The Mineral argus., 1884-09-25

luis IA the ears or a man to whom the doe
tors limited his chances for ever seeing skv or
earth again was p~rOblematical, was as bitter ~
anything mJob's experience. To lie IN stairs
IN a close back room and hear a shrewisb
step-mother scold his little boys all dav was
hell on earth. There was. in these davs ~ ~
ter wratchedness, a sound that John Chanmsn
wen knew; a sound of hurrying feet, and then
the shrev's tongue dashed tho "lazy lump tbat
ought to be working in q neighbours kitchen
As there never was any love in the case nj ali
on the second wife's part, when dire pover.v
flung the door WIDE open all the windows in the
house were not large enough to echo her dis
content and IL humor to the ends Of town
Nell Chapman sat in silent despair in the ma
room set apart for herself and her brothers
Although it was a little past high noon, md the
air was sitting hot her little brothers we're
compelled TO remain in their room. Ned AMI
Jim had been guilty of the enormous offence Of
Offering the house" with the trimmings and
pieces of paper they had gathered at Judge
Hammers house, where the paper hangers were
at work. Such brilliant paper was never seen
before. The boys swOoped down upon it az
misers might appropriate a gold mine. They
wore it round their arms. legs
and bodies, anu waltzed away
with it home, where in due season Mrs.
Chapman gave them ''such a warming'' that
they both cried themselves asleep in broad
daylight in their bedroom Ned on the floor:
Jim in Nells shielding arms. When she laid
him down beside Ned gently, and seated herself
again, il was an attitude the Almighty never
intended youth to take.
Her elbows were planted on her knees; her
palms clasped her checks and chin, and she
looked straight before her into vacancy.
As she sat there in the darkened room, she
recalled q face in which compassion and ten
derness blended so sweetly that her memory
could not grasp the approach of a frown upon
it. II was not possible the dead could see the
living-if her dead mother could see them
now, it would be torture inconceivable.
What cOuld n GIRL like her dOy II her faith
er did not recover his eyesight, her brothers
would be bound out 1t would be as much as
she could do TO pay her own way.
AS she sat there viii stony eyes staring at
the door, the cat pushed its way in, and rubbed
against her, purring. 1t fastened to little Jim's
side-it always purred around him when he
cried-and curled beside HIM. Mrs. Chap
man number two hanged at the front door,
leaving it wide open, and when Nell, recalled
to herself by the sound looked down upon the
floor, a broad bar of sunlight falling through
the door of the room, slanted across the floor.
1t fell upon the tangled trimmings of paper
''them little wretches brought in" around
their legs and arms, and drew with them in a
heap as they fled from the heavy hand of the
stepmother. The scarlet tints burned like fire;
the purple shimmered; the yellow stones
shone like gold As Nell looked at the queer
patches Of purple aud dull brown interlaced
with a network of tangled trimmings, she
started Her pulse quickened An idea
formed itself slowly in her brain Then she
utW-IdlIl1u new 10 ncI lIttouIc III the cup
board, brought forth her poor little box Of
cheap water cOlors-pathetic in their
cheapness, M her shabby pencils
and a piece of paper, and began to paint.
The flies hummed through the open door,
the cat purred loudly beside little Jim, the air
palpitated with heat, but Nell was oblvious TO
these. 1t was only when Mrs. Chapman num-
Der two returned and noisily slammed the door
to, that Nell paused in her work. Then she
put her paint box and paper in their hiding
place.
If you please, indeed sir, I did it all my
'iH,m!" Mr.. Hague, the elder, looked down
upon her through his glasses in a way that al
most made Nells heart stand still, she was so
overcome with awe by the appointments Of
Mr.. Hague's private Office, and by the manner
OF Messrs. Hague, father and son.
"My father did not intimate a doubt of the
truthfulness of your statement; he simply
expressed surprise. This is, | must say-Oh!
by the way, what is your name:" Nellie Chap
man"
''Young Mr.. Hague looked meaningly at the
elder Hague, the elder Hague said something in
a low tone to his son, then the latter asked
abruptly:
Chow is your father, Miss Chapman"
1t sounded so strange to be called Miss Chap
man" that she was iurried, but she managed
to say, 'The doctor thinks he may see again. "
HIM h'm!" said the elder in a peculiar
manner. Every odd-unaccountable."
INOb ~ al, odiu liz Sui. L ndN0 NoA VI
cases almost similar"
"H'm! rare-rare, 1 should say" He wheeled
around to Nell suddenly, then, "My child
this, l scarcely know what to say of it Best
put it in Boone's hands and let him decide"
''Now that is precisely what do not propose
to do" saidHague, Jr. 1t won't be fair. Boone
must not know where we obtained the design.
/ suggest / be permitted, as usual, to order him
to supply any details that may occur to him,
in preparing the design for the frame"
"You are right-quite right. And you Miss
this is the most extraordinary case that ever
came under my notice-call on us-say in a
week"
snake it Saturday if you wish, interposed
Hague, Jr., kindly, as he looked into the visit
full eyes that seemed to search his very soul
in their anxiety.
81 will be back Saturday" Nell said simply
as she skipped out She thought she would
have tainted if she had remained a moment
longer her JOY was 80 great
The present owners of Hague's factory, the
foremost in the land, point to an elegant resi-
dence ON the summit overlooking the town,
where the hobby-horses of the grandchildren
and children of Hague, senior and junior shine
under the trees. The Hagues amassed a com
potency and retired from active pursuits. The
i greatest stroke of business the firm OF Hague
4 Son ever did was when they put their famous
"Bar of Gold" pattern on the market Tn Sc
ries of patterns following yielded them larger
profits in two years, than all the profits OF the
two years put together. There is a story cur
rent in the trade that the profits of the origin
al "Bar of Gold" pattern amounted to upwards
of two hundred thousand dollars. Incidental
ly i may mention that the succeeding pronta-
bic patterns were designed by the same hand
the hand that was appropriated BY Hague,
Jr, before the firm retired from active busi-
ness. ,
Needless to add that NelTs brothers and
father shared her good fortune, or that her