Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1870-10-26
CUTTING OFF AN EXTRA.
Farmer Heath's Experience.

The old farm house wore quiet, pleas.
ant look. as the setting suu glided its
small windows, over which the luxuriant
grape vines were carefully trained la
the open door sat the farmer. with q lit
lie morocco covered book in his hand. on
which his attention had been fixed for
the iast hour. tie was man of method
and ortIrr-old Richard Hsath-and,
aside from his regular account books,
which he always kept with scrupulous
care he always sat down in the simplest
manner possible all his expenses no very
complicated account. by the way) and all
he had received during the year, IN the
me tai, as he said-no in the way OF
trade.
The last account he had just reckoned
up, and the result was highly sa:isfacto
~, if one might judge by the pleasant
expression of his face as he turned to his
wife and addressed her by her pretty
cd fashioned name.
81" MiIicent," he said, /" this has been n
pretty lucky year. How little we thought
when we moved Ia this place, twenty
five years ago, that We should ever get
five hundred dollars year out of the
rocky barren farm.
AZ Ii does Iay for good deal of hard
work. said she, "to see how different
things look now from what they did
then"
Now Tn going 10 figure up how
much we have SPENT" said Mr.. Heath !;
a. don't make noise with your knitting
needles, Cause it puts me out"
Tie wife laid by her knitting in per.
feet good hnmor aud gazed over the
broad, rich fields Of waving grain, which
grew SO tall around the laden apple trees
that they looked like massive piles of TO-
Iiage. Hearing her own name kindly
spoken, her thoughts went far back to the
past; for, after the lapse of twenty five
years, the simple sound Of the narne she
bore in her youth means more to wife
than nil the pleasing epithets of dearest,
darling. so lavishly offered in long past
couriships.
Very pleasant was the retrospect to
Mhliceni Heath. The picture of the
past had some rough places and some
Eard trials, but no domestic strife or dis
content marred its sunny aspect. There
were faces on it-happy childrens faces
without which no life picture is beautiful.
Soft blue eyes shOne in unwonted glad
ness, aud wavy hair fioated carelessly
over unwrinckled foreheads She forgot,
for q moment, how they were changed,
and almost fancicd herself again the
young mother. and tiny hands stole low
ingly over her bosom, and young heads
nestled there as of old.
The illusion vanished quickly, and she
sighed; she thought of her younges; born
the reckless boy who hal left her three
years before for home on the sea-
Once only had tidings reached her of the
wanderer. The letter spoke of hard
ships and homesickncss, in that light
aud care'es, way that reached the moth
ers heart more surely than repIning and
complaint. To know that he suffered
wilh a strong heart. with noble and I'M
yielding resolution. gave her feeling Of
pleasure. not unningled with pride.
. He will surely come back. muir
INJURED the affectioDate mother to herself;
land Iread the paper So carefully every
week. that if IT saws an, thing about the
ship Alfred sn,ied in, shall be sure to
see IT. !" -A @
Mrs. Heath" said her husband. in
,errup'Ing her meditation somewhat
rn,eiy, I'VE have spent Thirty dollars
more Than usual this year. Where eau it
have. gone to?"
The new harness." suggested Mrs.
Heath; that don't come every year
y"u know"
= Well. there is twenty dollars accoun
ted for
:" We had the carriage fixed up when
you bought the harness." continued the
wife. 8
Well, tina, was eight dollars; that's
twenty eight we don't spend every year
blu! the other TWO, where can that
have goDei" ~ @t+t = ~fsS
CHANGING his eye over the pages of the
memorandum book, be exclaimed
"l'lI tell you what lis; the newspa.
per costs just two dollars, and We can do
without it. 1t isn't anything TO eat,
drink or wear. / don't do anything with
it. and you lay il away up 10 the cham
Der. ]; may as well be left out as not,
and I'll stop my subscription right away.
"Oh!" said bis wife, "you don't know
how much set by the newspaper. /, al.
wsys have q sort Of glad feeling when