The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1868-12-08


out any apparent reason. Edith and
Grace had collected their books and
said that they we're not comlng to
school any more.
II was a chilly depressing day, and !
walked ,b0ughtiully home, 20 hud the
house chilly and depressing, aud 70
bear from Miss Piidget that coal had
gone up, 70 partake Of weak tea aud
strong butter, and 70 be told that tea
and butter had gone up until It seem
ca AS though every thing must be rost
ing on a foundation Of yeast: and IN
despair | went up myself and locked
myself into my room,
This same room WAS not extensive,
and was 81 shape in which my eye
took DO delight being long aud narrow,
with only one window. aud all the ar
raDgemeuts economized space as much
as possible The lounge was my bed
at night, aud the various little nick
nacks disposed about the walls were
supposed 10 give IL a home-ltke appear
aucn. Sometimes il did look very COM
Portable and pleasant to me, with the
pictures. aud books, and mosses, etc.
and knew that Miss Plidget delight
ca in showing IL TO visitors rs Miss
Mapleton's room, and that the visitors
all admired it, but this evening moth
I ing looked pleasant, AS | sat, with COM
pressed lips and weary head, trying TO
solve the problem Of putting nothing
and nothing together and have the re-
suit something.
1t was quite evident to the most OBJ
tuse perception that the school would
not support me, and no other line Of
4 business seemed open to me. had
Just one thousand dollars in gold bear.
ing bonds, and my ships that | had al
ready sent out TO sea, instead of com
I ing back to me laden with treasures
never came back at all 1t had always
been the way with me, that my pound,
instead Of gaming ten pounds, oissoly-
ed itself into thin air aud disappeared
altogether. For | had few thousands
which, through the representations of
one and another, and a strong natural
desire OF ease and luxury, | invested in
various ways, having first secured the
aforesaid thousand in government
bonds. Never a penny did | receive
from any thing else.
had thousand in oil stock, into
which | went, as / was assured, 'on the
ground-hoor' -whicn seemed TO be con-
sidered very good thing, though |
could never quite understand it--hut /
thought, rather bitterly, that / had
probably come out in the attic, if that
was the end farthest removed from the
treasure. For some time | was buoy
ed up by reports that the workers were
Just about to strike oil, though how
they could continually come SO near it,
without actually doing it, is one of the
unexplained mysteries; but rs | be-
lieye they are still horing down into
the bowels of the earth, they seem more
likely to strike fire.
Then / went into a gold mine-or
rather my money did and with the us
nal happy results. Every thing pro-
gressed lourishlngly until the worlimen
struck water, and | had read some-
where that this WAS a pretty thorough
extiuguisher to all mining operations.
|. And when | heard of the huge blocks
of quartz that have to be crushed and
pounded for the sake of little gold, it
, seemed almost as reasonable to form a
company and attack the city paving
stones.
/ also dabblea in coal, and had lately
been offered thirty cents on dollar
for that stock. / suppose that most
young women, with no one in particu-
: lar to look after them, would have ac-
Z knowledged themselves extinguished
after all these experiences, and meekly
taken in sewing, or married some hum
, drum widower with a home and SIX
} children in it, But l think would
} have preferred cutting my throat to eli
= ther of these alternatives; and | had
no idea of doing that.
= Poor Miss Plidget, rather an advanc.
ed single lady, with whom / had beer
; living very comfortably for some time
9 worried over her boarders, and had bat
5 ties with the butchers and grocers, al
! for the sake Of home-for she assur
5 ed me that she made nothing By it
7 and a lodging in the dining room pan
: try. did not feel disposed 10 90 into
/ business with her, even if il would have
$ supported partner
l | suddenly seized the daily, and look
ed at the advertisements, Iskipped al
q the profitable employments into whicl
G people we're to be initiated 10y enclos
= ing stamp, or dollar, or something
a else that they would never see again
: and my eye rested involuntarily on th'
= list Of houses for sale. Now what il
! the name Of common sense had to Dc
S with this? Would my $1,000 buy an,
G thing OF that sort, and what could ! d,
S with it after had bought it
Still my eye fingered, and | though
rapidly. One paragraph in particulai
i riveted my attentions
3 "FoH SALE A small house in central situa
tioni ID perfect repair Wll be sold At 4 bargain
. II applied FOR Immediately HRoAp & Isoss keA
! Estate Ageuts, No, 40 plun Street.
- The indlstinct phantom gradually
= assumed well-defned outllne; ant
! when the chaotic clouds Of fancy haC
cleared away | bcheld as complete
a little scheme as a desperate young wo
: man, left entirely to her own resources
: could possibly devise. | would bn,
0 tha; house; 1 would use tho parlOrs fJi
e school-rooin, aud rent the remaiude
: to ZONE respectable family. Sucl
a Eawgag krsr.s q fstas4u -, Aautat.1. all /.