The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1885-09-23

| mo. ana I've been thinking what
we could do. So has Cree, though we
haven't spoken to each other about it.
| might teach district school, per-
haps. And Cree"
4" / could take a place as plain cook.
There isn't anything else 1 can do so
well. Plain cooking, with dripping and
soap-fat by way of perquisities land
l gave laugh which was meant to be
merry.
" 1t is hard, >" said J ohm, with a moody
look on his face which was foreign to
its usual frank brightness. How
much a little money would sometimes
do for people who can't get it, and how
little it is worth to other people who
fling it away without thought of its
value! A thousand dollars, now! ANY
rich man would consider it mere
bagatelle in his expenses; but if /
could command the sum it would make
us three comfortable for life."
How do you mean? What would
you do with a thousand dollars if you
had it, John?"
"Ill tell you. Langworthy is going
to sell his practice"
Oil"
1t is large practice for the coun-
try, you know. 1t brings him in six or
eight hundred a year-sometimes more.
lie has a chance to go into partnership
with his brother, out West somewhere,
and he'll sell for thousand"
But, John, some people like you
better than they do DR.. Langworthy"
Yes, some people do. But the
question is, will they like me better
than the other man who buys DIR.
Langworthy out ? If l were that man,
l should command both practices. 1t
is chance, don't you see? But a new
man coming in has his chance to cut
me out"
&c | see. What can be done ?"
" Nothing" with rueful glance.
"Thats the worst of it. l can only
keep on and hope for the best But it
is hard, when, with this miserable thou
sand dollars, could double my chances
and make a nice home for you two.
Sue, darling, don't cry"
She had laid her cheek down on his
arm, but she wasn't crying-only look
ing sadly into the fire.
" If we sold everything, all this which
aunty left us--the home, everything
couldn't we get the thousand dollars ?"
l asked, desperately.
John shook his head. CT couldn't
let you do that, Cree, in any case.
You'll want your share some day your
self; it mustn't go into buying prac-
tice for me. But, apart from that,
houses sell so badly now that this
wouldn't realize much over the value
OF the mortgage at forced sale. And |
the furniture, though worth a good |
deal to keep, would go for nothing at
an auction. That plan wouldn't do at
all for any of u.s."
" Still, there's no harm in thinking
about it and seeing what we have, and
what it's WORTH" l urged, 10th to give
up any ghost of a chance. " We may
do that, mayn't we, John?"
" OF course. That is thing you
must do sooner orlater. Look over the
house, and make list carefully, and
We'll consult and fix on approximate
values. Don't hurry about it, though.
Next week is time enough, and l know
you need rest.'
g Rest is the very thing 1 don't need
and can't take" 1 cried, impetuously.
" Something to fill up the long days and
keep us from thinking and getting blue
is what we want. Well make the list
tomorrow, john
A little more talk and he rose to 90.
did you stop at the postofice, John?"
" Yes. There was nothing for YOU"
" Not even the Intelligencer?n asked
Sue, languidly.
" forgot to tell you. There has
been great fire in New York, and the
IntelRgencer is burned out. Abner
brought the news over; it was tele-
graphed to the Junction. They say the
building is total loss, so I suppose
there won't be any publication for
awhile-some days, at least"
" Poor aunty! how sorry she would
bel" sighed Sue. " Aunty has taken the
paper ever since it began, forty-five
years ago. She never missed number.
There it all is, up-stairs-stacks and
stacks of it. She was so proud of her
file. It's no use at all now, 1 suppose,
is it John?'
" The ragman will give a penny a
pound for it," 1 suggested; &" that's
Wen weigh the lot one of these
days, and see what we can realize"
said John. "Good night, children.n
1t was ghostly task which we set
out to do next day. The past itself
The faint, fragmentary past-seems to
be wrapped up and inclosed in those
bundles of time-worn articles with
which elderly people cucumber their
storerooms and closet shelves. Some
air of antiquity exhales as you open
hem, and, mingling with our modern
air, produces an impression half laugh
able, half sad. Aunt Priscilla had been
born collector. She loved old things
because they were old, apart from use
or value, and instinct and principle
combined had kept her from ever
throwing away anything in her life.
Dur list was very short one. A few
chairs and tables, dozen thin spoons
and small teapot in silver, the huge
newspaper heap which l had appraised
1t penny per pound-these seemed
he only saleable things; and we looked
and grimly into each others
aces as we set them down.
" wish it were possible to eat Intel
igencers," said /.
"They say newspapers make excel
ent counterpanes," replied Sue -
warmer than blankets"
John came, as usual, in the evening.
{ Here's enterprise!n he called ont as