The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1867-01-11

aBless me II Il isn't-I-wcll, forget
vour name. ANYTHING the matter ~ -,
AL took home the work, ma'am"
ats nicely dono-I'm sure you'll like
It."
"Ah, ye-es."
"And If you could pay me-even part
I'd be very much obliged"
Mrs. Bullion was in the habit Of paying
her debts. She was not stingy nor dis
honest; but on that particular day, heed
full Of her spouse's mandate, she had cal
culated all the wants for the next two
months TO nicely. There was nothing
that could be done without-every item
was down in her pocket tablets.
"Carry," she whispered, would you
wait for your organdie 7"
And summer ball over' No, ma"
Mrs. Bullion turned to her seamstress.
"I,m 80 sorry" she said, Greatly l
haven't ANYTHING with me. Besides, ought
to see the work. Call -"
"This EVENING"" ~
uOb mol next week some time. NOW
coachman. Colonel, we. shall see you At
dinner"
% WOulQ not nave tiouoSu ~ - -
public place, but need :"
The whip smacked, the wheels sspattered
the mud over the poor woman's SHAWL
and she was left alone.
But for the curious eyes Of the pedes-
TRANS she could have burst into tears. IL
was frightful misery to her, small as II
might seem to others.
She stood staring after the carriage,
when Johnny gave cry:
"Look, ma purse y
And in the child's hands she saw little
blue velvet toy, with gold fringes and cham.
Mrs. Bullion's purse, for she knew 1t by
sight: and it was stuffed to bursting with
bank notes.
"I found It on the pavement there, ma,
lust there. Good-now we've got lots OF
money"
The mother could not think. Her heart
was beating, and her brain was throbbing
too wildly for that. She could only hurry
home and fly into her husbands presence
with her story.
"What shall I do, dear7 Icould pay
myself, and return her the rest-I ought,
must. You won't suffer the children to
starve ?"
But there she paused.
Her husbands hand came down on her
shoulder, and her husbands voice said
calmly:
"You must and will do right. You must
return the purse to Mrs. Bullion, with its
contents not even looked at"
"No-that would be wrong"
Glove" :.
ar x.oou Ioonpof Sho oweS mo daar'
The husband put the purse under his pill
low. And they sat and looked at each
other-tears in his eyes and in hers. For
hours neither spoke.
1t was a dreadful day for them both.
The hours passed like lead. They counted
every moment, every second. AT times
the children cried and clambored for din
ner. Then the mother would put her small
hand beseechingly toward her husband.
Her own will would have upheld her.
At last evening came, and then wrapping
her old shawl about her, the soldiers wife
made her way through the lighted streets
to Mrs. Bullion's door, and once again rung
and waited.
Mrs. Bullion had returned in no pleasant
mood. The five hundred dollars which
should have been spent in ribbons, laces,
and feathers, were gone. Mr.. Bullion had
spoken in earnest that morning, she knew
well, and shopping opportunities were over
for q long time. She dared not even to tell
him of her loss, and she suffered as much
from silence on the subject as anything
else. In her anger, she called nurse Betsy
an eide dawdle." That indignant female
was ready for her revenge; consequently,
when the black boy who opened the door
answered the applicant by,
"Missus is at dinner"
Nurse Betsy stepped forward.
"No matter" she said; "you come in
and wait. Jest sit down in the hall, and
you can speak to her when she goes up into
the parlors."
And consoling herself with the reelection
that as Mrs. Bullion had told her she had
not cent left she had contrived to NOR
tify her in some slight degree, nurse Betsy
vanished.
The hungry woman listened to the knives
and forks for half an hour. Then the dining
room door opened, and the ladies sailed
out, accompanied by Mr.. Bullion and the
handsome young colonel.
The lady started, and turned pale.
Greatly, my good woman, | havn,t time
to talk to you just now" she said. u
think told you to call next week."
"Haying no money to pay me with this
morning. queried the soldiers wife.
"Hey? no money!" gasped Mr.. Bull
lion.
"This is my concern, Mr.. B." said his
wife. "You don't understand it, my dear"
"You lost your purse this morning,
believe" said the soldiers wife.
"Lost your purse !" gasped Mr.. Bullion.
Mrs. Bullion flushed to the hue OF a
peOny.
The woman stretched out her small thin
hand, and brought to view the toy Of blue
velvet, with the golden chain.
owe found it, my boy and /, after you
were gone" she said. "Your name being
upon it, there can be no mistake and now,
Mrs. Bullion, must speak of what is due
me; we, my children and my wounded
husband, have eaten not morsel the long
day."
Mrs. Bullion turned pale and sat down.
"With this money in the house :" she
gasped, and then began to cry. Amidst her
tears she fumbled in the purse and brought
out fifty.dollar bill.
"Take that" she said. "You ought to
be rewarded, you know. I'd no idea any
one was so honest. Why didn't you tell
me? You know people do dun so for tri-
fes. / never guessed"
The soldiers wife looked at the money
greedily, but she shook her head.
"You owe me ten dollars" she said.
"Pay me that only. Ny husband would
be angry should l take reward for CON-
mon honesty.
And her quiet manner awed the lady
into compliance. But Mr.. Bullion was not
to be awed. He clutched the fifty dollar