Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1881-08-06
Selett Stony.
CHARLES MARSHALL.
A STORY WITH A MORAL.

Inc summer VhCAUlOu Will ulo CoiioBo
chum, Fred Davenport. The Marshalls,
who lived in an adjoining State, were
people in quite moderate circumstances,
and Charles had been brought up to
practice pretty strict economy. The
elegant living and lavish hospitality he
found at the fine Davenport residence
was striking novelty to him.
He enjoyed it all exceedingly, and
was greatly fattered by the polite and
considerate attention he received, al
though he did not approve of some of
the ways of the household. which were
unfamiliar to him. Sometimes he would
indulge in satirical comments, which he
doubtless thought to be very smart,
but which were, in reality, unbecoming
and rude.
One damp, rainy day, Miss Margaret,
his chum's sister, stood by the open
library fire cutting into narrow strips a
letter she had that morning received
and had just read. She then deftly
twisted them into paper-lighters, placing
them one by one as they were finished
into quaint old green porcelain jar
that stood on the carved mantel.
Young Marshall at the time was
lounging in an easy-chair near by,
watching the fair girl with an amused
look as she rapidly wound the dainty
spirals At length he spoke up in a
sarcastic tone of voice, "What queer
ideas of economy you people seem to
have. Now, when matches cost less
than two cents hundred, I am unable
to appreciate the economy of saving
them by devoting valuable time in
making paper-lighters."
"I thought had explained to you
once" and Margaret laughed, pleasantly,
"that we do not use paper-lighters as q
matter of economy at all, although the
fact that they save matches is not to be
lost sight of. 1t is matter OF taste
entirely. The smoke of lucifer match
of any kind, even parlor matches, is
disagreesble and is almost sure to set
some of us off coughing or sneezing."
"Well, it strikes me as decidedly
Objectionable way of treating the mis-
sives of ones correspondence" went on
the young cavalier, presently. "Rather
of an unfriendly 'cut should say"
"I fancy am the best judge of what
disposal I make of my correspondence" !"
replied Miss Margaret, with some
spirit. GAIL important letters I pre-
serve, of course, but mere chatty notes
from my school friends accumulate so
fast that think it best to make way
with them. Now, Ida Stanly, my chum at
Vassar, who affects this pink stationery,
does not object at all to my using her
letter to brighten my jar of paper
lighters. Just look. Is not the shade
lovely2 1t is just the color of the dear
girls cheeks"
One morning two or three days later
the young man handed Miss Margaret
O roll of music which he had volun-
teered to copy for her. 81 have had
no end of difficulty over it," said he, as
he glanced impatiently out of the win
dow. 81 upset my inkstand in my
writing desk, and so completely daubed
over letter l had just finished that I
was obliged to copy it. And at length.
in order to be in season to take drive
with your brother at the hour appointed,
was compelled to hurry this music.
1t presents much less neat appearance
than I wish it did"
The span of horses were now at the
door, and the young man left the room,
drawing on his gloves as he departed.
He had been gone few moments when
Miss Margaret proceeded to look over
the manuscript music. Lying between
the sheets in full view was one page of
young Marshall's blotted letter he had
referred to. At the first glance she saw
her name, and before she was really
aware that the hlotted paper had evil
IDENTIFY been placed in the roll by mis-
take, she had read:
"This is rare old place to visit I
assure you. The Davenports spend
money as though it grew on bushes,
and yet they use paper. lighters to
save matches, and fancy themselves to
be very economical, as we have to be at
home. By the way, I suspect Miss
Margaret is more than half in love with
me. She refused to pay visit at the
home of her very intimate friend, Ida
Stanly, while 1 was here. How do
know this to be fact, ask you, brother
Tomp Why, thanks to those same
'paper-lighters.' This Ida Stanly's
letter had been cut up into strips, rolled
up and placed in the economical porce-
lain jar over the mantel in the library.
lust nbstracted them from their re-
ceptacle, carefully unrolled them,
matched the strips and SO possessed
myself of pretty array of girlish
secrets. Oh, this is jolly place to
visit, and one small economy is much
better than all economy at home; SO