Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1888-04-06
STORY OF TWO VASES.
A Joke Which the Christy Family
Kept to Themselves.

When the old peddler came in Mt the
door with those extremely pretty vases,
Mrs. Christy felt that they were the
very things that she wanted in her
spare bedroom. and SO, instead of
saying mo" when he politely request
cd her to SEQ if she had any "old clo'es
TO change for some splendid vases"
she allowed him to sit down while she
went upstairs to rummage, and came
down with some old garments of her
husbands and one of those old Stella
shawls," which certainly she never
should wear again, unless it was at
night, for they went out of fashion be-
fore she was married.
1t camo to her mind that sho was
foolish to leave stranger alone so
long but the old man was sitting quiz
etly where she had left him. aud looked
so much like n benevolent old patri-
arch that she was ashamed of remem-
bering that the spoons We're in the
pantry and the pantry unlocked How
ever. he was quite worldly enough to
drive hard bargain, and to the coat,
vest and shawl she had to add a gown
that might very well have been worn
often again.
However, it was not ready money,
and she felt that the vases-good imi-
tations of very costly ones-were love-
ly. She carried them into the spare
room, and they made the mantel-piece
quite different thing. Returning to
the dining-room, however. shock
awaited her. Her husbands S overcoat
which he had unwisely left at home
that day, because 1t was unusually
warm, was gone from its peg on the
hall rack, and, opening the pantry
door, she saw the spoons were gone
with it. They were only plated, but
no one likes to lose any thing in that
way. Beside. she fe,t greatly to blame
for it The old man had been gone n
long while, and, though she sent mes
senger for police officer, he gave her
no hope of catching the thief or of get
ting the things back.
'Was there nothing else gomez" the
man asked.
Mrs. Christy looked about her and
discovered one thing more. counter
felt So bill. She had had it given to
her year before, and had found that
it was worthless, a-d had written
across the back: "This is counterfeit, !"
and added her initials; and somehow
she kept it in her work basket. The old
man had spied it with his glistening
black eyes, and had helped himself to
it
"At all events he can't pass it. :"
laughed Mrs. Christy. "a feel little
consoled when / remember how pro-
yoked he will be-"
He'll pass it somehow" said the
policeman, as he walked away, promis-
ing to report the case.
But Mrs. Christy, as she remembered
that the overcoat that had boen stolen
was worth forty dollars, and the plated
spoons Mt least ten dollars, found il
necessary to go to her own room and
have good cry. 1t was not SO much
the value of the lost articles as the feel
ing that it was her fault, and thaG hei
husband might possibly be so far left
to himself ~ to tell her so. At al
events. she would lose II little of tha
fine character for good sense witt
which. to her great satisfaction, he hat
endowed her.
The day did not pass very pleasant
ly. Callers came and sho could no
help telling her story. but it was u jok'
TO the best-intentioncd among theni
and, as the dinner hour approached
she felt very much indeed like running
away.
However, of course. she was oblige,
TO stay. Her daughters were paying
visit TO some cousins, and there was n
one else to preside AZ table, Besides