The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1867-01-31
FOOLS PENCE.
A TEMPERANCE STORY.

never wanted employment (when he chose
to work., and his earnings averaged from
thirty shillings to two pounds week.
But with number of associates he was in
the habit Of attending, daily and nightly,
what they termed their houses of call. In
the morning, as he went to his labor. he
could not pass It without having what he
termed his "Hipper," or what some of the
good people Of Scotland call their "fnor7-
ing" which being interpreted, meaneth n
glass OF gin, rum, or whisky. At midday
he had to give it another call, and to pass
II on his return at night was out of the
question. Sometimes, and not unfreauent-
ly, when he called for his "nipper" in the
morning, he sat down-in q room which
had two windows, looking east and west,-
and forgot to rise until, after he had seen
from the one window the sun rising, he
beheld it set from the other But it was
the force of habit-it had grown in upon
him, as he said, and what could the poor
man dO2 He beheld his wife broken-heart-
ed, going almost In rags, and their affec-
tion had changed into chickering's and re-
proaches. His children, too, were half
starved, ill-clad, and unschOOled, and for
what education they got, he thought not
of paying the schOolmastef--he felt moth
ing in hand for his money, and therefore
could not see the force of the debt But
the poor man could not help it. It was
true he earned 0bouttwo pounds a-week,
but which way the money went he could
not tell. He did not, as he thought de-
serve the reproaches of his wife. His
"morning" was only fourpence, his call Mt
midday the same, and his evening pipe
and glass shilling or eight-pence-that,
he thought, was nothing for man work
ing so hard as he did--and when he did
take day now and then, he said that was
not worth reckoning, for his clay could
not Keep together without moisture; and
AS for the glass or two which he took on a
Sunday, why they were not worth mem
tiOning. Thus he could see no cause for
the unhappiness Of his wife, the poverty
of his house, and the hulEnakedness of his
iamilY. lie had to "dO as other people
did, or he might leave their society,"" and
he attributed all 10 bad management some
where, but not on his part. One Sunday
morning, he had fingered in their house of
call rather longer than his companions,
and he was sitting there when the church
wardens and parish-oilicers went their
rounds, and came to the house. TO con-
ceal him from them there, and avoid the
penalty
George" said the landlady "herc arc
the wardens a-coming. If they find thee
here, lad, or meet thee going out, thou wilt
be fined and me too and it may give my
mousse bad name. Come upstairs, and
viii show thee through the house while
they examine the tap and the parlor."
So saying, George, the mechanic, follow
cd the hostess from room to room, wonder
ing Mt what he saw, for the furniture as he
said to himself, was like a nobeman's, and
he marveled how such things could he I;
and while he did so, he cOntrusted the
splendOr he beheld around him, with the
poverty and wrctchedness of his own gar
ret. And after showing him through
several rooms, she at last, with a look
of Importance, ushered him into the
drdlCiRg room. Poor George. the mechun-
ic, was amazed as he beheld the richly
colOred and inncy-fgured carpet, he was
afraid to tread upon it,-and, indeed, he
was told to clean his feet UeU before he did
so. But he was more astonished when he
beheld splendid mirror, with a brightly
gilded and carved frame, which reached
almost from the ceiling to the floor, and in
which he beheld his person., covered with
his wOrn-Out and un-hohday-like habili-
ments, from top to toe, though they were
his only suit Yet more was he amazed
when the mistress of the house opened
what appeared to him a door in the wall,
which displayed tohim rows of shining
silver plate. He raised his eyes and lifted
his hands-"Ah, mistress :" says he, "hOiO
do you get all these mighty fine Hings?"
And the landlady, laughing at his sim
plicity, said "Why, by fools pennies, to be
sure"
The words "fools' pennies" touched his
heart as if "A sharp instrument had pierced
it, and he thought unto himself 81 am one
of those fools, " and he turned away and
left the house with the words written upon
his conscience and as he went, he made n
vow unto himself that until that dav
twelve-months he would neither enter the
house he had left, nor any other house of
similar descriptiOn--but that on that day
twelve-mOnths he would visit it again.
When he went home, his wife was sur
prised at his Homecoming for il was sell
dom he returned during the day. He had
two shillings.left, and taking them from
his pocket, he gave them TO one of his
daughters, desiring her to go out and pur-
chase quarter loaf and quantity of cof-
fee, sugar, and butter. His wife was silent
with wonder. lie took her hand and said,
"Why, thou seemest to wonder at me, my
lass but tell thee what / have had les
son this morning that shan't forget, and
when thou tindest me throwing away even
a penny again, l will give thee liberty to
call me by any name thou likes"
His wife was astonished, and his family
were asIOnlshed, ana in the afternoon he
took down the neglected and dust-cOvered
Bible, and read Il chapter aloud, though
certainly not from any correct religious
feeling. But he had formed the resolution
to reform, and he had learned enough to
know that reading his Bible was neces-
sary and excellent helper towards the ac-
complishmcnt Of his purpose. It was the
hRppiest Sabbath his fumily had ever
spent and his wife said that even on her
wedding Sunday she was not half so happy.
~
It was more than year after Mrs.
Crowder had first missed a regular GUS
toner from her house, and had forgotten
to express her wonder as to what could
have become Of the good-loolIing carpen-
ter that spent his earnings there, when
walking in the street, with her daughters,
she was heard TO say to them, "There, get
OH MS fast as Won can, dears: run, girls,
don't stop for mo your beautiful dresses
will be quite spoilt, never mind me, for
my Levantine Is a French silk, and won't
spot" These words were screamed ont
as loudly as her haste would permit, by
Mrs. CrOwder, who was accompanying her
daughters one Sunday evening to the tea
gardens. She was answered by Miss
Jemima "You know, ma, we can't run,
for our shoes are so tight" "Then turn
into one ofthese houses, dear" said the
mother. "No, indeed" replied the other
H. A.