Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1869-11-25
The Old Bureau.
gy II. G. ooLEswoBTHY


CHAPTR l.
Where'eI a single human breast
l. crushed by pain and grief,
There would ever be aguesi.
And sweetly give reliet.
As we were passing down Exchange
street, several years ago, we stopped in
front of an auction room, to examine the
various articles which were exposed to be
sold under the hammer. We had been
there but few moments when we heard
female voice inquiring ''is this old
bureau to be sold to-day p On looking
up we perceived that the question had
been addressed to us, by young lady
whose pleasing but sad countenance
struck US at once. We replied that all the
articles spread on the sidewalk would be
disposed Of to the highest bidder
81 should like the bureau, ii il goes low
enough" she said, pointing to an old
fashioned article that was standing among
the other furniture, "but | never bought
anything at auction in my life, and az
see no women here, / don't know ~ il
would be proper for me to bid
'It would be perfectly proper, We 70.
marked, "bnt if you wish il, | will bid of
the bureau.
III you will, sir, shall &c greatly
obliged TO you"
"Iiow high are you willing ! Should
goF'
II don't know exactly how much II
would DO worth; but ii 1t sells for three OF
four dollars, you may buy it.
"Shall | charge it 10 your account.
n Il "a l.
for 1t, and have it taken away. ! an
very much obliged - yon for your kind,
ness.
so saying, the young lady went away
leaving us TO wonder who che was, and 81
what use the old piece Of furniture could
be TO her. We examined it took out the
drawers-but saw nothing remarkable
about it. At eleven o'clock, when the
auction commenced, we were present, and
after waiting nearly an hour, the
auctioneer remarked: 1--WE viii now sell
the bureau. What will you give gentle
men = One man offered two dollars, an
other three, and we bid half more. Four
dollars were bid-four and half, and
five dollars. We were astonished the old
thing should bring so high price. What
could we do? See it sold and disappoiut
the lady ! The thought struck u. that
it might have belonged to some friend,
and she wished to purchase it on that ac-
count, and rather than disapPoint her, we
resolved 10 bid again. Six dollars were
offered by another. to our utter astonish-
ment; but when our hand f. in and we
wish for an article we seldom let another
outbid US, and so we offered, until the old
bureau was run up to ten dollas-and we
purchased it for half more. Certainly
we would not have given five dollars for
it to use ourself However, we bought II,
and had it sent TO our room, telling the
auctioneer, if lady should call for II to
inform her where it might be found We
examined again and again and began u
regret our purchase, feeling almost certain
that the woman would not thank "a f3r
what we had done bat we never mourn
over bad bargain. Our philosophy
would not permit 10 to do -.
A little after dusk a. VIZ were sitting II
our sanctum, the young lady came in viii
an apology for intruding, aud remarked
you bought the bureau $50 tho suction
Ger informs me.
"Yes, | bought it, bar 81 ga eNtraYag.an'
price, assure you.
what did you give
+ Ten dollars aud bali.
lou astonish me What can ! 10
+ had no idea that it would bring over three
or four dollars, aud an not prepared e
pay for II tonight"
Il supposed IL as foolish in me to civ,
-, much for it, but ] presumed you want
i ed it very much.
II did, sir aud would not mind payinl
double the amount Tor the bureau. II
were able rather than not have il.
so | apprehonded Perhaps it ma,
have belonged to some friend OF yours.
''ies, sir, that bureau was once ~
mothers and | noticed a tear il her eye
which she underworld 10 conceal "bu
she's dead now, and / wished 70 keep It ii
remembrance of her.
Thinking that the lady might he poor
we told her that size might take the burea'
that night if she wished, and pay for
whom she found it convenient.
We urged her TO take it, but she refused
saying,
Il will see what can dc. and call u
. day or two, aud see you, and bidding
u, good evening, she left Us.
There is something very mysteriou
be that she is poor, and perhaps IA ae-ti
: tute circumstances Bat she shows a
: excellent heart, and the wurmest attach
ment IT, . deceased rnother Her ednca
ton must have been good, aud she In
evidently seen better days. And "
though the next time she called upon III
: we would ascertain more of her eharacte
and eircumstances--pe her name :
which we felt deeply anxious To learn.
In a day or two the young woman calle
upon us again. and with tears in her eye!
remarked, Il don't know what yon wi
think of me, bat all the money | have i
, the world is five dollars; this | hay
bought yon towards The bureau you wyer
so kind as to purchase for me. SO sayin
she placed the money before liz in silver
Il ahalI not take this money at present,
: we remarked II can do withoutit. Yo
may take the bureau, if Won want it, an
I if you are able al some future time, 20
may pay me for IT.
She expressed great deal of gratitude
and said, II would rather you would tax
whit | have and nothing we could sa
would induce her 70 take the none
again
"You appear to have seen SOME afiiit
ton 2" we remarked, as we saw the tear
J standing in her eyes.
~Not much sir. | must confess that
have not always been as am at presen
for have seen better days. When m
parents were living never knew what
was to want anything; now cannot @
go
Chow long have your parents bee
, dead z"
: "About six years since, my father died
and it was four years ago last Saturda
when my mother was buried
{ At the mention of her mothers name
, the tears came fast to her eyes, tende
chord was touched; we saw it, and mad
no more inquiries, when she took he
leave.
1 It was nearly six weeks before we sa'
the young lady again. She then calle
upon ue with the remainder Of the none
that we hadspaid for the bureau.
Il We protasfsd against receiving il I
q that time, thinking that il might hsv