Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1897-07-10
THE ENCHANTED CROCK.
By MARTHA McULLocH WILLIAMS

Copyright 1897, by the Author.1
Farmer Hopkins bought it i'll fear and
trembling. 1t was weakness of his to
20 to sales and bid upon trumpery lots
that were of no earthly use OF course
they were cried off to him at the most
ridiculous prices. Equally of course
loads of rubbish and worse were carted
home.
"Don't tell me it cost 'only groat,
only penny or twopence or shil-
ling, she said angrily. "Groats are
good money, the same as half crowns,
and if you hold on to them-well, you
will have half crowns before you know
it. The idea of parting with them for
stuff one should properly be paid to give
ashamed of you. You ought never to be
allowed to go to one of these sales with
SO much as a penny in your pocket" "
The farmer had heard this or some
thing like it several times each year of
the twenty since he married. When he
strayed into the cottage where they
were selling old Mother Arkwright's
bits of Things, he said to himself firm
ly: "Mind, Silas, no bidding today.
No, not if you see a dozen real china
plates going for less than the price of
pewter in the shops" But instructive
habit usually gets the better of pru-
dence. His wise resolution weakened
over the clock, faltered at sight of the
sacrificed andirons and wholly gave
way when the crock came to sale
1t was tallish round crock, with a
faring lip and an ugly, knobby lid. The
auctioneer went beyond even his profess
sional humor in the things he said con-
cerning the knobs while crying it off.
He called them double barreled and i'll
timated that by reason Of them the top
might prove weighty argument in do
mestic disagreements. Farmer Hopkins
laughed at that as loudly as the rest,
but danger fox him came when i'll spite
of all the funny sayings no soul would
bid even half groat.
cit will be useful. We can set milk
in it for cream or bread to rise OF brew
mead III it when we want but a jugful.
My wife herself cannot deny that"
Farmer Hopkins said to himself, land
I can buy it for half "A groat maybe. At
least will bid so much and no more. "
But he could not stop there. AT the
auctioneer's wink other bids showered
in Once the farmers blood was up he
outlasted the rest and got the lot for
threepence halfpenny, with some but
ton onions and IA string of Glove garlic
thrown III. Everybody laughed over the
garlic Dame Hopkins, it was well
known, hated the sight of it and de-
clared that whatever touched it was
thenceforth not fit to hold any sort of
food for decent human creatures.
eff only she We're not so set, the
farmer said over and over to himself,
as he plodded home with the crock un
der his arm. "Really did not mean to
buy ito buy anything. But it is hard
ly neighborly to stand about the sale
through, never opening ones mouth to
bid. And then Marina, my wife, loves
a bargain as we'll as the next and has
been saying this six weeks or more that
she never had the things for her house
you found everywhere else. If only she
would be glad of the crock, Iwould not
grudge twice what it cost me. would
hide it or break it, but she is sure to
hear of my buying from some of the
rest. No. Better take it to her at once
and see what she makes of it."
He was literally stricken dumb when
his wife held out her hand for it, smil
ing and saying roguishly: ''Silas! ST.
las! How does this wonderful thing
come to pass? You have been to n sale
and bought something useful? More,
something / actually wanted. 1t must