Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1892-12-05
A Meal of Potatoes.

In little neighborhood in Vermont
lived Mr.. Chalmers, his wife and
daughter. They had a nice, comforta-
BILE home, were all out of debt, and
was about to say, happy, yet the pa
rents were not wholly that, for Laura,
the daughter, had become attached
to young man Of the neighborhood
of whom the parents did not wholly
approve.
"He is good enough, Laura, in his
way. but he has no calculation and
will always scratch a poor mans head
as long as he ives," said Mr.. Chad
nners one evening after Lem Heskitt
had left.
'EBut he says he can lay up money
now, father, that he has me to work
for" says Laura, pleadingly.
'srd like to know why he hasn't laid
up in expectation of this day. He
might known it would come," the
father sharply returned.
Because he was young and foolish.
He'll do differently now, am sure;
and I'd much rather share a crust of
bread with him than marry any one
eIse.'' and the last word ended in a
sob
e'Foolish, foolish child" exclaimed
the exasperated father. ''Mark my
words, Laural The time will come
when you will be glad to come back
home for meal of potatoes yes that
time will come, and at no distant date,
L reckon" and with a waive of his arm
he left the room.
Laura was much like her father. Had
she her mind once made up no argu-
ing could convince her to the contra
~. So the wedding day was set at an
early period. But before she became
the wife of Lem she told him what
her father had said. He only laughed,
and clasping her to him, said; Gwen
show him, won't we, darling?"
They were married in September
and the next month saw them moving
their small possessions up into the
lumber regions of Maine.
The day after their arrival they
were fortunate in finding place where
both were needed, she as cook and
be as "hand' in a lumber camp.
They hired out for year, receiving
good wages for their work. At the
end of that time, Lem took the joint
earnings of both and selecting thick
Nv wooded piece of land, bought it and
built log hut thereon. With the
furniture and bedding brought from
home, they began housekeeping in
this little hut. Only one payment was
made on the land-enough to hold it
yet it took about all their ready
money, for good wages for those days
were little compared with our wages
of to-day.
Seeing a fine mill site on the river
which ran by his home, he felled trees
and built saw mill, then bought the
necessary machinery son time" and
began work. He toiled early and late
and in Laura found a true helpmeet.
They were very happy. Living far
from neighbors as they did, they nee
0oSdIly CAOOO1 OOSoOIAO1' w AoA
in a year little son came to brighten
the little home, then a daughter, and
thus at the end of five years we find
them more contented and happy as
each year left them.
We will leave them and pay visit
to the old home in Vermont. The five
years have left lasting footprints upon
Mr.. and Mrs. Chalmers. Both are
stopped and much greyer, yet we find
them still mourning over Laura's fool
ish choice and her departure from
although her letters have,
woman like, been full of ''his' prais
es, and the happy days spent with
Lem and the children. During these
years, nothing but the tardy letters
kept either family informed of the
others welfare, for in those days trav-
Ell was accomplished laboriously and
visit to another State tedious even to
think OF.
Mrs. Chalmers sits by the western
window. her attention bestowed alike +
1pon her darning and the bit of road
yisibIe between the two tall trees T
standing in the yard. As the moments
PASS and her husband does not come,
he look Of care upon her face gives I