Year: 1859

SKETCH TO BE READ BY THE MAN WHO RE-


TRENCHES BY DIscoNTINUINe HIS PAPER.
The old farm house wore a quiet, pleasant
look, as the setting sun gilded its small win
dows, over which the luxuriant grape vines
were carefully trained. In the open door sat
the farmer, with little morocco covered book
in his hand, on which his attention had been fix
ed for the last hour He was a man of method
and order-old Richard Heath-and aside from
his regular account books, which he always
kept with scrupulOus care, he always set down
in his little book, in the simplest manner possi-
bic, all his expenses, Quo very complicated
amount by the way,) and all he had received
during the year, in the metal, as he said, not
by the way of trade.


The last account he and Just reckoned up, and
the result was highly satisfactory, if one might
judge from the pleasant expression of his face
as he turned to his wife and addressed her by
her pretty, old fashioned name.


''Millieent," said he ''this has been lucky
year How little we thought when we moved
to this place, twenty-five years ago, that we
should ever get five hundred dollars year out
of the rocky, barren farm"


at does pay for good deal of hard work"
said she, ''to see how different things look from
what they did then"


Now, am going to figure up how much we
have spent, SAID Mr.. Heath "don't make
noise with your knitting needles, cause it puts
me out"


The wife laid by her knitting in perfect good
humor, and gazed over the broad, rich fields of
waving grain, which grew SO tall around the
laden apple trees, that they looked like mas
sive piles of foliage. Hearing her own name
kindly spoken led her own thoughts far back,
to the past; for after the lapse of twenty-five
years the simple sound of the name she bore in
her youth, means more, to wife, than all the
pleasing epithets of dearest, and darling so Law
ishly offered in a long past courtship.


Very pleasant was the retrospect to Milli-
cient Health The picture of the past had on
it some rough places, and some hard trials, but
no domestic strife or discomfort marred its sun
ny aspect. There were smiling faces on it
happy ckildrens faces, without which no life
picture is beautiful. Soft blue eyes shone with
unclouded gladness, and wavy hair foated care
lessly over unwritten foreheads. She forgot,
for moment, how they were changed, and al
most fancied herself again the young mother,
and tiny hands stole lovingly over her bosom,
and young heads nestled there as of old


The illusion vanished quickly, and she sigh
J
less boy who had left her three years before for
home ON the sea. Once only had tidings
reached her of the wanderer. The letter spoke
of hardships and home sickness in that light
and careless way that reached the mothers
heart more surely than repining and complaint.
To know that he suffered, with strong heart,
with noble and unyielding resolution, gave her
feeling of pleasure, not unmingled with pride.


"He will surely come back" murmured the
affectionate mother to herself; and read the
paper SO carefully every week, that if it says
anything about the ship Alfred sailed in, l shall
be sure too see it."


MRS. Heath, said her husband, interrupting
her meditatiOns somewhat rudely, "wc have
spent thirty dollars more than usual this year;
where can it have gone to -


r'rnaT UonT come every year you know.


"Well, there's twenty dollars accounted for "


''We had the carriage fixed up when you
bought the harness" continued his wife.


"Well, that was eight dollars, that's twenty
eight we don't spend every year,-but the other
| two, where can they haye gone"


GIaneing his eye over the pages of the memo
randum book, he continued


an tell you what tits, the newspaper costs
| Just two dollars, and we can do without it. 1t
isn't anything TO eat, drink or wear. / don't do
anything with it, and you only lay it away up
chamber. 1t may as wen be left out as not, and
III stop my subscription right away"
| ooh" said his wife, ''you don't know how
much l set by the newspaper. l always have
a sort of glad feeling when see you take it OFT
of your hat and lay it on the kitchen mantel-
piece, Just as | do when some of the children
come home; and when I am tired l sit down
with my knitting work and read. l can knit
1 - Il
tented. don't believe Queen Victoria herself
takes more solid comfort than do sitting by
the east window, on a summer afternoon, read
| ing my newspaper"


"But you are just as well off without it, an
swered her husband, for want of anything else
to say.


"a never neglect anything else for reading.
do II" asked Mrs. Heath, mildly.


'No, don't know as you do,' answered her
| husband; 'but it seems an extra LIKE shall
stop it," be added, in a tone that showed plain
ly enough he wished to stop the conversation.


81 shall take the paper" remarked bis wife,
'if have to go out washing to pay for it"


This was not spoken angrily, but so firmly
that Mr.. Heath noticed it, though by no means
remarkable for diseemment in most matters
1t sounded so different forom her usual quiet
"as you think best" that he actually stopped g
moment to consider whether it was at all likely
she would do as she said.


Mr.. Heath was a kind husband, as that indef-
mite description is generally understood; that
is, he did not beat his wife, and always gave her
enough to eat More than that, he had certain
regard for her happiness, which already made
him feel half ashamed of his decision, but like
many other men who have more obstinacy than
wisdom he could not bear to retract anything,
and above all to be convinced he was wrong by
a woman.


However with commendable wish to remove
the unhappiness he caused, he suggested that
as the papers were carefully saved, and she had
found them interesting che could read them over
again, beginning at January, and taking one a
week clear through the year-they would just
come out even, he concluded, as if it were sin
gular fact that they should do SO.


Notwithstanding the admirable proposition
he still felt some uneasiness. 1t followed him,
as he walked up the pleasant laEe to the pastures
and it made him speak more sharply than wa
his wont, if the cows stopped while he was
driving them home, to crop the grass where it
looked greenest and sweetest on, the sunny slope
1t troubled him tall he heard his wife call him
to supper, in such a cheerful tone, that he con-
cluded she didn't care much about the newspa-
per after all.


[Concluded tO-MorTolol