Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1872-12-25
Miscellany.
A HalED0llaT.
A CuRIsTNAs sTORY.
ny LOTTfE BROWN.


to YOU for assistance. As have already told
you, have no means Of obtaining living for
Mother and myself save by my poor pen, and
il il hard, uphill road. We are sadly in.
want. and must suffer unless you viii aid Us.
Your niece, OuvE CRlNrToS."
"Thc old story, over and over! I'm
tired Of IL! If she had chosen a sensible
employment she might earn a living.
There is plenty Of sewing for smart women
to door they may be even clerks or
book-keepers-but this seribbling is oil
nonsense, and particularly in Boston.
Why, every other woman you meet there
is writer. had no hing when | began,
but here am with house that is good for
almost any amount She can work as
we'll as | did"
Lyon Champion held his fair, thin
hands out to the bright fire, and looked
back to the days of his youth when
weary with bis plodding farm life, he had
taken little valse, containing his entire
stock of worldly goods, from his mothers
hands, and with tears and blessings, had
gone out into the great world and began
his work.
He had nothng-only one bright half
dollar-when he reached the great city
and yet he found work and made money
and finally became rich man. CoulC
not his niece, with the advantage of edu
cation, earn a liuing? Certainly sh
ur could.
somcwhcro-in the Goals, perhapsther
suddenly came before him that brow
house and the weeping mother.
Her hand again rested upon his head
and her motherly advice sounded IN h
ears. Then he was walking brskly dow
the sandy road, to catch the stage as
,rg ca me down the turnpike. Hallway aloni
from beneath fragrant hawthorn hedg
ier little figure, in a brown calico DIRE
and bright pinafore, sprang out, wi
her yellow curls flying unchecked by I'll
sed wind, and her blue eyes red with cryln
"Why, Lucy Keen! Is this you?"
ooE ooS "Yes and l came to bid you good-b
,,.r Here's something tor you"
> a in He took the tiny round thing wrapp
in white paper.
What is it?'
ican "Only my strawberry money hyC
Ma said might do as chose with 1t;
q I'm gong to give it to you. I've kept
all these months for you
, He put it back.
II don't want it, Lucy. keep
l. Mother gave me some money last n'g
hut | knew she would need it more Il
me so this morniog took enough to |
nv fare, aid left the rest in the tai
drawer. Take it back, don't want
"Oh, Lyn, when I've kept it to icng
you"
lie put in his pocket and went on "
inc kisses back to little girl by the h
thorn hedge.
! Lucy's gift was the foundation of
fortune. In less than two hours aite'
III, entered the city, he found situation
the great hardware store OF Lawson y
where his frank, honest face, and Will
ness to labor, soon earned him the est
-, of his employers. His salary was sn
bnt every week he added little to LIT
balf.dollar. and in few years he bee
a member of the firm.
orie,;' l. was five years before he again e.
..z.--- ed his native village. Then no cam
weep over his dead mother, tie ha'
.olcr forgotten Lucy. He knew at once
sbe came-a tall, fa;r-faced glr
meet him hut his bereavement che
the pleasure he would otherwise have
and they parted with few kindly
no more-and he went back to
great work.
When next he heard from her, sb
his brothers wife.
A shadow Of disappointment CT
him when he read Johns letter, anc
he threw it into the waste-basket,
it.
Thus little by little did the old lif
away from him, and at last he was
dle-ared man, wifeless, childess
friendless, with thousands on thousa
dollars boarded away, and each d
cumulating and swelling into millio
lIe had a house, great dark
place, with carpets as soft as dow
furniture, costly books and pictur
.ver and gilt, and all the sumptuor
ganco of rich mans home; but
CLEAN Of cheerful light from one
the other.
And after many years a letter
written in clear, legible hand,