Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1877-10-26

II see. What can be done y
Nothing" with rueful laugh. That's
the worst Of il. / can only keep on and hope
for the best But il is hard. when with this
miserable thousand dollars could double my
chances 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 sndly into
the fire.
''If we sold every thing all this which
aunty left us-the home, every thing couldn't
we get the thousand dollars?" / asked, des-
perately.
John shook his head II couldn't let you
do that, Cree, in any case. You'll want your
share some day for yourself it mustn't go in
to buying practice for me. But, apart from
that, houses sell so badly now that this would
not realize much over the value of the mort
gage at forced sale. And the furniture,
though worth good deal to keep, would go
for nothing at an auction That plan 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. 1--WE may do that, mayn't we,
John 2"
"Of course That is thing you must do
sooner or later. Look over the house, and
make list carefully, and wen consult 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 l don't need and
cant take, | cried impetuousy Something
to fill up the long days and keep us from
thinking and getting blue is what we want.
Wen make the list tomorrow, John"
little more talk and he rose to go.
Did you stop at the post-office John!"
Yes. There was nothing for you"
Not even the IHtelHgeacer" asked Sue,
langnidly.
Il forgot to tell you. There has been a
great fire in New York and the Intelhgencer
is burned out. Abner brought the news over;
it was telegraphed to the junction They say
the building is a total loss, 80 | suppose there
won't be any publication for Wholesome
days at least"
Poor aunty how sorry she would be :"
sighed Sue. "Aunty took the paper ever
since it began, forty live years ago. She new
er missed IA number There it all is, upstairs
stacks and stacks of it. She was so proud
of her file. It's no use at all now, suppose,
is it. John z"
The ragman will give penny pound for
it," l suggested that's something"
wen weigh the lot dne of these dnys, and
see what we can realize" said John. Good
night. children"
1t was a ghostly task which we set out to
do next day The past itself. the faint frag-
mentary past. seems to be wrapped up and
nclosed in those bundles of time-worn arti-
cles with which elderly people cucumber their
store-rooms, and closet shelves. Some air of
antiquity eXhales as you open them, and,
mingling with our modern air, produces an
impression half laughabe, half sad. Aunt
Priscilla had been born collector. She loved
old things because they We're old, apart from
use or value, and instinct and principle COM
bined had kept her from ever throwing away
any thing in her life. Had she been richer,
her garret would indeed have proved q mine
of treasures for the bric-a-brlc hunters No
tin peddlcr would have laid eyes on her and
irons her claw-legged tables would have
held their place her Spode and Worcester
= wares sat undisturbed upon their upper shelf,
century in and ont. But Aunt Priscilla had
no claw-legged tables no brsses or old china.
Instead, we found vast stores of odds and
ends-bits of by-gone dresses, rolls of faded
chintz. papers yellow with age, pamphlets
which no mortal ever had read or would read,
old books, coverless with pages torn away.
scraps of rusty iron, screws without heads, aud
nails without points. The furniture, though
neat and whole. was of the plainest. Even
our Impractical eyes could see its lack of val
ne. Who would want to buy the old-time
r. dimity curtains, with ball fringes sewed along
their edges, or the countcrpanes, made by
Aunt Priscillas own hands ont of the calicoes
of her youth? Our list was very short one.
} A few chairs and tables dozen thin spoons
5 and a small teapot in silver, the huge news
paper heap which had appraised at penny
the pound-these seemed the only salable
things and We looked comically and grimly
into each others faces as we set them down.
l Il wish it Were possible to eat the IhtelG-
Z geHcers," said /.
They say newspapers make excellent coun-
I terpanes," replied Sue-''warmer than blank.
| cts"
l Yes, and they say that a tea-spoonful OF
t | Liebig's Extract gives as much nourshment
e as ever so muchrosat beef, retorted l. but
= it seemed to me, when l tried it, that except
% for taste in my mouth as if had swallowed
an old shoe, l shouldn't have known that
had eaten anything at all.
John came as usual in the evening Here
e is enterprise :" he called out as he came in.
5 What is enterprise 7"
The IntelhgeHceri Behold it, large as
t life, and looking just as usual only forty
eight hours after the fire That's what | cal
n pluck"
4 Isn't - cried Sue admiringly, as sht
b drew the paper from its wrapper, and held il
b.. to the blaze that she might see the familiar
4 page. Meanwhile l took from my pocket oui
+ melancholy little list
h You were right, John. She and hav,
= searched the house over to-day, and this is al
there is of any value-the furniture, lttl,
n silver and these wretched IattlGgeHcers."
t l was interrupted by startled cry. SUE
= WIS gazing at the newspaper in her hand witt
large, dilated eyes. Her cheeks had flushed
4 pink.
e What is it? What is the matter 2" botl
e of MS cried in breath
f Just read this Oh, John, don't believe
: it Read"
t She thrust the paper into his hand and h'
read
$1,000 PRE 5s1ns beea rtaE destoyea of
4 are on the evening OF the 18th inst. we offer th
above price for complete and perfect set of the III
e 'eigencer from its first number March 4, 1880, t
v present date. Any person able to supply set a
q stated will please communicate with the publisher
- p. o. Box 1851, New York.
/ "A thousand dollars! Oh, Sue OH John
what piece of good fortune! Dear aunty-
e think of her file turning out such n treasure
e II is too wonderful to be true. feel as though
l. it were dream" )" and danced up and dow
# the kitchen floor.
o John and Sue We're equally excited
Only" promised the former, I'VE muslin
A forget that some one else may have II file o
Y the Intligencer, and get ahead of MS.
2 This wet blanket of "A suggestion kept M
!. awake all night, My thoughts kept flying t.
l. New York, anticipating the letter which w
v had written, and John posted overnight 70
the early stage. If it should be lost in tn
e mails When morning came | was too wear.
7 and too fidgety to employ myself in any way
h But about noon John walked in comfort il
his eyes.
e why, John, how funny to see you here a
n this hour Why do you look so? You haven
" heard yet you can't for the letter is onl
IS halfway there"
but hdce heard got ahead of the lei
k ter-drove over to the junction, teleglRphed
al paid for the answer, and here it il"
A. Blessed John This was the telegram
II ''Send file at once. Check ready to you