Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1876-01-07
THE NEW yE4Rs .srOcKINQ.

THE NEW YEARS STOCKING.
"Nevcr crosses his is, nor dots his is,
and his MS aud VS. and IS are all alike!
said, almost despairingly, Mr.. Simon
Quillpen, the painstaking clerk of old
Lawyer Latitat as he sat late at night on the
last day of the year, digging away at the
| copy of q legal document his liberal patron
and employer had placed in his hands in
the early part Of the evening. THANK
Heavenr he added, laying down his pen,
and consulting a huge silver bulls eye
which he pulled from threadbare fob, ~
shall soon get through this job, and then.
| hey for roast potatoes and the charming So
ciety of Mrs. or And with this consola-
tory reelection, he resumed his work with
redoubled energy.
Mr.. Quillpon was little man; not so
very little as to pass for phenomenon,
but certainly too small to be noticed by
recruiting grenadier sergeant. His nose
was quite sharp, aud gave his wild, thin
counienance, particularly as lie carried his
head little Gu one side, very bird-lke
air. lie trCd, too. gingeriy and lightly,
very like sparrow or a tom-tit and, 10
complete the analogy, his head being al
most always surmounted by pen, he had
a sort of crested; blue -jayish aspect, that
was rather comical. Quilpen had q very
little wife and three very little children,
Bob, Chilly and the baby; the last the ul-
innate specimen Of the dbnnueadO. 1t was
well for them that lbey were so small, for
Quillpcn Obtained his StdrueiihoOd by driv-
ing the Quill for Mr.. LaIilat at four hun
dred dollars year, to which Mrs. Quill
pen added, fiom time TO time, certain little
sums derived nom making shirts and
oyerals at the rate OF about ten cents the
million stitches.
Whether MI. Laliiat was able TO pay
more was a question that never entered the
minute brain Of Simon Quillpon; for he
had so humble an opinion OF his own mor-
its, and was always so contented and cheer
ful, that he regarded his salary as enor-
nous, and was wont playfully TO sign little
confidential notes CIesus Qullpen and
Girard Quillpen, and ON rare occasions
would sometimes style himself Baron
Rothschild. But this last title was very
rarely INDUCED in because it once sent his
particular cruny, chuckle-headed clerk
in the post-ofiice, into a cachinnatoTy ft,
which was "rayther in the apoplectic line"
ITO return to our muttons," Simon dug
away at his copying with an occasional
rev erential glance at a certain low oaken
door, opening into the penetrdIid of this
abode of law and righteousness, behind
which oaken door, al that very moment,
sat Mr.. Lucius Latitat, either deeply en-
gagged in the solution OF some vast legal
problem, or calculating the interest on an
outstanding note, or consulting with chuck
ling delight list of mortgages 10 be fore
closed.
Well-Quillpen finished his document,
| wiped his pen on thick velvet butterfly,
laid it in the rack above the ink, pushed
back his chair from the table, withdrew the
eambric sleeve from his right arm, anG
smOothed down his wristbands, having
| first put on his India rubber ovorshoes.
The fact is, he was very anxious to get
home, and he could not go without first
seeing NV. Lalitat. The idea of knocking
at Mr.. Latitat's door on business of his
own, never once occurred TO him. He
would do that for a client, but not for him
| SELL % ne NGululNu OH Il StIlCS Ol low
coughs, and finding no notice was taken of
them, he dropped the poker into the coal
| hod, the most daring act he had ever per-
| petrated. The slight noise thus produced
crashed on his guilty ears like thunder, or
rather with the roar of a universal earth
| quake. Slight, however, as it was, it
brought out Mr.. Latitat from his interior.
"What the deuce are you making such a
racket ior?" he exclaimed in tones that
thrilled 10 the heart of his employee; then,
without waiting for an answer, he slightly
| glanced at the table, and asked, shave you
| got through that iob?"
"Yes'm-I mean, yes'r," replied the
quivering Simon.
"Well, then, you can go; Pm going my
SELF You blow out the lights and lock the
room,. And mind and be here early to-
morrow morning. Nothing like begin
ming the New Year well. Good night"
"Mr. Lalitat, sirv' cried Quillpen, with
desperate resolution as he saw tho great
man about TO disappear-"please, sir
cou Id you let me have little money to-
night ?"
"Why what do you want of money -
retorted the lawyer. "oh s'pose you
have host of unpaid bills"
"No, sir, no, sir, that's not it," Simon
FASTENED to say. 81 hain't got nary bill
standing. 1 pay as go. Cash takes the
| lotp
"None of your coarse, vulgar slang TO
me |" said Latital, "reserve il for your
loose companions. If not 10 pay bills,
what for?'
"Please, sir-we, that is, Mrs. q. and