Year: 1869

Peter Crisp had something the
matter with his eyes; he needed spec
tacles to help him to see. But this
was no uncommon misfortune; hun
dreds of people, who do ten good
bours' work every day of their lives,
use glasses and cannot get along with
out them. No; the chief trouble in
Peters case was not in wanting glass
es; it was in the particular sort Of
glasses that he used. He had sever
al pairs, which he always kept On
hand, nobody knew exactly where;
they seemed to be hidden somewhere
about the head Of his bed, for he Of
ten got them on before he got up in
the morning.


One pair was what [ should ;all
smoked glasses, such as persons use
in looking at the sun; they do very
well for that purpose, preventing the
bright rays from hurting the eyes
But Peter did not put them on to
look at the sun with; he looked at
everything through them. And as
this made every thing look dark and
ugly. be was made to feel according
ly.


81 could iron these collars better
myselfl' he exclaimed one morning
as he was dressing, after getting up
with those glasses on. And a few
minutes later, "Not a pin in the
cushion as usual" and presently
again, "Who has taken my comb ana
brush ?"


Had any of the children chanced
to come into the room about that
time, it would have been worse for
them.


When he sat down to breakfast
there was a deep wrinkle between his
eyes, caused by the weight of the
glasses upon his brow.


"That Polly Ann never did make
good cup Iof coffee in her life," he
remarked. "My dear" turning to
his wife, Il do wish you would take
the trouble to go down once-just
once, only once-and show her how. "


Mrs. Crisp ventured to say in a
low voice that she went down every
morning. Peter had no reply to
make to this, but he puckered his
lips as if he had been taking quinine,
frowned yet more severely and push
ed the cup away from him.


After his cheerful breakfast he put
on his hat to 60 to the store, but
turned back from the front door and
came to the foot of the stairs, where
he stood calling out in a loud voice
that he really felt ashamed of the
black around the door-knob and bell
handle. In the street few moments
afterward, a gentlemen Joined him
to whom he was as pleasant as posi-
BILE. But when he got into the
eounting-room, it was plain he had
the smoked glasses on still. Not one
person about the concern worked ss
he should do, he said-none of then
were worth cent. 1t used to be diff
ferent when he was boy. Then ht
went out with a look of general dis
gust. As soon as he was gone the
book keeper was cross to the clerk
and the clerk scolded the boy, anC
the boy went out and abused the por
| ter.


A few mornings efter that, Petel
had on what might be called his blut
glasses. He was in a milder frame
but low in spirits. He was sorry Il
see the chamber carpet wearing out
for he did not know where anothe
would come from. At breakfast h
watched all the children taking but
ter, and took scarcely any himself
He begged Mrs. Crisp to put less su
/ gar in his coffee. The frown wa
gone from his face, but a most de-
IJectcd look had come in its place
Spying hole in the Toe of his boy
shoe, he took a long breath, ant
hearing that the dressmaker was en-.
gagged a day next week Cor his daugh
ters, he sighed aloud. Walking dow
the street, he looked as if he had los
a near relative, and at the store al
day he felt like one on the eve o
breaking.


He had one more pair of glasses
the color of which could never be dis