The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1868-04-07
MISCELLANY.
MUCH FOR A LITTLE.
A STORY OF FRICTION MATCHES.

and delicious as ice-cream, and melt
ing in the lungs as that mclts IN the
mouth. But to enjoy it you want
warm clothing, rich blood, and fuel
without stint | wish you had more
Of all three. And Harvey Granger
sat down by his wife at the window,
laid his hand kindly upon hers, and
looked out upon the gathering twilight.
The winter night was just closing
in, all the earlier that the air was full
of snow-hakes which fell silently as
their brothers had done through many
preceding hours. The dark outlines
of the trees were feathered with white,
dimly visible against a sky of gray
The only contrast was in the faces of
the pair at the window, the husband
with his broad, fair face and merry
blue eyes, the wife thinner, darker,
more sensitive, stcong heart in fra
gile frame. She was not much past
thirty, and yet the hair put back from
her ears showed more than one white
thread in its raven folds. Granger
saw them and smiled.
only one dollar bottle, said he;
why don't you buy, and keep your
beauty?
Only dollar, Harvey. There
are 30 many onlies that | wonder where
the dc liars are to come from.
Granger held out a pair Of we'll
kept hands, open warm and clean
They arc to come from these, said he
'and from the skill that lies behind
them
Place your fingers as near together
as you can, said Mrs Granger, smil-
ing. There, don't you see the gaps
between? Your fortune is in small
change, and the dimes and half dimes
are always dropping through
rThat might have been while the
dime we're silver, but now that they
are of paper l shall save them and
grow rich
Let us hope so, returned the wife,
but | am not sanguinc.'
How could she be that? She had
lived with the good fellow for ton
years, and seen him more than once in
prosperous business, but somehow in
spite of her modest economies, he was
so liberal to himself and others that
the years income never met the ex-
penses and the business ultimately
failed Just now he was agent for a
lumber-dealer, and had located himself
for the winter at convenient distance
between the hills that were being strip
ped Of forests on the one hand, and
the railway station where their pro-
ducts were delivered on the other 1t
was temporary engagement, notvery
| crative, as the limitations of the
household showed.
The sharp sound of sleigh-bells stir
red the laden air and fine horse,
wearied with travel, struggled heavily
to the doorway through the deepening
snow. Granger lighted lamp ant
went at once to the door, but he did
not show his guest to the tidy winter
kitchen where wife and children were
sitting. He gave him seat in the
parlor, and excusing himself for a mo-
ment ran back to say: 1T is our ole
friend, Squire Perkins, Lucy. II,
has no time for tea, as he takes tn,
next train, but he just look in on bu
siness. Pll report in half an hour
You look radiant, Harvey. Th'
last time you met him you asked hin
you asked him to lend you a hundreo
dollars, and he refused
Perhaps he has called to say he ha
thought better oft, returned Granger
and throwing a kiss to wife and bair
nies he hurried back to his waiting
friend. The interview was not a yer,
long one In half an hour the squir
went on his way to the depot and tn
yeoman returned to the bosom of h
family.
Did Mr. Perkins call to lend yol
money p asked Master Granger, wit
young Americas usual freedom of in
quiry.
He did that, my boy And tn
father half showed greenback bearin
a one and two ciphers.
How cold you must have been
,, said the thoughtful wife.
, Cold? No; the fuel was alread
to light in the stove, and whenit burn
ed freely I dropped in from the to
that gnarled maple log that you foun
: too large for the kitchen. 1t was DR.
, as tinder and burnt accordingly. TIL
r room is warm as toast, and you ha
better all come in and enjoy it.
| have something to tell you
All four were soon basking in tn
= genial warmth, the mother in an arm
chair in the corner and the childre
in front, one on each side of the fatht
$ who began as follows -
s when my mother married, HI
. father, your great-grandfather, was v,
e ry angry with her and refused to ov
d her as daughter