Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1875-01-27
lSSlTTFIS AND BROWNS,


lsMTTHS AND BROWNS.
"I'll tell you what it is, wife" said
Peter Smith, and he emphasized the
remark by wise shake ofthe forefin-
ger, "things have got into bad way
The farm is mortgaged to the last
cent it is worth, and / owe heap Of
money besides-more, by long shot,
than l know how to pay. What is tc
be done ?"
'I'm sure don't know, Peter" re-
piled the bothered wife, "but it seems
too awful to be turned out of house
and home at our time of life. Now,
if our son John would only marry Jo-
mas Browns daughter Sally, it would
help us amazeingly. The Browns,
you sec, are well off, and the connec-
ton would be perfect gold mine to
us. Of course they'd give Sally the
hundred acres of land, and things
that they have always said they
would"
"Thats a good idea, wife," said
Peter brightning up amazeingly.
"You always were cute woman, and
the notion does you credit But dc
you think the young folks would take
to it ?"
81 don't know, but it seems to me
that they have always taken a great
notion to each other ever since they
were children-been more like broth
er and sister than anything else
''But suppose the Browns should
object, as most likely they would ?
You know we amt on good terms
thick as the young folks have BEEN
"Ill tell you what, Peter, is just the
thing for us to do-put up John tc
elope with Sally"
"Agreed. will leave it all to you
to manage"
Thus the matter was settled, anC
the scheming couple went to bed tc
dream OF a speedy release from thei'
financial embarrassments.
Coinscidences are sometimes of the
most serious character-almost sur
passing belief in some instances
About the time of the above conver
sation between Mr.. and Mrs. Smith
their neighbors, Mr.. and Mrs. Jonas
Brown, held an important confer
ence.
''Do you remember that note fol
six hundred dollars / gave for STOCK
last spring p asked Jonas.
eyes," replied the wife.
"Well, it's coming due in about :
month, and how under the sun we'r'
going to pay it l don't know"
"Mortgage the farm"
"We'ye done that until it can't b,
mortgaged another cent. I'm cleal
discouraged and there's Sally want
ing piano. Where the money il
coming from is more than l know
We're on the verge of bankruptcy
81 wish Sally would marry Johl
Smith-gracious knows they're to
gether enough to take notion tina
way
"Yes butt don't see how tina
would help us any
"You don't, eh ? Well l do. Ain
his folks rich and wouldn't they Sc
him up handsomely q? Then we coul'
stand some chances of getting hell
through Sally"
"Thats a good plan,' was Jonas
conclusion after profound meditation
"but the difficulty is, that the Smith
are not Oh good terms with us, ant
would be likely to oppose the match.
"Then the best plan is to set tn
young folks up to an elopement.
So it chanced that the Browns ant
Smiths planned to dispose of thei
children to their own pecuniary ad
vantage. The next stepln each cas-
to was to mould the young ones to tn
proper shape.
John Smith was a handsome, Draw
ny, country fellow, with plenty o
good sense and. an ocean of love fo
Sally Brown. When his parents pro
posed his marrying her, he informed
them that he would gladly do SO, bu
he feared that her parents would oh
ject, Then his father slyly suggested
an elopement, and offered to aid il
carrying out. such an exploit, Joh1
said he would think about it.