Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1874-08-19
The History of an Old House.

The New Orleans Picayune relates the
following: ,
I'm 1853 the fever entered the house
hold of an old respected merchant, robblng
him of wife, daughter and son, leaving
him in his old age to wander the Worla
alone. During his long, happy family NE
he became much attached to the quiel anu
comforts of a home. He found the hoIeI'
where he went to live after MS s;o pe-
reavement, a poor substitute Tor WHAT lie
had been accustomed to. and ne deterInih-
ed to change his manner OF ne WIN
this end in view he purchased ana collI0r-
t.,blv fitted up little cottage where ne ne
retired TO patiently await the coming OF
+ha dav when he should be called to JOIN
those who had gone He soon found, how
axn,. th,t his ineXperience in the affairs OF
tho household rendered him an easy VIC
Tin, IN the peculations of his domeslcs'
md tn correct it he concluded to employ
bous4keeper. Among those who during
his wife's life had depended upon her reg
rI,rIv distributed charity was an lntelh-
cont woman who had married beneath hef
Station She welded n man VINO, aIter
,,,,,r fruitleSs efforts to make livelihood,
became racpicker. She felt the humllla-
tion of her position, and frequently lmpor-
tuned her husband to change the nature OF
his occupation, but it was the only one
+h,+ be had ever made remuneratve, ana
he obstinateiv persisted in pursuing 1t; 10
this woman the old gentleman rendered
tho nosition. His selection proved 10 be a
;'iJ;ir.i,,,s one She was thrifty, economi-
cal and ingenious, and even possessed a
very fair degree of administrative caPacl
tv which enabled her to check the eHtrilV-
aU;,nces of the servants and renuer hi''nH
nfhar v,luable services. Though she daily
rev in the confidence of her employer
her husbands : av0cltion was source o.
constant modification; to change IL be
came the ruling passion OF her NE one
thonght of it by day, and dreamed OF IL by
nioht: it was rarely absent from her Ihlho
One evening, several monlho later, IL
the old gentleman sat beside the hte "alcii
ing the sparks us they chased one anot'ie
up the chimney, and thinking OF tlie oea
opos no had lost. a dull, heavy feeling selz
ed him. and he felt that 1t Woulo npU y
Iorr h.f,r, he went to join them. He Tel
tb,f il was 4 fitting opportunity to put hi
bonse in order. He lit a lamp, drew dow
his box of papers and called his hou5ekeep
er. One bv one he showed her the paper
aS he took them Ou', explaining the purpor
of each. She listened eagerly. losing not
word and when the process was hnlshe
she knew the nature and full extent OF III
nossessions That night she could nc
SleeD Her husbands despicable calm
was ever present to her, while the Ola gen
tleman's vast possessions haunted her nh
4 feminine demon For two days she va
terribly excited, wandering about the nous
like AN uneasy spirit. The tinkle OF til
ragman's little bell almost made her mao
the old raos piled in the rear lot were
constant trouple: she knew not what
do
At an early hour few mornings late
when she appeared to have emerged frol
her moral struggle, she went out Tor
short time This was something unusua
as she rarely went out at any hour: IL
same evening. rs she handed the oid M;
his tea. her hand trembled so that 1t a
tracted his attention. 1t was rheumat, 81
she said. When the rag man returned !!
his dinner at noon the next day, MS WI
informed him that the old gentleman b;
not hcen stirring as usual; she feared |
was ill. Her husband knocked at the do
OF the Old mans sleeping apartment, al
receiving no answer after several inquire
broke the door open and found the old M;
dead in his bed-he had gone to join t
loved ones above. The coroner prOnOun
ed it apopleXy. There was no will;
least none was ever found, and in the a
sence of relations the woman took posse
sion of the property and disposed of all t
negotiable securities she found in the bo
The rag business was abandoned, her des
est wishes attained.
A few days ago the cottage thus uncel
meniously taken possession of was sold
taxes. The purchaser having some
rlOslty as to the manner in which M
carrying on a limited trade in rags acqu
ed the ownership of such desirable re
dence, instituted inquiries among
neighbors, examined the title, and the
suit of his investigation we have reclt
above. How many similar histories
main unwritten."
The Maine temperance people don't L
Dio Lewis's stories about the condition
things in their state. A meeting OF
organization along the line ofthe Knox a
lincoln railroad, the other day, pronou
,IL ~x,,,1 -,