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""?cr?r-; AN INDEPENDENT FAMILY NEWSPAPER. 'cr.''
Vol. VII. T ' Now Bloomfield, 3?ii., Tuesday, Dccomber S3, 1873. No. SI.
CM . ' "
; , 18 PUBLISHED KYBHT TUESDAY MORKIKO, BT
FRANK MORTIMER & CO.,
At New Bloomfield, Terry Co., To,.
Being provided with Steam Tower, and large
Cylinder and Job-Presses, we are prepared
to do all kinds of Job-I'rlntlng lu .
- good style and at Low Prices.
.it'.' .- i
ABVBTITISTNG HATES I '
Tttmtitnt 8 Cents per lino for one insertion
18 " . " twoinsertlons
18' " " " three Insertions
Business Notices in Local Column 10 Cents
per line. , m
-For longer yearly adv'ts terms will be given
upon application.
. ' A YEAS AGO.
IN the pleasant summer weather,
When the sun was low, . ,
Bide by side we walked together,
Just a fear ago.
In the West the crimson glory
Slowly died away,
As I told the old sweet story ' '
At tbe close of day. '
Joy, till then In life denied me,
Bet my heart at rest,
As tbe fair young face beside me
Conscious lore confessed.
AH the hopes that hovered o'er ns
Youth alone can know j ' 1
Life and love were all before ns
' ' Just a year ago. . ;.',' 1
' Just a year the sky Is clonded,
l-' And the shadows fall ; " 1 "'
Id a grave my hopes lie shrouded
Death has won them all. '
Loved and lost I The tie Is broken
Cold are Hp and brow i
Words of love, though warmly spoken,,
Cannot reach her now. ; , .
Joy has Vanished, hope Is perished, .'
Dreams of youth are vain (
E'en the love by Memory cherished.
Thrills the heart with pain. ,
Gone for ever sorrow, only mm,.
, , , Future life can know, ,. ;
Since she died and loft me lonely
Just a year ago.
Uncle Jim's Christmas Day.
MR. and Mrs. Albert Morrisson at
breakfast, formed very pretty and
interesting picture. The accessories, such
as furnlture.a blazing fire in an open grate,
and ohoice engraving ou , the walls, were,
to say the least, quite elegant, and sugges
tive of amyle means. Mr. Morrisson was
tall and muscular, but little too stout for
a hero. His wife was slight and graceful,
and her large bright eye and regular fea
tures had long since established ber claim
as a handsome woman. : .,, , ,
, , There was something higher than mere
physical beauty, however, in her sensitive,
earnest face something that foretold
capabilities never yet brought into action,
passions lying dormant, because their key
note had never beeu struck ; possibilities
unsuspected by. their owuer, whose life
hitherto had been bright and cloudless as a
perfect summer day. . , , . ,
" Albert, J want a whole lot of money,"
she remarked playfully, dropping lumps of
sugar into ber eup a she spoke. . , .
Mr. Morrisson looked at her thought
fully, and began to vnfold the morning
paper., ....... ... , .;.
"What do you : want the money for,
Gerty? Anything very pressing?" .
,, "I want to buy Christmas-presents,"
and Mrs. Morrisson saw in imagination the
fancy articles, toys, jewels, and laces that
she contemplated giving to ber cbilden and
relatives..., ,
" Could'nt you let them go this time,
Gertyf" He avoided looking at her us
he spoke. " The trutlt is, I cannot spare
tbe money at present. I need every dollar
I can raise 'in tbe business.' "
" Is there anything wrong ?" and for a
momcut, noticing ber husband's unusual
gravity, Mrs. Morrisson entirely forgot the
"Christmas presents." '
" No, nothing as yet. But the times are
hard, and a man has to be careful. About
the dinner party, have you , Invited any
persons yet?" , m , ,, .. ,
"No, but I thought of doing it. to-motv
row." .. :i mm ,
, " I think v.e had better give It up, Qerty,
It will involve so many ; additional expen.
ees. And just now, we can not ; be too
economical in the house." ." ,', ,
Mrs. Morrisson sighed faintly, surprise at
first keeping her mute.
' , " I promised Edith a locket and chain,
and Bertie will expect a sleigh and gun,"
she said after a short silence.
" Suppose you buy the gun for Bertie
and give Edith a trinket of your own. Tom
my and Kay will be pleased with a few
cheap toys. You know, Gerty, I would
not speak so decidedly if there were not
strong necessity to do so."
"I know that, Albert," and with a great
effort Mrs. Mjrrisson conquered herself,and
attempted to comfort her husband and win
his confidence.
Mr. Morrisson was not inclined to be
communicative. He had been rash, be
said, in speculating in a kind of goods with
which he was not familiar, and he could
not tell how the venture would turn out.
After he had left the house, his wife
went up to her room anxious and thought
ful. How to assist dear Albert, who was
evidently greatly worried about money,
was the all absorbing thought. Money :
The word did not convey to Mrs. Morris
son's mind that important article in its
tangible form, such as notes, coin, aud
checks, but rather the appliances and lux
uries which its possession insured. With
her money had always been an established
fact. Where it came from, and bow, was
a question she had never asked herself.
Before her marriage she had had little
use for it in her purse. Bhe had always un
limited credit, and the bills were sent to
ber father and settled twice a year. After
she bocamo Mrs. Morrisson, her husband
relieved her of all care on the subject. He
generally went with ber on her shopping
expeditions, and made all the payments.
Tbe trades-people with whom they dealt
sent their accounts to Mr. Morrisson, and
received their money from him in checks.
Considering the style in which they lived, a
very small sura, comparatively speaking,
passed through Mrs. Morrisson's hands in
the course of a year. , ,
. True, any trifling article that took ber
fancy, she was at liberty to purchase, but
she had to ask for the money first, just as
she had done that morning. Hitherto, she
bad never beeu refused, and so, this meth
od of spending at will and having no reg
ular stated amount to draw upon, had ap
peared , very convenient and agreeable.
Now, some of its drawbacks and inconsis
tencies began to force themselves upon ber
mind.
How could she be economical when the
burden of all household expenditures was
taken off her hands ? Ever since their
marriage, Albert bad endeavored to relieve
her of all unnecessary care and responsi
bility ; and so well bad he succeeded in his
efforts, that her ideas in regard to earning
money, and spending it wisely, were con
fused and rather unpracticable. ;
' Yet be had said that they could not be
"too economical in the house." Her busy
brain reviewed rapidly the home arrange
ments left under her control. Woman-like,
self-sacrifice seemed her bounden duty, and
a glimpse of ber three servants collected in
the court, watching a passing funeral, sug
gested one mode of economy to her mind.
Ray was three years old. Why keep' a
nurse for her and Tommy f Surely, with
a little exertion on her own part, she might
attend to the children, and manage with
two servants.
In theory it seemed very pleasant and
practicable, and It happened that a friend
was in need of an experienced nurse, so
that Jan being provided with a good
home, her conscience would not disturb
her for parting with the girl. 1 '
While debating this question with her
self, her eyes fell on a roll of paper lying
at her feet. She examined it, saying to
herself, . " Something of Albert's I wonder
if be wiil need it." '
' It was a short memorandum of money
owed by Mr. Morrisson. There1 was an
item of three hundred and fifty dollars for
stabling his trotting horse ; another of
three hundred for two little dinner parties
at Delmonico's and several charges for
boxes of cigars, making a total of seven
hundred dollars, . '
Mrs. Morrisson put down the paper and
leaned her head on her band, A dim per
ception of the truth began ' to dawn upon
her mind, but as yet did not shape itself
Into forcible conviction. The first feeling
that took possession of her was one of in
dignation. , '
She felt Injured, and begun to question
Ills right to deny ber a moderate sum of
money with which to gratify her wishes,
if he felt justified in contracting bills of
such a character and to such an amount.
Then she wondered if the fact of having
to pay this bill was ths reason why he re
fused her request. , Ignorant of the real
condition of ber husband's affairs, she only
argued on the injustice aud inconsistency
of the one circumstance, unconscious of the
causes that led to It, and therefor not re
flecting upon their probable effects.
Her excited feelings found relief in tears,
and a sharp, angry speech formed itself
into sentences in her brain, as she put
the paper into her husband's dressing-case.
The unkind words, however, remained un
spoken. Indignation and self-assertion
gave place to sympathy, when she saw his
pale, harrasscd face, and felt the change
in his manner once so cheerful, now de
pressed and constrained.
" If he only would confide in me," ; she
thought, as she watched him duricg the
dinner, trifling with his food, and making
vain efforts to answer the children's merry
questions.
" Papa, Christmas is just three weeks
from to-morrow 1" announced Master
Albert triumphantly. " I'm going to have
lots of things."
"So is II" exclaimed Tommy. "Are
you going to hang up your stocking,
papa ?"
Mr. Morrisson nodded, and smiled faint
ly. " Me know what Santa Claus will bring
mo," said Ray nodding her head, and
swinging her silver mug in the air.
" Your stockings are too little to hold
anything," said Bertie. "You'll have to
borrow a pair."
Ray surveyed her small foot ruefully.
" Me det papa's," she exolaimed, a bright
smile flashing like a sunbeam over her face,
while a general laugh followed ber speech.
How many bitter words and wicked
quarrrels have been prevented by the pres
ence of little children. Hard thoughts and
unkind intentions die away and are forgot
ten before their fearless remarks and inno
cent glances.
Yet in contemplating his merry boys
and girls, Mr. Morrisson's misery was in
creased a hundred fold. " Must I drag
them down in my own ruin ?" was his
weary, unceasing thought. . ' , ..
After Edith and Bertie bad cone to study
their lessons, and Tommy and Ray bad run
up to thsir nurse, Mrs. Morrisson, confided
to her husband her plan of economy.
. He agreed to it,kiBsing her and thanking
ber, but not volunteering a word in expla
nation of his difficulties.
"How useless I am to him," she thought
bitterly. " A mere toy to be caressed and
petted, but not worthy of trust or even of
sharing bis trouble." , Then came the an
swering thought : " He knows how help
less I am, bow powerless to aid him. He
Is bearing all his troubles alone, trying to
shield me from suffering." Still, she felt,
" this uncertainty is harder to endure than
a complete knowledge of the worst that
may happen." (
Mrs. Morrisson's small schemes for do
mestic economy were not productive of any
visible good effects. After the first week
the children, who were in tire beginning
wild with delight at having mamma to
dress them and put them to bed, pined for
their old nurse. Jane sang for them, and
repeated endless nursery rhymes and fairy
stories with untiring ' patience night after
night, until their sleepy lids gently closed
in sound slumber.
Mamma was abstracted and quiet, sing
ing by snatches in sad tones her favorite
hymns, and often unconsciously breaking
off in the middle of a sentence, to think of
the husband sitting in the room below ;
his depressed, altered countenance, and
the change in his once cheerful bearing.
The cloud on his face grew darker each
day, and yet he kept his own counsel.
One evening he came iu late, looking so
utterly miserable and overwhelmed, as .it
were, by his troubles, that his wife put her
arms around his neck and kissed him, un
able to speak a word of welcome or com
fort : He sat dwn, and then, strong man
as be was, be put his hand over his face
and sobbed aloud. , , '
"Albert, my darling 1 What is it. What
Ls coming?" ,i V.
, "Failure and ruin, Qerty, , My last hope
is gone. I bave just seen my uncle. He
won't do a thing to help me. The business
I built up, Qerty, to see it break and go to
piece t I have worked hard ; you know it,
ever since I was eighteen year of age. I
have given the best twenty years of my
life to it, and dow it will be destroyed all
my labor .goes for nothing. Thank Qod
you bave this house. They cannot take it
from you and tbe children.", , ... ,
"Whoare 'they?'" , '
" My creditors. Tbey can not touch
this, because your father gave i( to you,
I never owned it." ,
" Why not sell It, aud pay your debts
with the money ?" Mr, Morrisson smiled
drearily. - , , ......
" It would be but a drop in the ocean,
Qerty. It would be simply throwing away
what is yours. 1 tell you it maddens me
to think of uncle James. , He has half a
million if he has one thousand dollars. No
one to inheirit it but nephews and nieces,
and they are just waiting for him to die so
as to grasp it. He will not part with a
cent of it. One would suppose that he
could find pleasure in doing good with it
now. Ho might help me out of all my
troubles without risking much of his gold.
But no, there he sits in that mean little
house of his, calculating interest, looking
over his balance sheets, aud finding fault
with his housekeeper. I almost cursed him
this afternoon 1", .
" No, no, Albert. Don't speak iike
that!"
" I must. I cannot help it." And spring
ing to his foet, Mr. Morrisson paced the
floor, fienzied with tbe visions of his un
cle's unused gold, the utter ruin staring
him in the face, and his inability to touch
one dollar of the coveted treasure.
" I went to him, Gerty, believing that
be would assist me hoping that some
feeling for his brother's son would stir his
heart. I laid my accounts before him. I
showed him where I had made mistakes,
and how, with some aid, I might rectify
them. He, miscrablo, mean old man that
ho is 1 he listened with a sneer on his face,
questioned me closely, wormed out of me
every folly of which I had been guilty,
and then told me coldly that he could do
nothing for me. When I appealed to him
for my childrens ' sake, he ordered me out
of his house, and locked aud bolted the
door after me, as if I were a thief ready to
rob him of his wretched money." Too
frightened and too horror stricken to speak,
Mrs. Morrisson sat watching her husband
until at length, his passion spent and his
strength exhausted, he threw himself on
tbe sofa utterly prostrated in body and
mind. ' 1 ' '
Then she brought a pillow for his tired
head, and sat by him, trying to kiss the
anxious, haggard look from his features.
He bad fallen asleep, and she was still near
him crying silently for him, his broken
pride and blasted hopes, when the door
opened to admit her brother, Mr,, Archi
bald Wilson.
The gentleman, with a glance at his
brother-in-law, took in the position, and
quietly beckoned to his sister to follow
him into the dining-room.
" Gerty," be said, taking a seat near her,
something must be done. Do you . know
that Albert is on the verge of a failure ?"
" I have just heard it," with a nervous
glance into the adjoining room. , ,
" What, not until this evening ?" ,
"No, not until this , evening," her voice
sank to a whisper. . .m
"My poor girl I"., And Mr. Wilson who
was tall and very stout, looked sympathet
ically at his sister's pal face and trembling
bands.
, " I came up to talk with you, Gerty. It
will never do to let Albert go to pieces now.
At bis age and with bis temperament, a
man never recovers lost ground. Something
must be done this week. Come, brighten
up, Gerty. You should always understand
things when explained clearly. Hasn't
Albert a rich relative, an uncle or cousiu?"
"Yes, but he will do nothing. Albert
has just been to see him." .
Mr. Wilson's face fell at the news.
"That is bad. ,What Albert needs is
for two or three parties to come forward
and advance equal amounts. . One man
could not undertake such a responsibility.
You know, Qerty, J. would do all iu my
power but for my own large family. I can
not afford to lose money now. This bouse
is not mortgaged." .
Mrs. Morrisson shook her head. . ,
11 Well, my idea is this. I will advance
twenty thousand, and take a mortgage on
this houBe, providing other parties can. be
found willing to assist. Not otherwise.
Unless the failure can be prevented, there
Is no reason why you should part with the
bouno. Is this old relative perfectly un
manageable t You ' had better persuade
Albert to see him again, and mention my
proposition."
" Oe will not, I am sure. His unole was
so insulting in his manner of refusing. I
do not think he would give Albert an op
portunity to speak to him.", '
" Qerty, I bave been riding about the
city all day on this business; I know sev
eral men who would help , Albert if he
were just backed up for a few months by a
solid man. It would crive thera confidence
in him. It seem hard that they are not
willing to assist hira anyhow, but money
is very difficult to make, and we cannot
blame them for wishing to keep it. after
they have earned it. You must urge upon
Albert the necessity of bringing bis uncle
to terms. I And now, I shall leave 'you.
Let Albert sleep as long as ho can. He is
worn out now, and to-morrow he must
work hard. It will be the turning point in
his life. Everything depends upon what he
can do to-morrow."
So saying, Mr. Wilson went away, quiet
ly, leaving his sister in a condition border
ing on distraction. What to do ? how to
think 1 where to go ? There were the ques
tions presented to her throbbing brain. For
a few moments she stood iu the lighted
hall, trying to control the helpless, nervous
sensations stealing over her she. Then
went softly into the parlor, and listened
to her husbands hcavy,irrcgular breathing.
L" To-morrow, only to-morrow, she thought,
"and he will never recover from such a
blow."
She bent over him, pressing her lips to
the masses of tangled curls falling on his
forehead, and then as if seized by a sudden
inspiration, left the room and hurried up
stairs.
Edith was sitting in the dressing-room,
looking over lessons.
" Edith will you take your books to the
dining-room, aud be very quiet? Tapa is
asleep in the parlor, aud I can not have
him awakened. You will watch by him for
a little while."
Edith did as she was told, secretly won.
doling why papa should be asleep in the
parlor. 1
When she had left the room, Mrs. Mor
risBon took ber cloak and bonnet from the,
wardrobe, and began to dress hastily for
the street. She was tying her bonnot on,,
when Ray's voice came, clear and curious,,
from her little crib iu the corner. ,
" Where are you going, mamma?"
Mrs. Morrisson turned, rather startled at
the question. Ray was sitting up, her
bright eyes fixed on her mother's figure
" I thought you were asleep, Ray."
"No, mo not seepy." '
"Mrs, Morrisson thought for a moment,
thon looked at the clock. It was just nine.
The distance to Mr. Morrisson's house was
short, easily traversed in ten minutes, and
the night, although cold, was clear and
dry.'
" Will you come with mamma, Ray?"
Ray sprang to her feet with a cry of delight,
and Mrs. Morrisson, having locked the door,
dressed tbe little creature in her warmest
clothes, and, taking her in her arms, went
noiselessly down tbe broad staircase, Ber
tie's voice singing for Tommy was audible
from the upper story, and in the dining
room mirror the mother caught a glimpse
of Edith's delicate profile bending over her
book.
Pressing Ray's little face to ber breast,
less the child should call out, Mrs. Mor
risson gently opened and closed the hall
door, hastened down the stoop, and with a
sigh of relief put Ray ou her feet on the
sidewalk.
"Me know where we are doing I" ex
claimed the child, putting her hand iu her
mother's, aud glancing down the ' broad
street.. , k
" Where, Ray ?" and Mrs. Morrisson'
heart gave a sudden bound. She was grow
ing nervous over the step she was about to
take, fearful for its results, half dreading
that her impulsiveness might injure her
husband's cause. And yet ' somothlng
wlthiu impelled her forward. The moon
light seemed to clothe Ray in robes of silver,
and the childish face was glowing with
delight as she replied, "To see Santa.
Claus."
" Do you feel cold, Ray ?" Ray shook
her bead, clasped her little white muff clos
er to her form, and pattered along the al
most deserted pavement, smiles chasing
each other over her happy face. ; ' 1
A walk of three blocks across town
brought Mrs. Morrisson to an avenue,
Which, like a great gulf fixed, divided the
aristocratic quarter in which her house was
situated, from the unpretentious neighbor
hood in which Mr. Morrisson dwelt. Sev
eral times in the course of her married life,
she and her husband had visited uncle
James. Not very often, for ' the old man
once insinuated that they came to gain
favor with him, in a view of a prospective
legacy. Mr. Albert Morrisson's pride was
hurt at this speech, for ' hitherto be had
been equal to supporting himself bad as
sisted others generously, and had seldom
given even a passing thought to "Uncle
Jim's money," a it was called in th fam
ily. ' '. '
'Uncle Jim" was by no meaus a pop
ular personage among his many nephews
and nieces. He ' was purse-proud, atari-
clous, and cold-hearted. A disappointed
CONCLUDED ON OOND PAUK