Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1875-12-30
THE BAMBER FORTUNE.
A New Years Story.

On the last DAY OF tne ola year MIS-.
Bamber entered her shop and served her
customers abstractedly, tor her mind was
full of trouble. She was the most cheer
full and sprightly Of little women, with
bright, keen, blue eyes, a ruddy bloom in
her soft, yrinkled cheeks, and tlaXen hair
arranged in stiff curls about her forehead !;
but to-day the demand of a small boy, in
shrill tones, for bottle of Bamber's Drops
failed to produce thedelight usually mani
tested by her under such circumstances.
Bamber's Drops was the remedy of her
late husband for all the ills flesh is heir
to, and Mrs. Bamber believed in it firmly
with the ardor of sanguine nature and
loving heart. The late DR.. Bamber's star
had set in sadness and gloom before an
unsympathizing world had consented to
take his panacea by the teaspoontul AS
far as the will of one fragile and very de-
termined woman could make the world
rescind its objections Mrs. Bamber had
prepared herself for the battle. When the
purchase she leaned her elbow on the
counter and sighed deeply.
"To think of the Plat,S coming to thisl
If Archibald was alive, instead of only his
wife! lie knew deal about law, poor
dear, and needed to- what with imitators
and spurious articles to injure 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 Pm not
likely 10 forget that we owe everything to
DR.. Plat Dear, dear! Five thousand
dollars, or foreclosed mortgage tell
you it's pure spite in that Hiram briggs ;;
he don't know how to behave himself yet
ds rich man"
Mrs Bamber's gaze strayed aHYiously
about the place, as if searching for a way
out Of her difficulties. Did the clew actu-
ally lie in her grasp without her being
aware of ity The shop was very tiny, but
exquisitely neat, and the variety OF ar
ticles for sale, which made it almost a
museum, was arranged with certain ar
tistic perception of harmonious coloring.
The late DR.. Bamber had been chemist,
and one side of the place was still devoted
to those medicines which woman may
dispense without being licensed apothe-
cary; but the rest of his stock had been
removed across the way TO the new drug
store, which was q grief to Mrs. Bamber's
soul, and replaced on her shelves with Il
few books, stationery and gay worsteds.
"Why should not be the apothecary
after Archibald?" she had said to DR..
Plat, with an energetic nod OF the head
" Don't know as much as Peytony W
Peyton was the rival over the way Dr.
Platt, rosy, good natured gentleman,
had made some soothing response calcu-
lated to mollify feminine vanity, and sug-
gested the stationery department as fresh
field of usefulness.
Mrs. Bamber's eyes rested on the vol
umes opposite, a package OF valentines in
which the town INDUCED at the proper
season, a jumping jack dangling helpless
ly from nail. Never by any chance did
her gaze wander to the shop window.
She went over to the other side and opened
show case, which contained fat pin
cushions and impossible pen-wipers, ar
ucles made by old ladies OF the reduced
gentlewoman type and presented here for
sale.
- | believe that | would sell my own
soul 10 raise the money and help them
out of trouble" said Mrs Bamber, vehe-
mently; and then she took up pin
cushion as if in hopes it might turn 10
gold in her hand. Pooh! these thin gs
have lain here for years. What good are
they:'
An aquarium occupied a place in the
center OF the shop-a crystal house where
silky fibers OF sea-weed grew about mimic
grouoes, ard fish OF metallic hues flashed
through the waters. A guilty pang smote
the little woman al the sight OF 1t. In all
these years of hard work and lonely wild.
owhood the aquarium was the only extrav.
agance she had allowed herself, ana often
would she spend her time of rest gazing
into the miniature water-world. If she
could now give the money it had cost to
the Plat family
A white CLEAN came softly through the
window from the snow-covered streets
winter seemed to mufiie the town of Stone
port ia mantle OF silence, setting each
household in separate atmosphere o.
individuality. Up on the hill where
genteel Stsnepor dwelt in large, old