St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1867-10-25
My Lottery Tickets.
WHAT THEY COST AND WHAT THEY
ANnI NVEn Tn


AMOJ MED 10.
1t was Saturday night and the little
woman who bears my name and mends
my stockings, was sitting in her low chair
by the fire, zealously putting patch up
on the knee. of little Toms trowScrS.
turning the piece OF cloth this way and
that, and holding her head on one side to
watch the effect. But the stripes would
all run the wrong way. while the colors
were provokingly bright, compared with
the faded garment.
Never mind that, Mary, SAID |. here 5
4 chance to throw away vour patches.
Hurrah for lovely country seat on the
Hudson, fifty shares OF bank stock. house
IN town, or anything else YOU wish, and
all for Il dollar =
Now. lhomas, said She, and when
she wishes to be particularly severe she
always calls lie Thomas, what are YOU
talking about?'
y gift enterprise, Mollic tickets on
ly a dollar, and sure 10 draw prize |
read the heading and displayed the long
list of prizes. What do YOU think OF
that . shouted |, triumphantly
i Think she said, Laughing, 'that il
YOU make 50 much noise YOU viii wake
the baby Then, seeing that | looked
annoyed, She added But | do not think
that lotteries are Just right, especially tor
chucli members DO you ;!
%, nonsense never saw church
fair in my life that did not have grab
boxes and lotteries / shouldn't dare to
say how many dollars | have spent on
them, and never drew any thing either
She looked rougi>hly at me. Don't
you think, then you are most to old 10
begin ,
1t may as well be |. as any one, and
it Is no great matter-onlv 4 dollar
i know, Tom,' and the wise little
won;tn looked grave, but We haven't
many dollars TO throw away; : and she
held up the haby's socks with good
sized hole i'll each heel. And little Tom
school bill comes in next week.
| laid down my paper and tried to
speak very convincingly. Now, Mollie,
it is all very well for 4 man TO jog on
day after day, earning and spending just
50 much, but he likes to make a venture
once in Il while, Just for the excitement
Of the thing, if nothing more
Yes but Tom don't you remember
the share i'll the oil we'll ,
'Ie-c-es,' said |, slowly, for it was
rather an unpleasant topid Of converse
ton To me | had invested tie little
sum left ne by a maiden aunt in an oil
company, against iIary's good Judgment.
Capital a million of dollars, more or less
oil wells flowing day and night on The
land OF the next company, Just over the
fence. | was very much clated, and
promised Mary, among other things, q
new black silk dress we had seen display
ed in some show window Well, they
bored and bored, throwing up a great
deal OF dirt, and a greater deal OF water.
but not a drop of oil and just as they
were about to begin IN a new spot, the
treasurer, or some one else ran away
with the funds, and that ended the whole
affair. Mary, like Il good little woman,
never reproached ne, but when | cam,
home one day and found her turning her
old merlno inside out and upside down,
| felt-well, | can't tell just how but l
thought of that black silk dress.
and oh y she continued, don't you
remember the patent for the flour sift
er 2 and she laughed outright SO did
|, when | thought Of the spectacle | pre-
sented when | CHANGED to turn the cranl
the wrong way, and the flour flew in ev,
cry direction.
But | had made up my mind TO buy
OLt VI litSI tiShSiS, 81, iliOurl MAJ
sighed, she said no more. invested, OF
my way down town, Monday morning,
and thought while | was about it
might as well by one for Mary, and on,
for little Tom, too. / showed them t.
her when | went home to dinner a
noon.
Not three , 0 Tom, how could you
and she looked really grieved. While l
thinking it a pity if l must account 70
every penny spent, assumed the digni
lied ar which tue occasion seemed to de
mand, and the meal passed in silence
went home at hight to find her sewin;
as usual. My conscience gave an uncom
Portable twinge as she looked up pleas
antly, and then turned to the great bask
ct of work. If she only had a sewin,
machine . Perhaps l should draw one
and grew quite happy over the thought
imagining her surprise when l sent
home unexpectedly. She would nc