News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1885-03-19


and plant and harvest, and dig again, il
necessary; and, mark my words. before
very long time, you will find the pot of
money and the maiden will be yours"
Ezra listened with faith, and departed
with JOY in his heart. He fulfilled the
fortune-teller's injunction 30 well that all
the countryside took to talking of him
after the gypsy disappeared. He not
only dug, but he plowed and sowed and
narrowed; he seemed taken with sud-
den mania for farming and work, which
before had seemed distasteful and monot-
onous, now, that he had an object in
view, was full of excitement and in
terest. At first he dug and dug, looking
for his pot of money; but as 1t did not
turn up he continued to dig, full of
faith, and growing every day more in
terested in his efforts.
"What on earth has got into Ezra Al
den ?" asked the neighbors. one of an
other. "Why, he has taken to working
like all possessed. He's hired man,
too. and the pair of 'em are at it from
the first dawn of daylight to nightfall. I"
"Whatever has got into him he's going
to have the best crops of the year." an
swered one. "Lucky fellow. Just
when there's going to be rise In four,
too, and he has no end of wheat growing,
and in splendid condition.
"Why, Clara. isn't that Ezra Alden's
farm p asked the squire, as his daugh-
ter one day drove him past it in her
pretty pony carriage.
eyes, SIR" returned Clara, with a
faint pink stealing into her clear pale
| cheek.
elias some one else farmed it, then p"
asked the squire. There isn't another
farm around here fit to compare with it"
The pink in Clara's cheek deepened to
a lovely crimson.
"Oh, no, papa" she said, softly, SIT
seems Ezra-Mr. Alden, has just de-
veloped sudden talent for farming"
"And very tirst-rate talent, should
say" said the old gentleman. ga man
who can show such farm as that can
hold his head as high as any one."
Clara's eyes gIowed and sparkled.
She touched her ponies lightly; and her
happy thoughts rushed off into the |
future at pace to rival even their fast |
trotting.
AS the neighbors had foretold, Ezra |
Alden had particularly fine crops that |
season; and his success at farming hay
ing also developed his commercial abil- |
ity, he sold all that he had to sell to ex-
cellent advantage.
"Well," said Ezra, as he counted his
gains, and tied them securely in his
money bag, 81 haven't found my pot of
money, but this little pile is DOT to be
despised, and shall keep on. BY
George wonder if this was what the
old gypsy meant"
Ezra had some time on his hands now
for dreaming; and he took to signing for
Clara once more, but in more hopeful
spirit.
"I will speak to her father" he
thought; ''and, if he gives me encour-
agement, will ask Clara, plump, if she
will marry me-"
Now, some young men would have
thought it safer to win the daughters
consent first; but Ezra was too honor
able for that.
eff the squire won't have me-" he
said to himself. SITS no use to ask
CLARA. She would never disobey her
father. I shouldn't care half as much
for her if she would"
So he took his money-bag in his hand
and sought the presence of Squire
Scudder.
The squire sat reading novel of the
Pickwick Papers in his handsome old
fashioned parlor, and being in very
genial mood, he received Ezra with the
most encouraging kindness, and listened
to all that he had to say with be-
nignant smile.
''It is not a great deal," concluded
Ezra, holding up his money-bag, 'but
there's plenty more, where I found this,
SIR"
"And pray, where did you find it,
Mr.. Alden ?" asked the squire rather
taken aback.
sat the roots of my wheat and bar
ley," answered Ezra, adding, with
laugh: ''To tell the truth, sir, con-
suited fortune-teller, and she told me
to dig and dig, and I would certainly
find pot of money. I haven't found
it yet, but intend to keep on digging,
and I don't doubt but shall find it by
and by"
Squire Scudder burst into a hearty
laugh, and kindly patted Ezra on the
shoulder.
ST don't doubt but you will, my lad,"
he said, cheerily. "Honest industry is
the best pot of money any young man
ever found AS for CLARA, you can
talk over that matter with herself
she's sitting there by the window, hid
den behind the curtains"
Now that was dreadfully mean of the
squire, not to have given Ezra hint of
Clara's presence before; but he didn't
mean it. 1t seems quite impossible for
these old gentlemen to realize how seri-
GUS such matters are to boys and girls.
Squire Scudder rose with nod and
smile, and went away, leaving Ezra in
dire confusion, staring at the window
curtains; and wishing the floor would !
open and swallow him, But it didn't.
Instead, the window curtains opened /
and lovely young lady stepped out
from them. --...
80, Mr.. Alden," she said, stepping
forward, 'tyou consulted the gypsy for
tune-teller, too?'
"Oh, Miss Scudder-Clara-you have
heard everything" stammered Ezra,
sinking into the chair from which he
had risen in his first CONSERVATION.
"What terrible fool you must think
me p
"But DON'T have great confidence
in that gypsy's predictions.
"Then you consulted her, too" asked
Ezra.
'Dozens of times-she beguiled me |
of all my small silver"
"Well, she got but a single piece
from me, that's some comfort" said
Ezra, recovering somewhat, and ventur-
ing to laugh slightly.
"Was it anything like this ?" asked
l.