Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1867-02-22

day. be had to stitch up the holes IN his
shabby garments by night--undlr all these
inhictions. often and often would De- sip up
the little pearly drop in the bottom ct h.s
cup, and be as merry and hgh-hclg-.d a-
ever.
II a iar-off country, over the ocean, events
were trau-pirIug which were soon 4 change
the fortunes of the c5b5lcr's hlmi .- home.
In q magnificent chamber. in great marble
palace. an old man lay dying. One thought
only had engrJssei his whole liie-tl board
up riches; but, as he lay now under his
silken coverings, attended only hy strangers
and meuials. some images came fitting
across his memory he had not found tine TO
entertain in his DAYS Of health.
MY poor old brother, said he, Il doubt
if he be living yet But hc had two boys,
ana the youngest Is my namcsake. Yes, he
shall have all my money
And thus the matter was ;tled and all
! his possessions-his ships and merchandise,
I his houses and lands, his gold and jewels
were all poured, like larry gift, into the
[ humble cottage Of the poor Old c0Jbler.
This must be what the gnomcs promised
/ yOu," whispered Crispus to his brother,
D NLtu VIC uCNs EALlH- ~ w hNA viii AtAhL
our sister to your grand castle, and then
she will have the diamond necklace and ride
in the grand coach which they promised TO
her; while | must stay and take care Of my
old father, with only nay wooden cup
With that he sighed, AM took up his cup;
the drop was very large and bright at the
bottom, and he drank it of.
Never mind, said he, "it IS not castle
and diamonds that make people happy.
Who knows but l may be the merriest Of
the three, after all
So the brother and sister departed to
their grand home, and TO riches without
stint OF measure. They found something's,
too. which they had not bargaIned ior-laT-
suits and losses, vaxations and mortifcations
at home, for poor little Nellie had found
husband who liked better to spend her mon
ey than TO love her.
:" What care | for all this splendor, said
she, as she walked over.her velvet carpets.
al am not half as happy a. when | played
with flowers in our homely garden, or sat
on my fathers workbench while hc made
the shoes -
All, poor Nellie, you found pleasant
things, too, sometimes and might have en-
joyed them, had you not always been pinIng
after something pleasanter sul
"Let us go and see Crispus.' said tic
grand brother one day 70 her; for he was a
gentleman now, and Crispus would scarcely
have known him. ''Lct US see how he and
his wife live -
So, after a journey Of many days, IA
great style, with coaches aud i00tmen and
outriders, they arrived at the eobbler's cot
tage.
Their old father had long been sleeping in
the chureh-yard, and Crispus had taken his
place, to mend, as he had done, all the shoes
IN the village.
He had a wife now, and some rosy chill
dren, but he had never been able 70 grow
rich and, though he was seldom troubled
about the matter, vet, when the grand com
pany arrived that day, be looked at his pine
table and bare floors, and wooden chairs
and benches, and the brown crockery on
the shelves, and their hard b-ds, and SAID,
" What fool was not to take something
better from the gnOmes." Then lie looked
at bis wife and children: such red, rough
hands. she had, and such scanty skirts, and
that tight little cap on her head, and the blue
wooden Jacket she wore - W hat hight
she must seem to my sister, - thought he.
he had but one resource, and he turned
to 1t it was his wooden cup lie drank
off the bright drop, and looked about him
Welcome to you, said he to his brother
and sister. "Come in We are poor, but
come in You shall have the best We have
got and we are merry aud happy, il We
are poor :" Just then his wife came along,
with her bright smiling face, and tie little
children rang out a merry laugh, which
made one laugh TO hear 1t; and Cnspus
thought he had never before seen them all
look SO beautiful. The wooden chairs were
soon drawn to the table, and they sat down
to nice supper, prepared by Crispus' vile.
What if her hands were red and rough I.
Hands which make humble home happy
are beautiful, even IN the sight Of angels.
Thus they spent the time in pleasant talk;
and when they were about to depart, the
brother said to Crispus, II cannot offer You
anything, for you seem to have all you
mot exactly said C.ispus. "No one
has all ne wants But | have what will
make up tor many Deficiencies, and what
would not give away-no, not for all your
possessions. have what the good gnome
gave me-the best be had to giye-the drot
Of contentment In the bottom of my little
wooden cup"