Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1875-01-07
THE RAMBER FORTUNE.
A NEW YRAR's STORY.

On the last day of the old year Mrs
Bamber entered her shop and served her
customers abstractedly, for her mind
was full of trouble She was the most
cheerful and sprightly of little women,
with bright keen blue eyes, q ruddy
bloom in her soft wrinkled cheeks, and
laXen hair arranged in stiff Curls about
her forehead but to-day the demand of
a small boy, in shrill tones for a bottle
of Bamber's Drops failed to produce the
delight usually manifested by her under
such circumstances. Banlhers Drops
was the remedy of her late husband for
all the ills flesh is heir to, and Mrs. Barn-
ber believed in it firmly witt ~ ;1,s- 49,
nj NJ, 20 s q had set
sadness and gloom before an unsymps-
thiztng world had consented to take his
panaeea by the tea spoonful AS tar as
the will of one fragile and very deter
mined woman could make the world re-
scind its objections, Mrs. Bamber had
prepared herself for the battle. When
the small boy had taken himself off
with his purchase, she leaned her elbow
on the counter and sighed deeply.
"'To think of the Platts coming to
this If Archibald was alive instead of
only his wife! He knew deal about
law, poor dear, and needed to, what
with 1mitators aud spurious articles to
iniure the trade would sell out and
give them every. penny, if | could find
a purchaser, and it wasn't all so. sudden.
Archibald was grateful to his dying
breath, and I'm not likely to forget that
We owe everything to DR.. Platt. Dear,
dear Five thousand dollars on fore
closed mortgage. / tell you it's pure
spite in that Hiram briggs; he don't
know how to behave himself yet as a
rich man.
Mrs Bamber's gaze strsyed anxiously
about the place, as it searching for way
out of her difficulties. Did the clew ac-
tually lie in her grasp without her being
aware of it /? The shop was very tiny.
but exquisitely nest, and the variety of
articles for sale, which made it almost
museum, was arranged with certain
artistic perception of harmonious color
ing. The late DIR. Bamber had been
chemist, and one side of the place was
devoted to those medicines which wo-
man may dispense without being a Ii
censed apotheeary but the rest of his
stock had been removed across the way
to the new drug store, which was grief
to Mrs. Bamber's soul, and replaced on
her shelves with a few books, stationery
and gay worsteds. y s.s-.s
ssWhy should not be the apothecary
after Archibald 2" she had said to DR..
Platt, with an energetic nod OF the head.
'.Don't j know as much as Peyton ? .s-
Peyton was the rival over the way.
DR.. Plat, a rosy, good natured gentle
man, had made some soothing response
to mollify feminine vanity, and
suggested the stationery department. as
fresh field of usefulness. s...
Mrs. Bamber's eyes rested on the VEL
uanes opposite, a package of valentines
in which the town indulged at the proper
season, a jumping jack dangling help
Jessly from a nail. Never by any chance
did her gaze wander to the shop VIM
dow. She went over TO the other side
and opened q showcase; which contain
ed fat pineushions and impossible pen
wipers, articles made. by old ladies of
the reduced gentleWoman type, and pre-
sented here for sale.
II believe that / would sell my own
soul to raise the money and help them
ont of trouble" /" said Mrs Bamber, We
and then she took up a PIN
cushion as if in hopes it might turn to
gold in her hand. t'Pooh these things
have lain here for years What good
are they ~. ..-t-5 ...5s- ,,t.s .s-
An aquarium occupied a place in the,
center of the shop "a crystal house
where silky lfibres ,of sea,weed grew
about mimic grettoes, and fish of
metallic hues flashed through the waters.
A guilty pang smote the little woman at
the sight of it, In all these years of
hard work and lonely widowhood the
aquarium was the. only extravaganza
she had allowed herself, and often would
she spend her time of rest gazing into
the miniature world If she could
nov give the money it had cost to: the
Platt family. -, - =. q. s..
{ a white. gleam came softly through
the window from the snow covered.
street winter seemed to- muffle the.
town of Stoneport in a mantle of silence.
setting each household in a seperate at
mosphere of individuality. Up on the
hili, where genteel Stoneport -dWelt ia.
large cid fashioned mansions, the music
of sleigh bells and merry voices were to
be heard, but down here on the main.