Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1868-10-09
The sharp sound of sleigh bells stirred

:
ger lighted lamp and went at once to the
door, but he did not show his guest to the
tidy winter kitchen where wife and chill
dreu were sitting He gave him a seat in
the parlor, and excrsing himself for mo
ment ran back to say ltis our old friend,
Squire Perkins, Lucy. He has no time
for tea. as he takes the next, train. but he
has ust looked in on business. I'll report
! in half an hour
! You look radient. Harvey. the last time
you met him you asked him to lend you u
hundred dollars and he refused.
| Perhaps he has called to say that he h ad
thought better Of it, returned Granger, and
throwing ii kiss to his wife and barns he
hurried back to his waiting friend. The
interview was not long ono. In half an
hour the Squire went On his way to the
depot and the yeoman returned to the bo
soln OF his family.
Did Mr.. Perkins call to lend you money,
asked Master Granger, with yoang Amer
leans usual freedom of inquiry
He did that, my boy. And the father
halt showed "a greenback, said the thought
full wife.
Cold! No. the fuel was all ready to light
i'll the stove. and when it burned freely
dropped in from the top that gnarled ma
pie log that you found too large for the
kitchen. 1t was dry as tindsr and burnt
accordingly, The room is as warm as
toast ANA you had better all come in and
| enjoy 1t. | have something to tell you
All ioHr were soon basklng in the genial
| warmth. the mother IN an arm chair in the
corner aud the children in front, one on
each side OF the father, who began az fol.
lows:
" hen my mother married, her father,
your great grandfather. was very angry
with her and refused to own her as a
daughter
What for asked both children at once
Because the man she married vas poor.
The Child en- expressed their abhorrence
OF such nercenary conduct.
lie said he would not speak to her again,
and he kept his word. She had always
had trail health and limited means. and
died, You know, Lucy, just before we mar
ried. Her father lived to fips old age.
Last Monday he was eghty-fiye years old.
On Tuesday he died
Isy your grandfather dead asked Mrs.
Granger IN surprise.
Why don't YOU cry father said little
Harvey know, promptly, reformed the
daughter. Cause great grandfather Was
"a bad man.
He died suddenly of fapoplexr, and with
out a viii; SAID Harvey the elder.
It's possible exclaimed Mrs. Granger.
The children tried TO look surprised, but
were simply puzzled.
lie had VIII enough while he lived any,
way, said the boy at last.
That's true Harvey. He never meant
We should have dollar of his property,
but was SO strong that he put off settling his
affairs from year to year. He thought
death wouldn't dare come for him till he
was ready and he made an appointment
with Squire Perkins for Wednesday last.
just one day too late. My mother was his
only child, and am here SO it all comes
to tne
Mrs. Granger brushed the tears from her
eyes. The children We're mere outspoken
in their emotions. Oh father, are You
rich Won't you huy us lots of things
both exclaimed at once.
lam rich enough to be comfortable b3t
not to spoil you. llanybody is to be spoil
ed it is mothers Iurn first. Tomorrow is
Saturday, and have promised Perkins to
NC at HIS pldCc tu' ~ III tut Ntth' II e'tiHS
beat that he should take out letters of ad
mjnstration, but he wants to consult me
about the tousc and furniture aud some
other things
Is the house one that we shall like to live
III asked the mother.
don't know dear neyei was inside,
but it looks grand and gloomy. In any
case we shall stay here until the spring
opens. according to agreement. And,
now chicks go and finish up your playing
for the night. Your nlothrr and | want
TO talk over business matters, so that our
minds may be quite a; rest.
The children left the room and Mrs.
Granger closed the open front of the stove
which till this time had revealed glorious
glinpses of the warm heart of the maple
log
0 Lucy, why have you shut in that
splendid prospect! was going to put out
the lamp that We might enjoy 1t more fully
We shall want the lamp, because yos
have papers to look over, and while We
have our backs to the fire it may as well
burn little more slowly. You have long
since forgiven me for saving in little things
That was in the old times when We had
was always prudent ON a large scale; NINE
was only homeopathic profusIon; the
haltdlmes slipped through my fingers, as
you said Just now. | always felt that to
dwell on such trltles was narrowing to the
mind and don't mean to do it any more
The narrowness of your mind was never
caused in that way, returned Lucy, smiling
but the smile covered so.nething like IA
si5h.
The wind had risen as the sun went
down. All night long it piled the thick
falling snow in shapeless drifts, and moan
ed over the trouble they would Cause
The morning was gray and bitterly cold |
1t was ratllr late when Harry Granger,
neither gray nor cold, left his room with the |
kindly purpose of building fire in the kt
chen stove. ln the excitement OF the night
before he had omitted to prepare the kind
linss as usual, and he could find nothing I
that was not ai0rc or less damp. He used |
match after match in lighting feeble flames
that smoked aud sputtered and went out
Light lamp Harvey said his wife, who
watched him from the open door. 1t saves
mat. hes wonderfully in damp morning
| don't care for the matchs. Didn't |
tel! you ! wasn't going to have my mind
narrowed hy petty savings after this.
But really, Harry, there are very few
matches in the house, and il we are to be
snow bound we must be prudent till the
roads are open.
Just so my dear. There goes the last one
in the box, and don't grudge it particle
for think l have started "a fire at last
Just then a wild blast swept down the
chimney. rushed through the stove pipe