St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1881-04-01
Poorly Rich.
BY ROSE TERRY COOKE.

sighed Mrs. Manners, as she lalu down
the fifth shirt she was making.
There are various kinds of poverty.
Mrs. Manners would have been called
rich by any shop-girl in New York, but
she felt very poor, and Scripture, as
well as common sense, tells us that as
man "thinketh in his heart, so is he"
Her husband was book keeper in a
great On-manufactory they had no
children, they were not in debt, and on
their pleasant fiat, keeping one servant,
Mrs. Manners need not even have made
her husbands shirts if she preferred to
put them out or buy them. Still she
was unhappy; she wanted a house of
her own, a sealskin sacque, velvet
dress, library full of books, plenty of
silver, china, pictures,-for her tastes
were refined as we'll as luxurious. She
was discOntented, in fact; and it went
to John Manners heart to see the line
deepen on her white forehead aud gloom
gather in her bright eyes day by day !;
but lie could not help it.
''Just look at Mr.. c, and Mr.. D." she
often said to him. "They began as
poor boys, and now they are rolling in
money. am sure you're just as smart
as they are, John. Why don't we get
rich
John Manners could not answer.
The truth was such people as Mr.. c.
and Mr.. ID. are exceptional they had
remarkable business talent and great
energy. John Manners had neither ;
he was rather a slow-moulded man, in
dustrious, patient, honest, and good
tempered man most attentive to and
careful of his wife, and painfully anX
iOus to make her happy and contented.
Caroline Dart was farmers daugh
ter, neighbOr of Parson Manners, and
when the clergyman's son went into the
Thor Iron works, instead of studying
for the ministry, everybody in Stafford
was surprised; but John had no wish
to be a Clergyman, and he did wish to
marry Garry Dart, whom lie had loved
ever since their school days. 1t had
seemed great promotion to Garry to
leave teaching district school and go to
live in the city, when John got rise in
his salary, and could ask her to marry
him at last; and it seemed to. him no.
body could be happier than he, with
enough to live on aud lay by, and
dear, thrifty, smiling wife to welcome
him home from work. But when the
novelty wore off Carry was by no
means smiling or happy. She had been
parsonage in Stafford, here she was
nobody. There all knew her, and her
dark red silk wedding dress, which she
had earned by teaching, was almost too
gorgeous to wear to chuach here it
was hardly good enough, and her bon
net was entirely out of style. How
ever, she had good taste and nimble
fingers, and soon wore as fashionable
garments as other people, if they were
of poor material. But she wanted bet
ter things, and to that end saved,
spared, pinched in food and fire, and
fretted in helpless sort of way, at last
sending her servant away and undertake
ing the work herself. But city air,
stairs, want of out door exercise, and
hard work, soon told on her aspect at
least. She grew thin and sallow, and
did not like to look in the glass; still,
she consoled herself with thinking OF
the handsome set of furniture she had
at last been able to buy,-a set OF
heavy, carved walnut with damask up
holstery, that filed up that tiny parloI
in the most cOmfOrtless fashion. Then
John began to have dyspepsia. Why
not? She gave him the poorest sort oi
meat, badly cooked bread from a
cheap bakery that, of course, had to be
adulterated to be sold cheaply; stale
vegetables, bought at half price; nc
fruit, eggs, fresh fish, or savory soups
and, besides these dreary meals, hel
dreary face at the other end of the ta-
BILE did not add to that cheerfulness SC
necessary to assist digestion. After a
few years Johns work became very
much harder. The heads of the firm
proposed to him to have a clerk, but be
saw here a prospect to make more mon
ey, and, as he thought of Garry, his
heart grew light, and he offered to dc
the extra work at night if they would
give him the extra salary. OF course
they consented. John was better fitteC
for their wants than any stranger. whC
would have to be taught, drilled, ad
mitted into their private affairs, and
perhaps, after all, prove untrustwOrthy
If Carry was lonely evenings she die
not say so it was so good to have Johr
making more money And, as she wa
not now obliged to spend her evening
playing backgammon with him, or talk
ing over the daily news, or going to tn,
evening meetings of the church t,
which they belonged, she had just 81
much more time, and, to improve it
got copying to do from lawyers office
She did so hope they would have
house of their own some time; and
ever the lovely, rosy children she me-
with their nurses, walking out on tn,
avenue, as she traversed it on her wa,
to get her work, sent pang of cOvetOu
admiration through her human heart
she sternly repressed it children wer
such a dreadful expense, they coul,
never, never afford it.
So things went on for five years
John grew thin and haggard ever.
year; his hair began to show gre,
threads, and his skin was lifeless an,
sallOw. He never had time to 90 any
where. If his Sunday school clas
asked him to go with them on an,
church excursion, he had no time. If
friend called in on Sunday evenin
after church, for they had made FEY
! acqnaintances,-and asked if he wer
going to some cheap concert, or free lee
tuTe, the answer was invariably "No,
! have no time; | have so much to do.
, And Garry gave the same answer
: Even on the legal holidays they too
no outings, except to wander up int
the park, if it were summer,-a pleas
ure free to the poorest; or to atten
church on Thanksgiving days, an
= Christmas at some other church tha
,, their own, with better music and fine
e decorations than they should see else
: where. To tell the truth, most of thes
Q holidays John spent on the sofa. ha