Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1890-09-05
A SILVER DOLLAR.
DY ARTHUR c. cErssoM.

feet above the level, and the dark earth
below, with its bleak. brown shrubbcry.
afforded contrast us novel as it was
beautiful.
At the foot of the mountains, peaceful
and picturesque lay the village OF Mca,.
owvalc, which was like many towns of
rural New England. The place possessed
no distinguishing characteristic; it was
one OF the sleepy old haunts that abound
In the Vermont hills, with no claims to
fame, no ambition, no distinction bit OK
istcncc. Not Il startling event marked
its municipal record, and its progress
for score of years could be told in IA
breath.
Climbing upward from the village To-
ward solitary and dilapida,cd little hut
which hung on the mountain side, was 4.
slender, wan faced boy, poorly clad for
that season oF the year. Through his
ragged shoes his worn stockings could
be seen, his hands lacked mittcns, AMI
his jacket and pantaloons were thin and
ta,crcd.
But his eyes were bright and his OK
preston showed Il spirit of honesty and
resolution.
The path was steep aud rugged, and
presently the boy paused for breath. lie
seated himself on a convenient rock, and
sazed with melancholy air down upon
the village.
All the region was silent. 1t was
carry morning, and not yet time for thc
sound of the wood-choppcr's axe TO echo
through the mountains. Volumes of
wiiitc-fringcd smoke rose hcsitatingly
from the chimncys OF the little weathc:
worn dwellings, and vanished in the
hungry atmosphere. Far down wide,
Irregular street, almost at the end. he
could discern his own humble home.
dearly beloved, for he had never known
Il better.
From one of his patched pockets the
boy drew n half-dozen old coins, of nj.
most no intrinsic value, and began to
Jingle them in his hand The sound
was pleasant to him. 1t was not often
that he heard money rattle, aud although
these pieces were practically va,ue,css
they were his own, and as tl,cy rat,!cl
unsteady he could imagine them gold
lie really priced them highly, no. for
what they would purc,,asc-.hat was
little, indced-but FOX their are and
their peculiar character.
Two or three weeks before some Bos
ton dealer in old and rare coins, having
somehow secured his name and address,
had sent him catalogue with dcscri,.
tons and prices of ancient money pieces
and 1T had interested him. Straightway
he had become Il coin collector. I'm the
bottom of one Of the cd bureau drawers
where his mother kept odds and ends, he
remembered to have seen some curious
old copper GEMS, large in size-two or
three times us large AS ordinary cent pieces
Eagerly he went to learn their dates, Blu:
none OF them WAS quoted at any price.
These old coppcrs his mother had save
as relics OF her girlhood, since they had
been the first money she had ever owned
and now. being given to him, they served
to establish the foundation of his collcc-
ton. Bat just there his co!lcctino
stopped. He had no money to pay fol
other coins, nor did he know OF any one
who had coins TO exchange. So he was
not much Of collector after all.
As he ratified the copper and fancicl
1t gold. he began 10 think what he
would do with SO much money, and the
shadow on his face ligatcd and his eyes
danced
medicine for mother that would
make her well right away-that the first
thing" he soliloquizcd "Then Mary
should so to that type writing school in
the city and learn to be type writer,
and then get position at twenty dollars
month. She's been dreamin' of that
this long timc-evcr since she read that
piece Ill the paper. Then-thcn I'd
have new pair Of shoes sure's I'm Twin
boy. No secondhand shoes of Sam
Highlands then"
This fine air-castlc was suddenly dashed
to ruins by the sound of approaching
footsteps, and. turning around, he be
held boy of about his own age, hui
heavier and warmly dressed, comma
down the steep path.
The newcomer carried n gun on hi
shoulder, and wore belt of cartridge
about his waist. At his heels trotted :
dog, big, shaggy fellow, that Ger
tainly had no claim TO beauty. The AMI
NAL rcsembled his master in this respect
for the latter had coarse, unpleasant
features and an awkward body.
"Hullo, Henley!" said the youn!
sportsman, familiarity. "You seem t
have lots of money this morning.
heard the chink of your coins way IL
yonder2"
Harry Henley smiled family. "No
very much money" he said shortly.
"Has old NIiscr Brown paid you Off
''Not yet, was the reply. "I'm on III
way up now to finish the JOB, and the
llpay me, suppose. I'll &c. throug
about noon, guess. Thcseare some oil
copper cents mother gave me-"
"Lct me look at EN-, said the other.
He leaned his gun against the roc
where Harry was, and sat down OH
rock near by.
/" tramped up the mountain to fin
something to shoot, but haven't seen
cottontail this morning." he remarked
"This afternoon I'm goin' over to Ca
tcr's Pond; hear there's a lot o. duo,