Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1877-10-27

Hteicob taheu OuJ. lou nave always
seemed cozy and comfortable.
4" We always have been. But we had
the garden, you know, and the COW that
gave us two-thirds of our living. Aunty
was wonderful housekeeper, though.
Isn't it great deal cheaper to feed
women than men2 She always said SO. {"
81 suppose it is. Men are carniver-
GUS. A diet of tea and vegetables don't
suit them very well they are apt to
grumble for something more solid.
Well, my dear girls, our summing up
isn't very satisfactory. Even without
the mortgage, you couldn't live on fifty
dollars year"
"No. And I've been thinking what
we could do. So has Cree, though we
haven't spoken to each other about it.
1 might teach district school, perhaps.
And Cree"
az could take place as plain cook.
There isn't any thing else / can do SO
we'll. Plain cooking, with dripping and
soap-fat by way of perquisites )" and 1
gave laugh which was meant to be
merry. .--.......-.
cit is hard, said John, with moody
look on his face which was foreign to its
usual frank brightness. "How much q
little money would sometimes do for
people who can't get it, and how little it
is worth to other people, who fling it
away without thought of its value A
thousand dollars, now Any rich man
would consider it mere bagatelle in his
expenses; but if could command the
sum, it would make us three comfortable
for life" - W. -
Chow do You mean What would
you do with a thousand dollars if you
had it, John ?''
"I'll tell you. Langworthy is going
to sell his practice"
"Ohw ~
SIT is large practice, for the country,
you know. 1t brings him in six or eight
hundred year-sometimes more. He
has chance to gointo partnership with
his brother out West somewhere, and
he'll sell for a thousand"
But, John, some people like YOU
better than they do DR.. Lagnworthy."
Yes, some people do. But the
question is, will they like me better
than the other man who buys DIR. Lang
worthy out If / were that man, I
should command both practices. It is
a chance, don't you see2 But new
man coming in has his chance to cut me
out. -- ~
II see. What can be done ?"
"Nothing," with rueful glance
"That's the worst of it. l can only
keep on and hope for the best. But it
is hard, when with this miserable thou
| cor1 1pI1orc r f.nr1I1 ,1p1l,1a INV obanoo.
and make nice home for you two. Sue,
darling, don't cry"
She had laid her cheek down on his
arm, but she wasn't crying, only looking
sadly into the fire.
If we sold every thing, all this
which aunty left us-the home, every
thing-couldnt we get the thousand dol
lars ?" I asked, desperately.
John shook his head. 81 couldn't let
you do that, Cree, in any case. You'll
want your share some day yourself it
mustn't go into buying practice for me.
But, apart from that, houses sell SO
badly now that this wouldn't realize much
over the value of the mortgage at n
forced sale. And the furniture, though
worth good deal to keep, would go for
!
wouldn't do at all for any of u.s."
Still, there's no harm in thinking
about it, and seeing what we have, and
what it's worth, urged. loath to give
up any ghost of chance. "We may
do that, maynt we John ?"
"Of course. That is thing you must
do sooner or later Look over the house,
and make list carefully, and we'll con-
suit and fix on approximate values.
Don't hurry about it, though. Next
week is time enough, and know you
need rest"
Rest is the very thing don't need
and can't take" cried, impetuously.
Something to fill up the long days and
keep us from thinking and getting blue
is what we want. Well make the hsi
tomorrow, John.
A little more talk and he rose to go.
Did you stop at the post-office,
John"
eyes There was nothing for you"
"Not even the Lnteliigencer?" asked
Sue, languidly.
81 forgot to tellyou. There has beer
great fire in New York, and the Intel
Hgencer is burned out. Abner brought
the news over; it was telegraphed to the
junction. They say the building is @
total loss, so l suppose there won't be
any publication for Wholesome days
Mt least.
Poor aunty! how sorry she would
bel'' sighed Sue. "Aunty took the
paper ever since it began, forty-fivt
years ago. She never missed o number
There it all is, up stairs-stacks anG
, stacks OF it. She was 80 proud of hel
file. It's no use at all now, I suppose,
3 is it, John ?"
: THE ragman will give penny 6
pound for it." I suggested ; "that's
something"
, "We'n weigh the lot one of these
, days, and see what we can realize" sale
| John. "Good night, children"
I 1t was ghostly task which we set out
to do next day. The past itself, thu
3 faint, fragmentary past, seems to bt
wrapped up and inclosed in those bun.
dies of time-worn articles with which
} elderly people cucumber their store
rooms and closet shelves. Some air o
antiquity exhales as you open them, and
| mingling with our modern air, produces
! an impression half laughable, half sad
Aunt Priscilla had been born collector
/ She loved old things because they were
, old, apart from use or value, and instinc
and principle combined had kepther from
! ever throwing away any thing in her life
Our list was very short one. A few
. chairs and tables, dozen thin spoons
/ and small teapot in silver, the hug,
newspaper heap which / had appraised
| at penny the pound--these seemed th,
} only saleable things; and we looked
comically and grimly into each others