Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1867-11-28

lJuSt pttlu Dis ldcO NV uotoio Nh
little account, several heavy bills haC
been met that day. At length thu
harrassed merchant became disceur
aged, and to q usurer he went, deter
mined, at some rate, to have thu
money he needed. The usurel
knew he had desperate man to dea
with, and he drove hard bargain
He took O judgment note at twenty
days. and Mr.. Farley had money
enough to meet his obligations ant
buy his wife a new bonnet.
He went to bed that night with ,
:, heavy heart, but when, in the morn
ing, his wife greeted him with a cor
dial "Happy New Year." his hear
was. cheered, and it gave him plea
sure to see how much joy she would
have when the new bonnet and the
new dress he had bought as New
Years gift were sent home. She die
not say word about presents, bu
there was a peculiar twinkle in hel
eye, and o half knowing smile ex
pressed on her lips.
1t was yet rather early for callers
when the door bell rang. The wife
was too impatient to wait the slow
motions Of servant, and she an
swered il herself. \ little boy had
caused its welcome tintinnabulum,
and had band box under his arm.
A happier wife there was not in
the world. She bestowed upon her
husband the fondest of caresses, and
could only speak Of him as dear,
sweet man He forgot usurers and
notes in bank, and went to the thea
ter, and saw everybody admire his
pretty wife in her new dress, with
such satisfaction as doting husband
can alone appreciate. The New
Year bonnet was "a little gem" in
the opinion of all Mrs. P.'s folks,
and that added another large drop
to the cup of joy, from which the
young wife drank in the fulress of
grateful love.
One month in the new year had
not passed before she drank from
another cup-a cup of bitterness.
Her husband was not at home regu-
larly, and when at home he was
gloomy always-sometimes sulleD;
be became haggard in his appearance
he denied his wife any confidence
in regard to what weighed upon him.
She had no silrmise of the true cause
ofhis depression Of spirits, and she
borrowed grieyous trouble about it.
The new dress afforded her no com
fort now-she had no joy in her
'.love OF bonnet"-balls and con-
certs had no charlottesville hus-
band made a show of cheerfulness to
the wife, and then the wife smiled
family in return, but both recognized
mutual deception, and the once hap
Ply home became place of torment
to its occupants. The husband
Stunned it and the wife wept on IT,
The note given to the usurer mean
time fell due. He would extend the
time at the same high rate Of usury
on which the money for it MAS given,
and this bankrupt policy was a ne
cessity of the merchants circumstan-
ces-he dare not let his business
creditors know that he was the vic
tim of a "keen shave"-and week at
ter week he paid the usurer money,
which, if invested in his business,
would have relieved, while its loss
created additional embarrassments.
Every day the load of care which
he carried from the store to his home
in weight, and at last he
became so morose that the wife's pa
thence was tried beyond endurance.
She became as peevish as he was sui
len. The poor man did not condemn
her; but he could not always brook
her peevishness, and the smooth cur
rent of domestic felicity which bad
flowed through the household was
changed into brawling stream,
whose waters were embittered with
discomfort and peevish chickering's.
The wife neglected domestic duty,
and the merchant neglected business,
till he was sorely pressed to pay the
Insurer the weekly sum which kept the
sheriff from his store.
One day he was in very unhappy
mood. He had been home for his
and everything about the
house seemed to reproach him. He
was tempted to open his heart to his
fading wife, but his heart failed him
he returned to his store, thinking
ofwhat his fashionable acquaintance
might be saying about the marked
change that had come over him and
his wife.
He had not yet been able to cast
out such perplexing reflections when
the usurer's collector with bow and
a patronizing smile, entered the store
and presented the uneasy merchant
with q receipt for another install
ment ofinterest.
The merchant snatched the piece
Of paper and tore it into small frag-
ments very deliberately while the as
tonished collector thrust his hands
very deep into his breeches pockets.
"Get out of my store3 cried the
ego and tell your master
I'll never pay him another cent He
can sell me out as soon as he pleases.
have paid him now in interest more
than half the original sum. III pay
him no more, 1 tell you; let HIM get
it all. Leave my store, 81"
Out went the collector in a ner-
vous trepidation, and with him went
a burden the merchant had BORNE far
too long.
He was entirely prepared to meet
the usurer, when, an hour afterwards,
he callad tn prOposp q cOmprOmiSp--