth while living any longcr2'
But she recoilcd from the N of suicide.--
She might starye to death, but she would
not take the life God had given her.
Plunged in gloomy thought she continued
to work All at once step was heard as
ccnding the staircase that led TO her room
Then there was knock at the door. She
arose III some surprise and opened it, think
ing it must be the landlady or one of the
servants.
She was right. 1t was servant.
Heres letter for you that the postboy
Just brought, Miss Morris
"a letter for me - repeated Helen Nor
ris in surprise, taking it from the servants
Ihand. 'Who can have written to me?'
Maybe it s a valentine, Miss, said the
girl, laughing. You know this is Nalen-
tines day. More, by taken, I've got two
myself this morning. Ones a karakter
(caricature) SO mistress calls it, just look
ut 1t.
Bridget exhibited a highly embellished
pictorial representation of a female hard at
work at the wash-tub, the cast Of beauty
being decidedly Hibernian.
Helen Morris laughed absently, but did
not open her letter while Bridget remained
"a little to the disappointment. of the Curl
ous damscl
Helen slowly opened the envelope. A
bank-note for ten dollars dropped from it
to the floor.
She eagerly read the few words on the
pal er--"Flom St. Valeft ne -
Heaven be praised - she said, folding
her hands gratefully. "This sum will en-
able me to carry out the plan which | had
in view. -
Eight years passed away. Eight years
J. with their light, and shadows, their joys
and SORROWS. They brought with them the
merry voices of children--they brought
with them new-made eraves-happiness to
some and grief to others.
Towards the last they brought the great
commercial crisis of 81. when houses that
seemed built upon rock tottered all at once
to their fall. DO not many remember that
time all too wells when merchants, with
anxious faces, ran from one to another to
solicit help and met only averted faces and
distrustful looks?
And how was it in that time of universal
famine with our triends-Stacy & Wilbur I
a, Up to 1857 they had been doing an ex
ii cellent business. They had gradually en-
larged the sphere of their operations, an,
came
They immedlately took IN sail Bot
were. prudent and both ielt that this wa
the time when TINS quality was Urgent
# needed ~ :.
w By great efforts they had succeeded II
keeping up until the 18th OF February
1888. On that morning note of tw
thou'and, dollars came due This was thel
last peril That surmounted, they woul'
be able to go on with assured confidence:
But; alas; this was the rock Tor wmicl y,n
they had the most apprehension Inc
had taXGd the,r resources 10 the utnlo'!
@ they had called upon their friends, but thei
friends, We're engaged IN taking care o
themselves, and the selfish policy was tn
one required then
: Look out Tor number one supersede'
the goiaen rue Tor the tune pelng',
As nave sai9, TWO Ih9uSahu oohar
were que one tne lfth OF februaiy' :. o
How %',,, much nave M you got toward; c 1t !!
asked "llpur' as stacy came IN at hal pas
y, eleven lever, ,, ;,
ly inrce hundrcu anu seVcnty-hVe dol
d. lars? was the ,tdlSplrlted reply, o.,
he :. was that all you could raiseE inquire
he ms partner turning pale
ut " All.
Are you sure you thought OF every
he body
If, = have been everywhere. am tagge
IS, to death, was the weary reply OF Stacy,
ta- he sank exhausted into chair.
10. Then the crash must come, said Wi
ng bur, with gloomy resignation.
m - suppose it must.
ITS There was silence, Neither felt inclll
to cd to say anything For six months the
had been struggling with the tide. The
ed could see shore, but in sight of it tho
* must 60. down.
al At this moment note was brought IN
boy, There was no post-mark' Evident
as he, was special messenger:
1t was opened at once. by Mr. Wilbu
thasp taw words only.