The Newport miner. [volume] (Newport, Wash.) 1899-current, 1908-07-02
FROM DREAM TO
REALITY.
IOriGi,lGl


Once upon time family, consist
ing of young man. his wife and two
little children, lived in a cabin near a
pottery in England The wife did
the cooking. took care Of the home
and the children, while the husband
worked in the pottery. Edmond Spier
was not 4 very good workman. He
was rather inclined to study processes
for saving labor or of producing new
and useful articles.
His wife. who was practical WO-
man, had to bear her share Of her hus-
bands handicap. She often argued
with him as to the futility Of dreaming
about new processes none of which he
had the ability to invent and being
thus drawn from hard work which
might advance his wages and render
the family more comfortable. But it
is impossible to change peoples dis
positions, and Molly Spier at last
gave. up trying to change that of her
husband
Meanwhile there was no addition to
The comforts of the home. The larder
was no better, the furniture was get
ting more shabby, and the children
were ragged. What with the cooking,
the hOuseWork and the patching Of
clothes Molly Spier was having a
hard time Of it, But with all her prac-
ticability her amiable disposition could
no more be changed than could her
husbands procliyity to dream. But
one day Edmond came home from the
factory with burning fever on him.
and it was evident that he was in for
q protracted illness.
There were no unions in those days
to take care Of man when he was
i'll, and the Spier family suffered great
ly Molly Spier got odd jobs to do,
which helped to keep them from starry
for help. The pottery owner was a
cold, calculating business man and re-
piled that ii he began to pay wages to
one OF his men while ill he would end
III having to pay all under similar cir
cumStances. This killed all hope Of OBJ
One day Molly spent what money
she had on hand for some fresh pork.
Having bought more Of it than she
could use III short time because it
was cheap. she determined to cure a
part OF it, Putting some salt in a com
IN those days. all unglaZed porous af-
fair. she filled it with water and set 1t
Oh the stove to heat. Then she went
cut to attend to another matter.
Edmond. who was now cOnvalescent,
was in the only other room in the
dreaming. He began by inventing in
imagination vessel hard glazed like
glass, substance that no water could
penetrate and neither heat nor cold
crack. Having invented this imaginary
vessel. he proceeded to sell his inven-
dress his wife in silks and satins and
the children in equally fine apparel
He heard something sizzling in the
kitchen, and it occurred to him that he
should go in there and see what was
wrong and correct 1t. But at that mo-
ment he was figuring up his fortune,
and the matter passed out Of his mind.
He was still dreaming when he heard
Molly go into the kitchen and utter an
exclamation Of Impotence. Then she
came into where Edmond was lying,
holding an empty saucepan, and for
once since his illness lost her equa-
nimity.
''IAll the salt had is gone," she said.
4 put it on hot fire with water,
which boiled over Besides, just look
at the saucepan. There's something on
the outside that won't be rubbed off.
The pan is spoiled for looks If not for
use. l do think YOU might have gone
into the kitchen and prevented the
damage"
Edmond took the saucepan in his
hand and examined it. Where the
salt and water had boiled over the
vessel was glazed. He scratched it
with his nail without effect. He took
out his pocketknife and tried to scrape
1t of, all to no purpose.
Molly" he said. you've made us
rich"
She turned away with an express
sion Of Impotence He got up and hid
the saucepan under the bedclOthes.
Then, with a step So strong that his
wife looked at him with amazement.
he went out and bought ON credit a
bag Of salt Before he went to bed
that night he had roughly glazed every
cooking vessel in the cabin.
The next day he broke up enc Of the
vessels and took a piece to the owner
OF the pottery. How did you do it?'
asked the potter That's my secret"
Edmond replied. What do you want
Tor your secret" "a, third interest in
your pottery:
Time passed, during which the potter
submitted the glazing to scientists, Of
rering large sum to any one who
would tell him how it had been eff
tected. But none of them could tell.
only Edmond and Molly Spier knew,
ana Molly proved that a woman can
Eeep secret Besides, Edmond con-
Vinced her Of its value. Weeks passed,