Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-08-20
Written for the Sunday Globe.l
WHAT Is IN THE ATTIC?
BY q. WASHINGTON JONES.

| tending back through period of lit
tie more than fifty years. How many
| pleasant memories were recalled from
the day the young and pretty Miss Sallie
| Stewart promised to be the loving wife
of the manly, handsome George Thomas.
The sun did not ever shine upon them,
| for at times dark and angry clouds over
hung their way as they struggled along
| through poverty to affluence, but in the
heart of each one the sun ever shone and
| happiness and contentment never wan
dered from the home of Mr.. and Mrs.
Thomas. The happiness of this family
had been intensified by the birth of six
| children-three BOYS and three girls.
| who at this time were dead or married
| and had left the old ancestral home.
hoary with age and golden memories.
| leaving the aged couple the only occu-
pants of the old homestead. The fresh
| ness of youth had passed away. Age.
cares and infirmities had wrinkled their
once smooth and fair brows, bat as they
sat close to each other and brought in
| review their experiences, they looked as
much like lovers as they did on their bril-
dial day, and here in the evening of their
lives we find them the same loving couple.
| who more than fifty years since launched
their bark upon the rough, rugged, seeth.
ing ocean of life. In the course of con-
versation some reference was made to an
old piece Of furniture which the wife
said had been in the attic for more than
twenty years. 81 wonder what there is
in the attic" queried Mr. Thomas, and
| both agreed to go up and overhaul the
worthless accumulation, which being
| without any positive value was too good
| to be thrown away and hence had
been assigned a position in this
out of the way place. All, here the very
| first thing to attract my attention is the
cradle in which ali of our children were
! rocked, and well do l remember where,
| and from whom, purchased it, and how
proud l felt at the thought of being the
rightful owner of such piece of furni-
ture. l bought it of old Mr.. Kern, a
furniture dealer who has long since passed
| away, and when l come to think of it
| not single member of his family is alive
to-day-all-all dead. Wife, how proud
| we were to rock the infant George in that
cradlei He was our first-born, and it
seemed to us that he was to be the staff
and support of both, but deaths dark
shadows passed over our house. George
sickened, grew pale, and the light of his
| lamp hickered in the socket and at last
went out, and grief, dark and
| bitter, entered our hearts. Although
this event occurred long, long ago,
| yet 1t is as fresh in my memory as if it
| occurred but yesterday. How well I can
remember his marble features as we laid
him in his coffin. A last long look, the
coffin lid was screwed down and George
passed from our sight but not from our
| memories.
Stewart, our next son, was beautiful
child. We tried not to love him SO much
for fear God would take him to himself.
He too, was rocked in this cradle. [
| wish he were here with us.
You remember he said he would make
us visit after congress adjourned, so we
may reasonably expect him in few
| weeks. Husband, do wish you would
prevail upon him to give up politics.
The passage of the "River and Harbor
Bill'' over the presidents veto shows
very clearly that the majority of con-
gressmen are very corrupt and although
Stewart voted to sustain the presi-
dents veto, like all honest
men should have done, yet 1 fear that
his association with SO many rascals may
tend to swerve him from the path OF rec
titude. Twill try and dissuade him, my dear
| wife, from allowing his name to be used
for another term. | do wish that we
could have all Of our children with us
once more, but as we are getting cid we
can hardly expect it. Yet, we should
derive great comfort from the blessed
assurance that we shall all meet in the
happy land, and little George, who has
long been there, will be able to teach us
''the song of Moses and the Lamb" How
much comfort true religion brings to the
old time-worn believers We shall all
meet again, and the time is not far dis
tant, in few more weeks or months or
years at most, we shall have to resign
our bodies to the dust as they were, but
our spirits freed from these poor earthen
vessels will wing their fight to
heaven and there be with Jesus forever
and ever.
But let us push our research further.
Here is all that is left of Sallie's doll.
Put on your glasses and look at the dress
she made with her own little deft fingers.
1t is made from remnant of the dress
| bought for you in New York in 1882.
remember the year very well, for it was
the very same year General Scott left
New York in command of troops for the
Black Hawk war. The cholera broke out
among them and many died before they
reached their destination and the disease
| spread all over the country ard proved
! terribly fatal
! That would not be considered a fine
doll now, but then we thought it perfect
Times have changed and every one has
become foolishly extravagant. Ladies do
not dress now as their grandmothers did
Then ten yards of calico would make a
| full dress, now 1t takes at least fifty
yards to make one for fashionable lady
to appear in at party. Then husbands
bought materials and wives made them
up, now fashionable dressmakers are
called into requisition, and many of these
fail to receive pay for their services, and
even the merchants have hard work to
collect their bills. Then people were
honest and paid their debts, now the ex.
ception is to find an honest man or woman
either.
Here are some of the children's school
books. Look at this map of the United
States. See how little was known of the
extent and magnitude of our own country
Nothing was known of Minneapolis. a
city which the average Minneapolitan
thinks is to be the largest in the world not
| avan aypontiDU pa!rip in Chin, Goo