News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1892-09-22
A CHEST OF DRAWERS.

The room was low-studded, and
the chest of drawers came nearly to
the top. The mahogany was dark
with age, the handles were brass, the
base was spindle-legged, with acorn-
shaped projections breaking the line.
Beneath the five large drawers were
collection of smaller ones, three on
each side, with deep space or cup
board in the centre.
This was enclosed by a door, Orna-
mented with a brass knob and a
quaint little knocker. The cupboard
was like a tiny porter's lodge, and
enveloped the whole piece of furniture
with an air of mystery. 1t warded
off intrusion, and suggested the pro-
priety of lifting the knOcker to ask
permission of some shadOwy spectre
if one might venture to examine more
closely this genuine antique.
The owner was evidently proud of
her possession; and we found one
day that it had a history-a true
one. She told it to US with the keen
interest that age finds in rehearsing
the story of it's youth.
81 always wanted a chest of draw
ers, and when went to work in the
factory | determined to have one. l
didn t think much about gettin mar
ried and havin' parlor of my own.
just wanted that.
"Old Judge Pettingell had died,
and his niece was willin' to sell every
thing that belonged to Miss Judge.
| offered her $25 for this chest, not
KNOWN whether it was cheap or not,
but ] meant to have it. So | worked
hard, and seyery quarters payment
| put by a little money in a silk
purse, all by itself, until I'd saved
enough.
"When I had it brought home,
father didn't seem pleased and said
| was silly, and I'd better have put
my money in the bank; but mother
she looked at it, and her eyes shone,
and | used to see her standing up be-
fore it and openin' and shutUin' the
drawers.
"Then / got acquainted with my
first husband. | always called him
Hiram, and so l do to this day. We
were married, but | wouldn't take
away the chest from mother while
she lived. knew she set store by it,
as l did.
"After mother died-father went
first-then l brought it home, and
this china. | set the drawers up
where they stand now.
-Four or five years went by. Hi
ram and l lived happy together, and
then he was taken sick. We hadn't
any children. He used to say that
he must make his will, but he put it
off and put it off, and by and by he
died without doin' it.
Il never thought that anything |
bought myself could belong to Hi
ram. | knew | should get my thirds
and that they would give nee the
house. | supposed the furniture was
mine
"The day after the funeral Hiram's
two brothers came in, with a lawyer
They said everything valuable haC
got to be sold at auction. L cOulC
bid 'em in if | wanted to; but all the
property had got to be praised, in
order to see how much | ought tC
have.
"Then they went round the rooms
saying what this thing was wortl
and what that thing was worth, anC
pretty soon they came to the chest
The lawyer whispered to Hiram'i
brother, but heard him: This il
worth considerable
81 almost screamed out: You
can't touch that. | earned every
cent of it in the factory and paid TO
it, and brought it over here.
"The lawyer answered prett.
sharp: Well, ma am, that dom
make q bit of difference. Whateve
you brought here belonged to you
husband. That's tbelaw of the land