The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1872-12-12

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FAH hAhtAN niH WlVts fbENG AG ktNs
AZ Apoi Ia stands lbc 0ljwives Mil
IL appearance ig q mach the same al
huec coffee mill. only that lt worked
from beneath instead Of from above Twt
large beams form the handles by which
the Min e tarned, BY two stout serving
meB. The old women are thrown IN al
the top, wriukled aud bent, without hair
and without teeth. aud they rcappear be,
low quite young and trim, with checks a.
rosy as an apple; one turn does il--c crack
crack it goes, exciting the very brain only
10 listenl Yet when those who have be.
come Young are asked II Il Is not a pain.
ful process, they answer. Painful on the
contrary, it is quite delightful For ali
the world as whom one wakes Ia the
morning after a good nights rest, and the
sun shines into the room, aud the birds
twitter, and the trees rustic.
a long way from Apolda, there lived.
once upon = time m old woman. She
had often heard Of the Mil, and as she
had been very happy In her youth, she
one fine day suddenly determined that to
the mill she would go. II was slow work
for ollen she bad 10 rest on her way, aud
sometimes she was stopped by "a III OF
coughing, By degrees, however, she
gradually passed over the distance, and
at last she stood before the Mil
lwish to be ground young again, she
said, TO one Of the serying-men, who
with hands in his pockets, was quietly
sitting on bench putting rings of smoke
into the still blue air
What a journey 1t is TO Apolda, she
added.
And pray what may your name be2
said the man, with a yawn.
Old Mother Redcap
Sit down, then, on a bench, Mother
Redcap; and the man went into the Min
and opening thick book, returned with
a long strip OF paper.
That's the bill, my boy, Is il! asked the
old woman.
Not a bit of it, replied the other; grind
ing costs nothing AZ all; only you must
sign this paper.
Sign! screamed the old woman; What
sign my poor soul away, | suppose! No,
no, never will do that. am a pious
woman aud hope one day to reach heay-
en-!
It's not quite SO bad as that, said the
man, with grin. This paper is only a
list Of all the foies you have committed
during your life. You will find it quite
complete--to the very day and hour.
Before you can be ground young again
you must pledge yonrselfto commit them
all over again, just in the very same or
der as before-eYactly as they stand here
To be sure, continued he, glancing down
the paper, there's a pretty gVod list,
Mother Redcapl From sixteen to six
and twenty, every day one, except Sun
day, when there's two! Then il seems
to have been little better till the forties
There it comes thick enough, must say /!
Towards the end, however, il looks pret.
ty much as usual.
The old woman sighed and said
But childrenl it would never repay one
to be ground young again at such cost?
No, | admit, it never would, replied
the man; very few indeed could it ever
repay, and 50 we have an easy time of 1t.
Seven red-letter days in the week The
Mill is always still, at least Of late years.
1t was trifle more lively long ago.
Now, couldn't we just strike ont few
things? pleaded the old woman, with
tap on the mans shoulder; Suppose we
only say three things wouldn't mind
doing all the rest over again, Tit must
really be so, only let just three be struck
outi
No, no, replied the man. that is quite
impossible. All or none.
Here, then, take back your list, said the
old woman, after some thought; ! don't
care a pin about your stupid Old Mil, and
she went her way.
When she reached home, the good folks
came to look at her, aud, IN surprise, ex-
claimed; Why, Mother Redcap, you come
back older than YOU went! So there's no
truth in The Mill after all2 She cougbed
a little dry cough aud answered, There is
a great deal Of truth in the Mil; but
was frightened; and after ala little
more or little less ofthis lile--what docs
II ,rattapy