Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes Co., O. [Ohio]) 1870-1895, 1872-07-25
Cutting of An Extra.
FARMER HRALTH's EXPERIENCE.

its small windows, over which the lux
uriant grape vines were carefully
trained. In the open door sat the far
mer, with a little morocco covered
book in his hand, on which his atten-
ton had been fixed for the last hour.
He was man of method and order
old Richard Health-and aside from his
singular account books, which he al
ways kept with scrupulous care, he al
ways sat down in the simplest manner
possible all his expenses, (no very COM
plieated amount by the way,) and what
he had received during the year, in the
metal, as he said, not by way of trade.
The last account he had just reckon
ed Up, and the result was highly salts
factory, if one might judge from the
pleasant expression of his face as he
turned to his wife and addressed her by
her pretty, old-fashioned name:
Millicent,' y said he, ''this has been a
lucky year. How little We thought
when we moved to this place, twenty
five years ago, that We should ever get
five hundred dollars year out of the
rocky, barren farm ~ s.' .4-ii
1t does pay for a good deal Of hard
work. said she, "to see how different
things look now to what they did then. +"
"Now, 1 am going to figure up how
much we have SPENT" said MIR. Health.
'sDon't make noise.with your knitting
needles, cause it puts me out" r.
The wife laid by her knitting in per-
feet good humor, and 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 foliage. Hearing her name kindly
spoken, led her own thoughts far back
to the past; for after the lapse of twen-
ty-five years, the simple sound of the
name she bore in her youth means more
to wife than all the pleasing epithets
of dearest, darling, ETC., SO layishing-
ly offered in long past courtship.
Very pleasant was the retrospect to
Millicent Health. The picture of the
past had on it some rough places and
some hard trials, but no domestic strife
or discomfort marred its sunny aspect.
There were faces on it-happy chill
dren's faces, without which no life pic
ture is beautiful. Soft, blue eyes shone
with unclouded happiness, and wavy
hair floated carelessly over unwritten
She forgot, for a moment,
how they changed, and fancied herself
again the young mother, and tiny hands
stole lovingly over her bosom, and
young heads nestled there as of old.
The illusion vanished quickly, and
she sighed; she thought of her young
est born-the reckless boy who had left
her three years before for home on
the sea. Once only had tidings reached
her of the wanderer. The letter spoke
of hardships and home-sickness, in that
light and careless way that reached the
heart, with noble and un-
yielding resolution-gaye her a feeling
of pleasure, not unmingled with pride.
''H He will surely come back murmur-
ed the affectionate mother to herself,
'and read the paper so carefully every
week, that if it says anything about the
ship that Alfred sailed in shall be sure
to see it,, .....f t.... l.,it
"Mrs. Health,' said her husband, in
terrupting her meditations somewhat
rudely, eve have spent thirty dollars
more than usual this year; where can
it have gone tO?'' 1i'-.t".i Z-an
"The new harness. suggested Mrs
Health, that don't come every year,
you know" 49,.
"Well, there's twenty dollars ac-
counted for"
"We had the carriage fixed up when
we bought the harness." continued the
wife. ss.-.1ayr.l .i.4s,.a.t1
"Well, that was eight dollars; that's
twenty-eight we don't spend every yeal
but the other two, where can they
have gone? % ,.
"I'll tell you what It's; the newspa-
per just costs two dollars, and we car
do without it. don't do anything with
it, and you only lay it away up in the
chamber. 1t may as well be left out as
not, and I'll stop my subscription right
away" t.. .5.tt. .f ,-a.s --,s
'sOh," said his wife, "you don't know
how much l set by the newspaper.
always have sort Of glad feeling when
you take off your hat and lay it OH the
mantle piece, just as do when some of
the children come home; and when ]
am tired l sit down with my knitting
and read-I can knit just as well when
l am reading, and feel so contented.
don't believe Queen Victoria herself
takes more solid comfort than ! do sit.
ting by the east window, OF summer
afternoon reading my newspaper" !,
"You are just as well without it, ;
said her husband for want of something
else to sax. ,.t -IH 20. z.. ..
al never neglect anything else fol
want OF reading it, do II" asked Mrs
Health, verv kindly. a'.. -.t
al don't know rs you do" answered
her husband, ''but it seems an extra like
I shall stop it," he added in a ton,
that showed he wished to stop the con.
versatiOn."
81 shall take the paper" remarked
his wife, "if have to go out washing
TO pay for it."
This was not spoken angrily but Sc
firmly that Mr.. Health noticed 1t
though by no means remarkable for dis
cernment in most matters. 1t sounded
so different from her usual quiet "a'
you think best" that he actually stop
ped moment to consider whether 1
was at all likely that she would do a.
she said.
Mr.. Health was kind husband, a
that indefinite description is generally
understood; he did not beat his wife