St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1891-09-24
MISCELLANY.
Y THE LJONARDS STOPPED THE
LEAK.

Nv pocket-book has a chronic
Bit of leaking Look at it, daugh-
and note its fabbv, detected
1dition, and yet the next payday
not come for nearly half
nth yet"
5ibyl Leonard glanced up at the
Ia bag dangling from her fathers
sers, and laughed lightly. IAN
phant might have stepped on it, :"
s said. Never mind, you will fill
8 p again, father
Only to go again in the same
Is ferrous fashion," persisted Mr.
Dnard. II really cannot see into
NV salary is fair and promptly
id. Toe FELTON, has built him a
.hse on the same. don't smoke,
Il. of course, 1 don't drink, but l
d ALWAYS out; never cent ahead"
Five hungry children, destitute of
thes except for that pocket-book,
pa returned Sibyl, still lightly.
But Mr.. Leonard shook his head.
4 ought to do that, and more.
/ don't take a single paper regular
we have no books to speak of,
Id we never tTaVel any.
That last sobered Sibyl at once;
was it not her one longing and
Sire to see something beside this
lat city in which she had been
i'm. and out of which she had
arcely gone for a day in her life.
bw often had she fallen asleep with
Esions of tree-shaded, country
smes in her busy brain, to waken
sgusted to the reality of their
arrow, crowded tenement, in a
#ustv, third-rate street, the CHATTER
I'd roll of the watercart instead of
Ia hrinuring brooks, and the milk
aan's ring and call in place Of the
&ong of birds.
4He could have said nothing more
to set her thinking when
Home, this clear-eyed, sensible girl of
sghteen years. Some of the thrift"
a Scotch ancestry was rousing up
"a her. Her fathers word leak" per-
EIsted in being a suggestive one;
md leaks were always useless, call
liz for a remedy at once. They
Mere not poor, this Leonard family
Die head of it, counting by years,
bod salesman" with fair salary;
Us wife, an active, energetic house
Eeeper, able to keep their five chill
8ren in the public schools, where
Sibvl was now in the third, and
Raiph in the first year of the high
school. Sibyl was fitting for a
Eeacher, and Ralph after one year
|nore was to learn business, and had
Hready begun in small way as
Heliverer of bundles for a corner
Grocery near, out of school hours.
E They always planned for good
Eimes"-that was part of the family
breed. What was the "use of liv-
ing" otherwise? Only, this last
year, a little cloud, the "size of
mans hand" darkened the family
horizon at times. Mr.. Leonard
complained little of bad feelings"
sometimes could not eat much, lost
sleep and coughed once in while.
Then Mrs. Leonard looked sober,
talked about Aunt Fanny who died
Young in a Decline" as Mr.. Leonard
gave attention, as he had this morn
ing, to his pocket-book.
"Father isn't feeling we'll" his
Nothing but driving himself to
Heath, like all the rest of Them" the
Bid doctor had said on being consult
Id. "See here, man, give up your
counter and tapes for few weeks +;
30 out in the country and fish and
Swing in hammock, and I'll warrant
lou a quicker cure than all my drugs
IAN give, and a longer life than any
Insurance company will book you
for, now"
CDR. Gray must be getting in his
dotage," Mr.. Leonard said at
home to his wife docs he take me
for a millionaire or think clerks can
ewing aroud like railroad presidents
.Or Boss Knights?'
81 wish you could though" his
wife answered, wishfully, for he look
ed pale and thin. You will have
most two weeks now" for it was
his vacation, couldn't you just run
off for little?"
''Bless me, Mary, mol couldn't
think of it. But l will tell you what
we will do. There's an excursion
down the Bay tomorrow to Grand
Beach; round trip only one dollar,
and three hours on the beach. You
and 1 will take that together. 1t
won't be much; and it's an age
ince we've had real play-day."
"Splendidl !" Mrs. Leonard assent
ed, land I will work my best today
and finish my new pongee suit, and
people will think you have bloom
ing bride at your side" and with
her merry laugh, the wife of twenty
years hastened to her task.
They were off early the next morn
ing, and, somehow, the blithe sum
mer air, the lovely sail over sun
kissed waves, seemed to drive dull
and sordid cares out of mind, and
they were young again, and the
world full of promise, and its prizes
were fair and just within reach; so it
was only natural as they Joined the
weIl-dressed throng of pleasure seek
ers on the beach, and felt the sea-