The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1886-02-11
STEPHEN HILAHDs WOOL.

STEPHEN HILANDS WOOL.
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htepbea Hiland wss an svaricio1s man.
Miser Was stamped on evssy feature Of bis
weather beaten tace. II larkod 10 BIZ
small graz eyes. ~hIch never opened wide
70 take clear. fall look at the worij; ia
his lips. closing tightly over bis large
yellow teeth. a. bis Gngers would close
over piece Of gold, Even his nostrlls
were piBshed. As i they grudsed The very
breath iis right OF way. His whole life,
apd be WAS past three score, had been one
long continued effort 10 save. He had
le,isd early and lase, and denied himself
every comfort. taking no time for rest OF
recreation. spending money only for the
bare necessities OF life. aud that grudg~
insly. When young, be had married q
woman whose greed was second to bis
alone Together. they had worked and
accumulated, year BY. year. until he be-
90 me much the richest man 10 the little
country town where they lived. Such
penuriousness was sure 10 overreach itself
sometime. HIS ''fatted" cattle never
brought the higest price, becausc he could
not bring himself to feed them generously.
His half starved horses and oxen could
not perform half the labor they might
have easily done, il better fed. His hired
men. indignan. at being underfed and Iov-
worked. had way OF leaving at the most
inconyenient times and seasons Mrs.
Hiland was equally penurious 10 her de-
partment "Willful waste makes woeful
want was her favorite motto; hut she,
too. often went far beyond the bounds Of
careful thrift II she invited guests,
which occasionally, though not often
happened. she was sure to spoil her cake
and pies through economizing in some Of
the necessary ingredients. Her own and
her childrens clothing always had mea-
gre. scanty look, because she had bought
too small quantity Of material, or, having
enough to make the garment properly, in
sisted that the dressmaker should mot
cut it all up, but save a good piece to
make over with by aud by. Her neigh
bors said ''she even starved her rats"
To one person only did Stephen Hi
lands heart ever soften. For one alone
was he willing to spend his money. This
was Mary Ann, his eldest child, hope.
less invalid, suffering from one Of those
vague complications Of disease common
among the women upon New England
farms, of which the one thing certain is
the utter impossibility Of cure Upon
this daughter Stephen had spent money
with an almost phenomenal lavishness.
He had summoned the best medical ad-
vice in the state, had bought a low easy
carriage for her use; and horse. gentle
and safe, was kept for her to drive. His
other daughters were married, gone to
sordid homes Of their own; and the only
son, worn out by his fathers niggardli-
ness, was living in the far West.
The spring of 1861 will long be remem-
bered for its anxiety and dreary forebod-
ings to our people. Stephen Hiland fret
ted and fumed constantly at the prospect
OF civil war, and its attendant expenses,
entailing, as he feared, high taxation.
When the first call for troops, and among
those to respond at once were his two
hired men, whom he had engaged for the
patriotism being stimulated
no doubt by sundry recollections Of short
rations at Mrs. Hiland's table, for Abel
Westgate said;
A man might as we'll be shot as starye'
Stephens indignation knew no bounds
Evening after evening he sat in Mary
AIMS room, pouring his grievances into
her sympathizing ears.
Tain't right. he would say. Gov'munt
hain't no business to spend the peoples
money a gittin' back them seeded states
Let em goe That's what Isay. They amt
wuth the money that's goin' to be spent
iightin 'em,
But when he had replaced his hired
men, and saw his spring work going on
more hopefully, he grew calmer. although
The prospect Of heavy taxes still loomed
before him; aud he was not always the
most pleasant OF companions. At last, it
began to appear to him that in the new
Of things there we're chances to
make money; and, this fact once impress
cd upon his mind. he grew quite cheerful,
and his loyalty could no longer be called
in question.
Mary Ann, said he coming into her
room abruptly, one summer evening, ]
amt goin' to sell my wool jest yet
Why. father, how you startle me,
coming in so sudden like, answered his
daughter Wall, why amt you goin to
scll2
guess wool is agoin 10 rise. 'Taint
with nn,hin' to speak Of now. lisa good
time to buy. guess Ill buy some, and
hold on to il spell, You see Zeb Cor
sham paid his note t'other day, and the
moneys lyin' idle. don't know any real
good place to put it; and I've about made
up my mind III buy some wool, and hold
on 10 ii.
You hain't got no good place to Keep il
hey you fatherf asked Mary Ann.
Wall, I've been thinkin about that.
too. I've got ssfs Lumber lyin' up at
Freemans mills. ! meant 70 ha' fred
up the long barn with it. but that kin wait
another year. Then there's jim Bryant.
He's good hand At Ech work, and he
owes some on tina. note O his'n. l never
should hA' let him had the money, II Pas
chal Fuller hadn't sigued with him;
aud nov Fuller, he's III petered ont