Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1879-05-16

out of the windows either for forty dol
lars a month"; Myra had to quiet me
sort of stroke me down.
"The visitors were afraid the house
leaked or smoked or did something else !:
they were so grabbed and contrary that
| was about plagued to death. They
came and went, and came and went, like
Nightmares after welsh rabbit At last
MIR. Stickney came-a nice, respecta 1le-
looking person. He seemed UP to the
mark, promised fair, agreed to pay
punctually every month. / took long
breath, and we thought all would be
right. The first month he said the stove
needed tinkering and the gas-fxtures
were out of order; it would take the
whole months rent to fix them up, but
these were permanent improvements and
would increase the value of the property.
He seemed plausible: frankie needed
some new clothes, but we had no money
that month. Well, next payday it was
something else, and he took it out of the
rent-permanent improvement again;
and so iG has been for six I1IvntIIs; lie
has never paid a cent. He looks RS
satisfied and grand as if he owned the
world when | ask him as civil as / can
for Myra's rent. 1t made me real saucy
to see him, with his chew of tobacco in
his mouth, domineering over daughter
and me. Mrs. Coutts, he said, wo-
men don't know anything about bust
ness (the old fogyD; they can't under
stand the why's and the wherefores of
trade You are very smart. Mr., Stick
ney,' replied, and very polite besides;
but any one, even woman, can tell that
when a man rents a house and lives in it
he ought to pay. We don't know any
thing about business, perhaps-more's
the pity. If we were not meant to know
something about business, why were our
natural protectors taken awayP They
would not allow wolves and Stickneys
to cheat and swindle us; and it stands
to reason we ought to know enough to
take care of ourselves
:" It's of no use for me ever to 90 there
again; [ came to you to help us, for l
am at my wits end"
"What about the libel, Mrs. Coutts?"
| ventured to ask. -E
A slight drawing of the corner of her
mouth indicated that the subject was
not altogether an unpleasing one to my
client. "Do you think" she replied,
there is any harm in sending Bible to
u Ilttn w llO UOll SGGln CfCI W IlttNb IGtlu
oneP | made present to the Stickney
man of twenty-five cent Testament.
with the leaf turned down a. the verse
about devouring widows houses, and
you'd have thought it was a rattlesnake,
he was so furious, Do you think" she
asked, a little anxiously, they could
harm Myra because l gave him that
Testament? He told me he would sue
us for libel; and all on account of
dogs ear in the good Book" she said,
with a smile.
"Another question l want to ask''you
is, why did you call on meP"
She smoothed her handkerchief very
deliberately over her knees and ironed it
with her hand as she replied, well,
you used to pass by my house every
morning, and you stepped SO peart and
looked so fresh and young thought per-
haps you might not know as much law
as some of the big bugs, but l didn't be-
lieve you'd had time to forget your own
mother, and maybe you would have the
heart to help poor distracted mother
get the right for her child. ] never
meant to talk so long, but the way you
spoke of your mother opened my heart,
and everything came out before / could
stop.
That decided me. The appeal was
made to one suffering from an attack of
that home-sickness which never comes
but once, when the youth has left home
for good, is in the midst of strangers
waiting for business, and his unoccupied
time gives him ample leisure to dwell on
the state of things for ever behind him.
" | will attend to your case, Mrs. Coutts, :"
| said, promptly, 81 and it shall not be my
fault if this swindling goes on any
longer"
[ went to see "my daughter Myra," :"
and visited Mr.. Stickney also. The
arguments of a man and lawyer in the
course of time proved effectual, and after
ward the money was promptly paid. But
Mr.. Stickney has moved away; Myra's
mother is my mother now. We are liv-
ing in Myra's house, and whatever other
people may think, it is enough for me to
know that she is satisfied with her new
tenant. This is the reason why | thank
God that Myra's mother was my first
client.-Lippinc0H.