Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1871-05-03
Adventure or a Night.
Az AccUoSr or A NIsER's VISIT TO ASOrn-
m SPHERE
BY PELBG PEGs

One cold. black winters night, when
the wild wind whistled dismally about the
house, ard blew in fitful gusts down the
large, open chimney, an old man, bent
and hOary with age, aud mumbling aud
shivering before the fireplace, vainly en-
deavored TO warm his thin and wrinkled
hands by means of a small and cherries
wood.6re that was smouldering away up
on the hearth.
The floor of the room was rough and
uDcarpctcd no picture or other ornaments
decorated the bare walls; a small dilapi-
dated pine table in another; a rudely-
made three-legged stool was occupied by
the old man at the fireplace, and complet-
ed the not very extensive list of the furn-
iture, and other objects, that the apart
mcnt contained.
"Ugh it's a cold night-a cold night"
muttered the old man, doubling himsel up
like a goblin before the fire, aud shiver-
ing for very cold. "The wind blows wild
and bleak-O me so wild and bleak
There is no fire and--no | won't put on
any more wood. No, no, nor he said,
looking round and mumbing with his
toothcss jaws, "no, no, no can't in
deed. All, me, I'm poor; yes, yes, so
very, very poor I'm old-yes, yes, yes
so bent aud old-O me. so bent and old
I'm poor-ah, yes, so poor, so roor!"
"Who says he's poor?" cried grufl
voice. "Come, let us know. Who says
he's poor ?"
The old man started, turned pale, and
looked wildly around, but could see no
one to whom the voice belonged.
"Who says he's poor?" repeated the
voice precisely as before; and the old
man looking Alright this time, saw short
fat queer little dwarf, with a round, full
face, sitting on the iron crane in the fire.
place, swinging his legs to and fro above
the Goals as free unconcernedly as if il
were not rather uncomfortable place tc
to say the least,
"I-I-did you speak ?" asked the old
man, trembling, and gazing at the odd
figure before him.
81 did," replied the goblin. "Whc
says he's poor? Your"
"Yes-yes," said the old man. "Im
poor-very poor, very poor"
r "How can that be ?" said the dwarf
''when you'er got so much gold in your
; cellar?'
81 hain't" cried the old man, fercely
II say it's lie--a great lie. have nc
money. | tell you | am poor, very poor.
You are not" said the dwarf, looking
at him sternly. "I know better. | saw
4 with my own eyes your gold. There were
t fifty thousand dollars of it hidden in the
t cellar beneath this house."
: II tell you it's lie!" schreeched the
| old man, fairly livid with rage. II have
no gold | know of nonc. I'm poor
) very poor. How many times must | tel
| you so Eth ?" continued the miser, catch
ing up stick and totering toward the
, dwarf, as if he would strike him with it.
"How many times must tell you that
: I'm poor and have no money? Begone
: from my house-begone, begone !"
t "Ho, no, ho !" roarcd the dwarf; and
in one tenth part Of tn, time it requires
to tell it, he had scrambled nimbly dowr
from his perch, had taken three spry lit
r tie skips or hops across the hearth, and
+ there he was upon the other side of the
fireplace actually dancing polka upon
the rcd-hot GOALS as though it were a
very agreeable performance, and making
, the most grotesque and startling faces at
the old man that have ever distorted hu.
man or inhuman countenance, or driven a
t man wild with fright.
The miser was so completely taken
aback by this unlookcd-for and hitherto
seemingly impossible performance = SO
r perfectly amazed and dumbfound by it
that he could only mechanically drop his
| stick, and sinking helplessly back upon
his stool, gaze at the dwarf in speehless
, terror.
: "Come with me-" said the goblin per-
emtoriy, swapping his fingers, and kick
ing one fat little leg up in the air. "Come
with me, you miscr come with me hoard
! cr Of gold"
. AT once, as if with an invisible and in.
expl.cable impulse, the old man found
. himself, in spite Of all he could do to the
contrary, rising from his seat and walk
ing with all the strength. and buoyancy 0.
youth over the hearthstone, the frc-ironl
4 and the embers to where the dwarf lwhc
/, had got off the coals) stood, winking apt
S blinking in most awful manner, ready
to receive him. The goblin, with or,