The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1908-06-04
FROM DREAM TO
REALITY.

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 very good workman. He
was rather inclined to study processes
for saving labor or Of producing new
and useful articles.
His wife. who was a 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 Spicr ut last
gave up trying to change that of her
husband.
Meanwhile there. was no addition to
the comforts Of the home. The larler
was no better. the furniture was get
ting more shabby. and the children
We're ragged. What with the cooking,
the houseworli 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 ,proclivity to dream. But
one day Edmond came home from the
faet6fty with burning fever ON him.
and it was evident that he was in for
a protractel illness.
There svafe no unions in those days
to. takeicare Of man when he was
Ill, and che Spier family suffered great
lyS Molly Spier got odd jobs to do.
which hclpl1 to keep them from starv-
ing. Edmond applied to his employer
for help. The pottery owner was Il
cold, calculating business man and re-
piled that il lie began to pay wages to-
one of his men while i'll he would end
In having to pay all under similar cir
cllmstances. This killed all hope of Oh
tanning anything from that direction.
One day Molly spent what money
she had on hand for some fresh pork.
Having bought more of it than she
could use III Il short time because it
was cheap. she determined to cure Il
part of 1t. Putting some salt in COM
mon cooking vessel such as was used
In those days, an unglaZed porous af
fair, she filled it with water and set it
on the stove to heat. Then she went
tn oft To
Edmond, who was now convalescent.
was in the only other room in the
cabin spending his time, as usual, day
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-
ton for a fabulous sum, build house,
dress his wife in silks and satms and
the children in equally fine apparel!
He heard something sizzling in the
Kitchen, and II occurred to him that he
should go in there and see what was
wrong and correct it. 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 here Edmond was lying,
holding an empty saucepan, and for
once since his illness lost her cuua-
nimity.
"All the salt had is gone," she said
II put it on hot fire with water
which boiled over. Besides, just look
at the saucepan. There's something OH
the outside that won't be rubbed off
The pan is spoiled for looks if not for
use. 1 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 pock"tknife and tried to scrape
1t off, all to no purpose.
"Molly," he said, you've made us
rich"
She turned away with an express
sion OF linpatlence. He got up and hid
the saucepan under the bedclothes.
Then, with a step so strong that his
wife looked at him with amazemcnt,
he went out and bought on credit
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 one of the
vessels and took 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
for your secret" ga third interest in
your pottery"
Time passed, during which the potter
submitted the glazing to scientists, Of
fering large sum to any one who
would tell him how it had been eff
fected. But none of them could tell.
Only Edmond and Molly Spier knew,
and Molly proved that woman can
keep secret. Besides, Edmond con
WINGED her Of its value. Weeks passed,
during which hunger still made its
abode in their cabin. Edmond was Of