-,,.: 1: .6ttritstinilubli;krt.
W I S. N G.-
us J . 9UN G. SAXE,
Of all ; amusements of the mind, -
__ From-logic down to. fishing, •
- There isn't one that you can find
very cheap as "wishing!"
. A very choice diversion, - too, -
If wetbut rightly use it., _
And sayt as we are apt to do,
Perveit it and abase it. • •
$
I - wish—A common wish indeed--
"Tait was somewhat fatter,
T Ilmight cheer•the child of need,
And not my pride to flattei ; •
That I Might make opprestareel,
.AS only gold can make it,
And break the tyrant's rod of sleet
Asionly gold can break it.
I wish that sympathy and love,
Aild-every truman passion
That has its origin above,
Would come and keep in faehio
That acorn andjea lousy and hate,
And every - base. emotion.
Wore 'buried fiftyfittiOnrs deep,
Beneath the-waves of ocean.' •
Wish that frienes Were always true
. Aniamotir s es'always pure ;
I wish the good were not so few,
I wish the bad were fewer;
I wish that pirating ne'er forgot
. To heed the pious teaching ;
I 4rih that practicing was not
different 'from preaching.
I wish that modern.worth might-be
-Appraised with truth and candor ;,
I - wish that-innocence _was free
From treachery and slander;
I Wish that men their vows'would mind,
• That woman neer were rovers;
I wish that wives were always kind,
And husbands always oVers.
I; whia—in fine—that joy and mirth,
A-nd eVery good ideal, - -
May CoMeere,while throughout the earth
To be the glorhUS real,
Till Cod shall every creature bless .
WWI supremest' blessing,
A'nd hope be lost in happiness,
And wishing be poscessiur.
Cie `juOrtb Poll 4 liiit.
Mr. John Somers was a' merchant, doing
)businiss in A thriving_country village... He
-had tio clerks in his employ. both of them
faithful and industrious, trot with some differ
ence in minor pofnfs of character. Peter
Whise was twenty-two years of age, the
child of sr-now widowed mother, and in his
Noe of a profession he had only been
governed by the desire to yield to his mother
and self the surest means of honest support.
Walter Sturgis was of the same age .and
.equally as Honest;, but he paid mbie attention
,to the outward appearance of things, than
did'his companion. For instance, it galled
;him to be obliged to put on his frock and
overalls,, and help pack up pork, potatoes,and
FO on' . ; while Peter eared nct what he did,
so lonz as his ma-,ter required it, and it was
honee. -
One-day, Mr. Somers called the tiro young
men into his counting-room,- and cl.wd the
door after them. Ilia- countenancer looked
troubled, and it was some momentNbefore he
spoke. •
'pop,' lie said, at lengthiltil hate been
doing a very foolish thing. I have lent my
name to those I have thought:friends; 'and
they have ruined me... 1 gave them *emu%
notes, and they promised solemnly ,
that these notes should not piss from their.
hands, save to se - eh ,men as I might accept.
.Of coutse I took their notes in exchange.
They have now failed and cleared out, and
have left my paper in the market to'the a
mount of- seven thousand dollars. I may
arise agairi; but I must give up my business.
Everything in the stye is attached, and;l am
left utterly powerless to do business nosy.
have looked over your'necounts ' and find
that I owe you about asbundred dollars each.
Now I have just one hundred dollars in money.
and the smali:piece of land on the side 9f the
hill just'back of the town house. There are
four acres ,of this land, and I have been
offered a hundred dollars for it , repeatedly, by
those who.'have land adjoining. I feared this
blow, which huts come upon me, and : l 'con
veyed_ this 'land to my brother ; so now he'
can conveylt to whom he pleases . Now I
wish yriu whuld makeyourehoice: If I.could
pay - :you both in money, I would, but as I
cannot e one you must take this land;'.What
say you l -Yon, Walter, have teen atith me
the longest, end you shall say first."
Walter-Sturgis hesitated spme 'moments,
and then said
"I'm sure' I dou't want the' land unless I'
could sell it right off."
s".A.b, but -that Won't do," returned Mr.
Somers,-'lf you take the land you must keep
it. Were you to sell it, my creditors would
sal, it once you did it for me,and I.pocketed
the money." - -
"Then I am _willing to divide the ItUndred
dollars with Peter, for if I bad the land
sliquld do nothing with' it." -
"Oh you need not divide the' money, for
Jean raise the hundred dollars on the . land.
My brother will do that.. Brit. I imagined
;that you would prefer to have k the land, for
I knew the soil ivas.gocd though quite rocky.
However, what.say you, Peter I"
"Why Pa take the -land, or I
. wp divide
equally with Walter," retu rn ed Peter,. "each
of us take half the.money-and half the laud."
"But what should I. want withthe land I"
said Walter. "I could not stork on
should hardly like to descend frortia clerkship
to digging and delving in a blue froilt and
cewhille boots." _ -•-
"Thin it is easily settled,"-rejoined Peter,
"for I should 'prefer the land." -
Walter was pleased with this, and - before
tight be had a hundred-dollar-bill in- his
pocket, and Peter had - the. warrantee deed
. of,
the four - acres of land upon the bill-Ode. Bo th,
the young men belonged in the village, and
• had always lived there. If was five miles
from tbe, city, and of course . many city fash
ions were prevalent there. It .was under the
influence of this fashion' that Walter Sturgis
- refused _to have. anytbirig to do with the
land.
Times were dull and business , was slack,
even though it was early spring. Peter
White's first ,object, after having got the deed
of his land, was to bunt -urr acme kind of
work. Had he been - a mechanic he might
bare found some place, but be knew no trade
except that of salesman' and book-keeping. A
whole week he searched in vain for employ
ment, l)nt at the end of that time he foind
an oklifanuer who wanted a hand, though be
could not afford to pay much. But Peter,
finally, and with the advice of Mr. Somers,
made an arrangement ofthis kind lie would
work for the , old farmer (Mr. Stevens) steadily.
until the ground was open,and then he should
have half the time to devote upon his own
lantl, and in part payment ;for-his services,
Stevens - was to help about all the ox work the
youth might 'need. Next Peter went to the
laurel, vales* there as quite n stable, and en
gaged a hnttdred loads of manure, the land
lord promising te_ take Ws pay in products
when harvest time came. So Peter. White
pet on tha ti Iti a frock and cow-bide boots,and
mmt.m. Work for farmer Stevens. -
- - ••• _
In the meantime Walter Sturgis bad been "What will he Pay ?"
to the city to try to And a situation in some "Three hundred."
More, but be came home bootie-+s. He was )'Ah, Walter, I can make more than That
torprised'ahc4t he met Peter driving an ox rrom my land." - -
first he
lead through the village.' t
,ttd, Sturgis opened his eyes in astonishment.
could hardly beliese his own es. Could: - . "You - are joking," said he. -
it be possible that that was Pete White, in ". 2.7 9, sir. I received five hundred and five
that blue frock andAluise coarse boots I On dollars in money last season., Seventy-five of
the next day a !elation from the citsscame to i t hat, went for manure ; but some or that ma
see Walter. The two walked out, and dur,t F nurels now ots band, as I found the ground
ing the day Walter saw Peter coming towards iso rich last year as not to need much over
them with' his team. lie was hauling lumber 'half of it. This season I shall have two bun
which. Mr.. Stevens had been, getting outldred dollars worth df strawberries, if nothing
during the winter. Walter saw hew coarse lhappenssinusual."
and amble Iris quondam clerk mate looked," And you' don't have to work any winters
I
and be knew that Peter would hail him if to-de thieP
they met, So lie caught his companion by the i ~-" No, four month's labor is about all4can
arm and dod ged in a by-lane. Peter saw I lay out to advantage on it." .
the movement, and be understood it, but ; Walter went to his store, and during the
he only smiled. By-and-bye, the snow was ;rest of the evening. he wondered how it, was
all gone from the hilt-side. The wintry garb Ithat some folks had such luck.
was removed from that spot some time before i :During the second seaeon,Teter bad expe
it left other places. for Peter's lot lay on the deice for a guide, and be filled up many
southein slope of the hill, and thus had all [gaps that be left open the year before. His
the advantages of the warm sun without any strawberries turned out better than hen had
of the cold north and east winds. The youth I anticipated, and he made a better _arrage.
found his land very rocky, but none of them Iment for his melons. And then from all Oat
were permanent ,•' so -hi s e„t move was toget land whereon be planted his early peas, etc.,
off some cf these obstructions, and as Mr. be obtained a second crop of much value.—
Stevens' landr was not yet clear from snow, he ;It was but one half hour's drive into the city,
was able to_ give his young workman con- rand he always , obtained the highest prices,
siderable assistance. They talc two yokes for he brought the earliest vegetables in the '
of 'oxen and two drags, and went at it, and in 'market- .
just See days 'every rock wris at the foot of ' On the first of the next November be had
the slope, and made into good stone wall. ,cleared seven hundred dollars for the season,
Peter then hauled on his hundred loads of ,over and above all expenses. i
manure,which he had for ievente-lye d o ll ars , ' One morning, after the crops were all in,
and part of it he plowed in, , - „ tft part - s o Peter found a man walking about over the
saved for top-dressing. : laud, and as the young man came up the
Peter now worked early and late,and much
stran
h. is mine, sir, ,g
replied Peter. er asked him who owned the bill-side.
cf the time be had help. Mr. Stevens was
man looked about and then went
Harp s rised at the richnessof the soil, but there w The
and on the \next day he crime again
_was reason fur it. At the top of thethill there ' r t Y'
with two others. They looked over the place,
was a huge ledge, and the rocks which had
encumbesed the hill - side
must,
at
some and they seem ed to be dividing it off into
small lots. They remained about - an hour
former period, have come tumbling down
and then, went away. Peter suspected this
from the ledge; and thwe rocks,-lavitos there
land was wanied for something. That even
for ages, perhaps, • and covering nearly half
ing lie stepped in at tho post office, and :her©
the surface of the ground, bad served to keep
lie beard that a railroad was going to be put
the soil moist and mellow. The first thing
through the village as soon as the workmen
Peter planted was_abolit a quarter of an acre
could he - set at it.
of water melons. He then got jesome early On the
e ttext morning, Peter went out upon
garden sauce—such as potatoes, ;sweet corn,
Lis land, and as . he reached the upper boon
peas, beans, radishes, cucumber, tomatoes, ;dart' and turned and looked down the truth
.and so on. And he got his whole piece flashed upon him. His hillside had a gentle,
worked up and planted before Stevens' farm
easy slope, and the view from any part of it
was free from snow. People stopped on- the was delightful. A brook ran down through
road and gazed upon the bill-side in a onder. it from -• an exhaustlesis spring up in the ledge,
Why had Olt spot never been used before I ;and the locality would be cool and agreeable
—For forty years it. had been used as a sheep ;,, sum mer, and warm in winter. At the
pasture, the rocks having forbidden alla mall lake,
I.I.:;oof th,e bill, to the left , lay
thoughts of cultivating is. But how ad- • •
r ran in sightforseveral
: while the,rive
• mirably it was situated early tilling ; and
"Of course," soliloquised Peter, "they think
how rich the soil must have been, with
s\ .
',this would make bea utiful building spots.—
sheep 'Among over it so long. A ri adjoiningl Cutious
and the hill itself And wouldn ' t it . t hat I never tho't
bill shut
off the east winds ,
of it before. And - then when a railroad
gave its backsto the cbill,north.
\ comes here, people from the city w i ll' want
Peter had planted an acre of corn, an acre their dwellings here. But this land is-valw
of potafbes,and the rest belied divided among • a bl e , I t i s worth=let me see—say six hnn
all sorts of produce. Then be went to work dred dollars a year. I can easily get eight
for Stevens a,gein, and in a few weeks he had or nine hundred dollars for what I can raise
more titan paid for all the labor ho had been bere, and I know that two, hundred dollars
obliged.to hire on his own land. - will pay me a good round price for all the
In the meantime,Walter Sturgis had again labor I perform - on it. And then when my
been looking after employment. His-hundred peach trees grow up, and my strawberry beds
dollars nereused up to the last penny, and increase =— Ho—it's more valuable to me than
just j then be accepted
s a place in one of the it could be to any one else." ,
storesin the village, at a- salary of three When Peter went home, It could not re
1-hundred dollars a year. He still wondered sist the temptation to sit down and calculate
how Peter White could cuntent himself in bow many house lots his land would make;
i-such business. Peter used to be invited to and he found that his hillside would - afford
all the little parties when he was a clerk, but fifty building spots, with a good garden to
he was not invited_ now. Walter Sturgis each one. But he didn't think of - selling.
went to these parties,and he was highly' edifi- Two days afteiwards, six men came to look
ed by them. Also, when Peter was a clerk, at the land, and after traveling over it, and
there-- were several young and handsome sticking up some stakes, they went away.—
damsel who loved to-it:Ask in the sunlight of That evening Teter went down to the hotel,
his mu:
..
sf and one of thetn lie fancied he and the first Ching be heard was:
loved. After lie bad the bill side planted, he -" Alm, Pete; you've missed it."
-wen( to see Cordelic Henderson,and be asked " How so.r asked Peter. -
her if she would bec.ome his wife at some lii- " Why, how much do you get for your
tare period when he was prepared to take billside l l". ' -, •-.
such an arth:le to his borne. She told him "_What do you Mean 1" .
she would think of it and let him know, by " Haven't you sold it 1"
lettet. Three days afterwards be received a
letter front her, ifr" which she stated that she
could not thitik of uniting her destinies with
a man who could only . delve in the earth for
a living. Peter shed a few tears over the
unexoec!ed note, and then he reasoned on the
subject;and:finally blessed his fate, for he was
sure that such a gill was not what he needed
'tor a, wife: . .
When tbe first Qf July came,Peter reckon
ed up' his accounts, :and - he found that Mr.
Stevens was owing him jost. tarro dollars, and
all be owed to the world, was seventy-five
dollars-for manure. On the third of July be
carded tot i he hotel ten dollars worth of green
peas, beans-and radishes;
and in three days
afterwards - lie carried to the city twenty-eight
dollars ,worth.. Toward the end of the month
be had sold one - h - undre,l and thirty dollars
worth of early potatoes, butts, peas, etc.
Then be had early corn enough to bring him
fifteep dollars more. Ere long his melons were
ripe. A dealer of the-city had engaged them
all. - -He had six hundred fair melons, •for
which she received - "four t een cents a piece
by the lot, making eighty-four dollars for
the-whole. • •
During tbe whole summer Peter ,was kept
busy in attending to'tbe •• githering and sel
ling• of the products of his - 01-side: Be
helped Mr. Stevens in baying,and about some
other matters—enough so that he could hate
sorne,help when he- wanted it, When the
last bar vestinicarne., he,gatttercd-ittsettentv
eight bushels of .core, aud four hundred
of potatoes, besides turnip, squashes, pump
"WE .ARE ALA. EQUAL BEFORE GOD AND TUE CONSTITETION."—Janses Buchanan.
marts t, Susqnqanna Conittay Citrsbag, Doming, Zaig, 2ft, I&58
kins, etc, and eighteen bushels of white
beans.
On the first day of November,Peter White
sat down and reckoned up the preCeeds of
his land, and he found'. that the piece was
yielding him just five hundred and Are.dol
- and besides this be had corn, potatoes,
beans and vegetables sufficient for his own
use. That winter he worked for Mr. Stevens,
at getting out lumber for twenty five dollars
per month ; and wiled Spring came ho was
ready to go at his land again.
In the meantime, Walter . Sturgis bad
worked a year litt a, fashionable calling for
three hundred dollars, and at the end of the
teim be was the absolite owner of just .two*
I dol tars.
'Say, Peter, you aren't going to work on
that land of yours another season, are you r
asked Walter, as ,the two met in the street
ne evening.
"To be sure I am," was the response.
"But here's Simonds - wants a clerk, and I
old him I guessed you would be glad to
Come."
" "No, tAr." ,
Wky there was a man here a week or so
ago, and to day he came and brought five
city merchants with hih, and I can take my
oath that each one of them engaged a build
ing lot of him. One of them spoke to me
about what a lovely spot it, was; and I told
noboby would have thought of builjng
tbeie till you get the rocks off. bukhaven't
you sold it though ?"
"No, not au inch of it."
• " Why, that. man told me he had engaged
to pay four hundred dollars for a choice lot
of twelve square rods."
"Then he will•find his lot somes here else,
I guess, till I Sell Out."
Some more conversation was bald, and
then Peter went down. On the following
forenoon, the very man who had . been the
first to come and look at the hillside, called
to see Peter, introducing himself as Mr.
derson, . •
"Let's see—l believe you own some two
or three acres of land, up here on the hill
side;" be said . very carelessly:
" I own four acres- there," replied Peter,
very exactly. . •
" Ab, yes—well; it..doest , l i t make much
difference. • I didn'i notice particularly how
Mich there was. I thought I should like to
build there, and if von will sell the land rea
sonable, I plight like to purchase. It would
be enough to afford me quite a garden':
though I suppose it would cost me about as
mach to till such land as the produce would
ba itirrtb:4
"That would d - epetid upon bow you work
ed it," gild Peter, dryly.
"Olt, yes, I -suppose ,o. But you aro
wilGrig to sell out, I suppose t"
" 'Oct/thinly."
%e man's eyes began to brighten.
"How much should you rut for it I" he
asked.'
" Well, I don't know. What could you
afford to pay I"
" Why, I suppose I could afford to pay a
great deal wore than it is worth. Rather
than not hare it I would pay--well; say—
tit) hundred. dollars, or two hundred and
fifty at the outside."
I don't think there is much nse of our
talking, sir."
k But—you - paid' one hundred, only, if I
mistake not."
' "I had my choice between one hundred
dollars and the land, and. I 'chose the latter.
But as you seem to labor in the dark, I will
explain to you. - In the first place there is
not another spot of land in this section of the
countri, that possesses the natural advanta
ges which this one does. I can have my
early peas and vines up and hoed ,before my
neighbors get their groufid plowed ; so I have
my early sauce in the market ahead of all
others, save a few hot house plants, which
cannot compare with mine -for strength and
size. Then my soil is very rich, and - yields
fifty per cent. more than most other
Now look at this : During the last reason I
bare realized over eight hundred dollars from
this land, and next -season I can get much
more than that, for my itrawberry vines are
flourishing finely. There are not any two
farms in this town that can possibly be made
to realize so much mobey as my hillside, for
you see it is the iime of my produce, and not
4uatitity, that 'does the business: A bushel
of my early peas on the 22d day of May, are
worth ten times as much as my neighbor's
bushel on the first of July. and August. Two
hundred-dollars will more than pay me. for
all my time and trouble`in attending to my
land ; soyou see I have this year six hundred
dollars interest."
"Then you wouldn't sell for less than Mx
hundred, I suppose I" • said Mr. Anderson ;
carefully. -
"Wciuld you sell out a concern that *RR
yielding you a nett profit ofsix hundred dol
lars a year for that sum, sir ? asked Peter.
"Ahem--Irelt—ah—you put it rather-cu
riously."
"Then I'll put it plainly. You may have
the hill,ide fo s r ten thousand dollars."
Mr. Anderson laughed, but be,found that
Petar . was in earnest and he commenced to
curse and swear. At this, Peter simply
turned apd left his customer to,himself, an d
he saw ncthing more of the speculator. _
Two days afterwards, however, three of the
rnerchants.eare to see our hero, and when.
they had • heard his sirriples story they were
willing' to do justly by him. They Went up
and examined the spring, which they found
to be pure as chrystal, and as it was then a
dry season, they saw that the supply of . water
could never fail, and all the libuses which
might be built upon Peter's land Gould be
supplied with running water, even in the vety
attics of the upper ones.. • •
The merchants first went to the man who.
owned the land above Peter's, including the •
ledge and the spring, and he agreed to sell •
for two hundred dollars. This, to builders,'
was a great bargain, for the stone of the ledge.
was excellent granite. Then they callei, a
surveyor and made a plot of the hillside,
vhereby they found that they could' have
forty building lots,,worth from two hundred
and fifty tcsfour hundred doll's's each. They
hesitated .not a moment after the plbt was
made,but raid Peter ten' thousand dol
lars cheerfully.
Ere many days alter this transaction,Peter
White received a ver7 polite note from Cor
della Ilender , on, asking him to call and see
her ; but he did not call.• He hunted up Mr.
Somers, and he went into business with him,
and this very day Somers 4 . ,White do busi
ness in, that town, and Walter Sturgis is their
bookkeeper. And in all the country there
is not a prettier spot than the old hillside,—
The railroad depot is near it's foot, and it is
occupied by sumptuous dwellings, in which
live merchants who•do business in the adja
cent city.
.One thing Peter missed—that he did not
reserve a building spot for himself. But his
usual good fortune attended him even here.
A wealthy banker had occasion to move 'to
another section of the country, and he sold
out his - house and garden to Peter for just
one-half what the building cost him. So
Peter took a wife who. loved him when Ire
dug in the earth, and found a home for her
and himself upon the old hillside.
And now, reader, where dilyett think the
is I Perhaps you know ; for it is a
veritable history I have been writing, and
the placel have told you about, is now one
°ladle most select suburban residences in-the
country.
THE MISER'S' HEIR'.
"I tell von no, Agnes, [ won't have it.—
The fellow only wants my money. I know
]rim, I know him. I know all these dandified
jimeracks. They hang around a few bags of
dollars like cows around carrion; I won't h i ve
any such thing. - Now you know."
!Tattier, you judge Walter too harshly.—
Lie is a good man, honest and industrious,
and—"
"Industrious you say ? Ily the big - lump
I'd like to know what he has got to show fur
his industry." •
`•Ile has a superior Education, father."
"Education-? Fiddlesticks I Can he live on
his education I Can he make dollars by
it i"
"Yes, he can live on it. He. has already
obtained a good situation as a cletk."
"And will earn about enough to keep him
in his fine clothes he wears, I know these
fellows - . But there's an end on't. If you
choose him father than your poor old father,
,you can do'so. I can live alone,l shan't live
long—you can—"
"Stop, stop, father. Urdu hairs no right
to , talk so, You know I could not.leave
you."
And- Agnes Bremen threw her arms about
the old man's neck, and kissed'him, and \ theft
she left the room. • •
curious how these young fools act,"
the wiser muttered to himself, after-he had
watched 'his child depart. - "There's been
twenty of the sharks after her—twenty of 'eat
hoterrng around her, like man-eaters after
g dead , hocly. Don't I know wharthey want
Can't I - see ? Aha—can't I though-! It's
my money ! But Agnes has never loved one
of them till this Adam came along. The
jackanapes ! And now she wants to get mar
vied right away. Nonsense.",
The - old man bowed his ittaii its h 0 spoke
and he saw a drop upon the back of his hand.
It was a bright drop and the rays of the get
ting sun were playing on it.
"She cried when she kissi-fl me," heichis
pored, wiping the tear. from -hie hand. "I
don't see who makes her so tender-hearted.
She never took it from me—but she may
have-it from—"
- The old man stopped, and a cloud came
over his wrinkled brow, for there 'was a pang
in his heart. He remembered the geitle,nn
complaining- being who bad4'once 'been his
companion—the mother of his child. He re
membered how she became his wife, even
when the bloom of manhood passed from him;
hoti she loved and nursed him, and caredicir
him, and how he taught her child to care
for him, too. And he remembered bow she
had-never complained, even while suffering,
and how she had died, with a smile and a
blessing; upon her lips, though the gold of
her husband brought her no comforts.
,Noah Bremen bowed his frosted head / more
:Ow, and in his bean he wished that he could
forget'all but the fleeting joys of his life.—
But he could not forget. He could not for
get that it had been whispered that his wife
might have lived longer iT she had had the
prdper clothing' and medical attention.
"But it would have cost so much ! I saved
money 1° -
• Ah, the reflection would not remove the
pang. The other memory was uppermost. ,
Noah Bremen had passed the allotted age,
of man, being over three-score years and to;
and all his life had been devoted to'acdUmu•,
lating money. He bad denied himself every
comfort, and his heart had been almost as
hard as the gold be had hoarded. But as
his hair grew more white and sparse, and the
years came more heavily upon -him, be tho't
more. Thesweet smile. of his dead cKife lea
doing its rpfission row f"and the pure love of
his gentle khild was- a remembrance to biro
thit't therefwere better hearts than his own.
At length the miser arose
. and passed out
from the room. He would haie left the hut,
but as he readied the little entry-way, he
heard a voice in the garret. It was his
child's. He crept up the rickety stairs, and
looked through a crack in the door. He saw
Agnes upon her knees; Tears were rolling
down her cheeks, amLher bands were clasped
towards heaven. . And-she prayed •-•
"0, God ! be good to my father, and make.
his heart warm and peaceful. Make ;me to
love him with all tenderness and enable me
to do well and truly the duty which I pledged
to my sainted mother I I..ptemised her I
would love and care for him always. Father
in Hetven, help me ! Oh ! help me."
The old mem crept down soars and opi
doors, and for a whole hour he walked alone
among the trees. He thought again aids
wife, again of his child—and then—of his
gold ! And this was not the first time he
had walked• alone there. fl did not know
himself how great was the infinencw which
his child was , then exerting upon him.
Agnes—pure, good, beautiful Agnes—
wept long and bitterly in her little garret,
and when she had become calm, and her
cheeks were dry,she-carne down and got sup
per. But she was not the happy, stnirng be
ing that had flitted about the scatty board
heretofore.
A few days after this, as Noah Bremen
approached his cot one morning, he heard
voices within. He peered through a rent in
the coarse paper curiain, and saw Walter
Adarnii with his Child. Her head was upon
Walter's shoulder, arid his arm was about
tier. •
Walter was an orAan, and had been Ag
nes' schdolmate, and her fervent lover Oro'
all the years of youth. lie was an honorable
virtuous man,' and loved the gentle girl be
cause she was so good, so gentle,- and so
beautiful. And she loved.him, net only be
cause be had captured her heart in time
none, but because his gas 'of all suitors the
only one whose character and habits promised
joy and peace in the future. •
"I cannot leave my poor old father, Wal
ter," the old man heard his daughter say,,--
'"I must live to love and care for him. It is
I bard f my heart may break. But the pledge
of love.l pre to my dying mother _must be
kept." .
"And so the great joy--dream of my youth
I is to be changed to-this sad reality!' exclaim
led Walter sorrowingly. "I cannot ask you
to leave' your father, sweet Agnes, for the
Ivery truth,in you which I worship . would be
made a lie if you should do so. But I have
a prayer—an honest, sh4ere prayer. I pray
that God, in his mercy,niay remove the curse
' from your father's bend e 4 form !"-
"The curse, t Walter V •
"Aye-rthe gold curserrejoined the youth,
fervently. "I hope. God may ; render him
penniless 1" .
"What 1 penniless !" repeated Agnes, -witli
a start." .
"Aye--petiniless t for then be would be
far more wealthy than he is now. Thea be
would blow how to appreciate the priceless
blessing of his Agnes' 'love; and their the
crust might be broken and his heart grow
human again. And more than all,",Walter
continued, winding his arm closely about the .
fair form of his companion,and speaking more
deeply ; %hen I could prove to him my love.
Then I could take yon to my hothe—and take
your father to my home—and we could
both love him, and care for - him %bile he
lived." ' •
"'Noah Bremen -- stopped to hear no More,
and as he walked away he Muttered to him
" The rascal ! He'd do great things. Me
penniless ! And he prayed fur i t The' young
villain !"
When the old man gained his accustomed
walk among the sycamores, he wiped some
thing from his eye. He sated as though a
mote had blown in his eye. • ..
Two weeks passed on and Agnes grew . pale
and thin. ..She did not sing as !the used 10,
nor could she smile •as had been ber wont.
Still she murmured not, nor did her kindness
to her father grow less.
"Oh God ! help me to lore my father!" she
prayed one night. "Let not grief make Me
forget iny duty V'
And the old roan heard it.
One came honie from thescity,
and in his hand he brought a small trunk:—
He barred the door and' dial the tattered
curtains close.
"see !" be said, as hesepened the friialr,and
"piled the new bank motes upon, the table,
"look here, Agnes, and see how I have work
ed in my lifetime. I bad no education, but
I have laid up money-ti:orsey—;-mosev !
How tiany,men would sal'me their brains
for this to-night I See—one thousand--two
—tbree:—•fourfive—count. them, Agnes--
there's a thousand gold dollars in each pack
age I" •
• Agnes Counted than Over, for she thougti
her father_ wished it, and she made out fifty
of till packages
"ti hy have you taken it from the bank,
father f" she asked.
• " To let. it, my child—to let it at a round
interest, Agnes. I shall double.it, darling—
double it—double 4.1" And while the old
man's eyes spaikled with evident satisfaction,
his child wore a sad, sorrowing •look. And
long after she sat and looked at the working
features
features of her father and prayed that the
Gold send would ret him free.
Wben Agnes retired she left her father up;
but ere long she heard Lim put his little
trunk :away and thon go to his bed. And
then she slept. •
Harltl - What sound is that I Agnes
starts up in affright, and • listens. But see 1
A bright light is gleaming out into the night,
and thick Volumes of smoke pour into the
garret
" Fire! Fire 1 sounded a .voice from the
entry, and she hea-s the sharp. crackling
now, and feels the heat. " Agnes 1 My child!"
And in another momont she meets her father
upon the stairs. I,e is dressed, btit - she is
not..
"Take all your clothing, Agnes, and you_
can put it on in the entry. The house is all
on fire."
In a few momenta. more the father and
child stood in the road, the latter with a bun
die of clothing in her hand,. while the former
held a Small trunk. They gazed 'upon the
burning building„ but neither of them spoke.
' And others came running to the scene but
no One tried to stay the •fiames. And the
effort would hare been useless had it been
made, for the old shell burned like tinder.—
But more "still—no one would have made the
effort, even had success been evident, for the
miserable old but had too long occupied one
of the fairest spots in the village. There
were no other buildings to be endangered, so
they -let the old thing burn. - . _
. 1 You have your money safe," said Agnes.
" Ye!. See—l took the trunk. I left the
candle-'burning so that I could watch it.-
1512C - Viient - to sleep', and the candle must
have fallen over.• Mkt I got the trunk !"
And as he spoke he held it 4 p and gaffed
• i
upon it
,by the light of the flaming ruins.
" That is not the trunk!" whispered Ag
nes, in affright.
" Nor —" But the old man spoke no
further." He saw that lie had taken the
wrong frantic. T6i, Ivan *Ol mind nitb cdd
deeds and dusty receipts!
" Ruined ! Lost ! ' groaned Noah Bre
men, as he turned from the scattered embers.
" I had fifty thousand dollars in tbat trunk !
And where are they now I"
"Never mind," said Agnes, winding he;
arm about her father's neck, " we'll behappy
without it.". * * * *
" What i" muttered Noah Bremen, gazing
into Walter- Adams' face.. "Do you mein
that you 'will give ma a .home, top 1 That
you will provide for me and keep me 1"
"Nes," returned the young_rnan hopefully,
"-I never could be happy with - Agnes, much
as T love her, it I thought her poor old father
had no home—Come--:well live together,
and be-as happy as the days are long."
" But vour salary, young man I" •
" h suhicient for us, sir.- I have five hun
dred-dollars-a year. We can live well on
that, and lay up something, too."
" Well, well—take her-love good
th her—make her happy— = don't never."
When-the old man: saw the joyous tenns
leap from the child's eyes he turned away,
and walked quickly-from the house; but he
was not so quick, but that he 'heard the
blessings that followed him. • And when he
walked alone beneath the starry heavens he
wiped his. own eyes as though son:fettling
trt übled him. •
Gay as a lark, was gentle, beautiful Agnes,
when she became the wife of Walter Adams.
The rose bloothed again tipon her cheek, and
the smiles were upon her happy face like the
bright sunshine all the day long.
Do yOu pray God to help von love the
now r the old than asked, after he had lived
with Walter some months. •
" Why—what do you.can 1" Agnes
in surprise.
"You used to pray so; for t have heard
you;" returhed Noah.
A niotnetit the yoimg wife gazed into her
pardut t a face, and then she answered, while
she threw her arms about her father's neck.
"Oh! I pray that you may be spared to
us for long years in peace and happiness;
but.—love you 1 Oh ! I could not help- it if
1 should try. Avd Walter lobes you father
—be loves you very much, for he has; told
the so many , a time."
There was something more than usual in
the old man's eye now.
doe evening, as'the happy trio.sat at the
tea-table, Walter looked mole thoughtfull y '
than usual. •
" What is it love I" Agnes asked.
"o—nothing," the husband said, with a
smile. "I Was only,thinking.7
"But of what r
"Only castle'building—tbat'a all."
"In the air; Wsli‘rf" asked . Noah..
"Yes—very high in the air," the young
man returned with a laugk.
"But•tell us what it is." -
"Well—ill as lief tell yen as not, ltr.
Osgood is to retire from our firm in a few
ddys. He is4ell advanced in' years and. heti
made a fortune busiriess, and he will
live now for. comfort and for health alone.
lie has not been very well of late years."
, " - And' is that all 1"
't But *bat dastle in the air' is dieroaboat
thati"
"0--that isn't the Castle!"
"Then what is the castle!". urged the old
man, playfully.- ,
" Why—why simply this,' ; slid Walter,
laughing, but vet almost ashanied to' tell:
'This , uoon Mr. Osgood patted me on the
shoulder, and Said he—in a •playful way,—
' Walter, I'll sell you all my interest bare for
fiftv_thousand dollars. "
"gal hal hal" latighed Noah Braman,
"and you thought he was in earnest."
"No, no," returned the young man. "1
sill 'tot think that; though I knew thitt the
•
ITOntnt 15, ttumbtr ,air,
other tivo partners would willingly badetiva
for an assoniate.".
"But it seeMs io me that Old Osgood holds
his share in tb s .:, concern at a high future."
Oh no; it is a very low one. There is
cleir capital of one hundred and fifty thO el.
and dollars in the business at this moment;
and then think of al-1 the standing, and good
will-which Riles fqr nothibg."
" Ha ! ha! ha I" laughed the old man agatti.
Then Wal•er laughed ; sad then Agnes
laughed ; and then they finished super.
On the next evening Walter Adams came
in and sank•down on the sofa with Out speak
ing. He was pale and agitated 'and his eyes
had a vacant and wandering look. _
"Walter 1" cried Agnes in terror, " what
has happenedr-
" He's - sick," muttered Noah Breinen, with-
out looking round.
" No, no—not sick ret u rned the young
Man, starting lip " but lam the victim of i s
miserable trilling."
, • "Eh I how so I" 'asked old Noah turning .
his chair. I
"I:11 tell yoti," said Walter with a spasmo
dic effort. "1 bad some long entries to Poo
this evening, so I remained in the counting-,
room after the rest had gone. I was still at
Work when Mr. OsgoOd Icatite in and placid
some papers on my desk, saying as he did so -
Here, Walter these pipers are yours: And
be west out. When I had finished my work,'
I opened the papers. The.first was a sort of
inventory of what Osgood had owned in OE
business,- and footed up, in square numbersV,
forty-nine thousand eight hundred and Bev;
enty-five dollars. The next was a dee d
. con
veying the whore vast property to meiwnd
Making me a partner In the concern upon
equal footing with the ether two-I"
Well," said the old man, thumping hie
foot upon the , carpet, and keeping time'with -
his hand. " I-don't see anything very bad in
that."
" But I do," replied Walter. "It is enrol
to trifle with me Chris;'
There was something in . Noah's eye again,
but he managed to get it- out, , and be spoke
thus:' •
. •
" Walter AdaniS, when young men used to
hover about, my child, I believed they *ere
only after my gold : and I know that in
most cases I was correct. I believed the same of
you. I knew, nothing but the love_ of money
that could underlie human action. My heart
had become hardened by it, and my•soul
darkened. But it was for my sweet child to
pour the warmth and light into my bosom A t.
was fur her to keep before me the image of the
zentle wife whom , ',had loved and lost, but,
alas! who occupred'a place in that love \ se;
coed to my gold !_ It was for my child to
open gradually ' but surely, the fount of feel,
ing which had twee tor-a life time closed"lip:
I heard her pray for me—pray that she Might
limn me—that she might have hAp frceri
God to love me; and that was after I had
refused to let her be your wife. I estw her
grow pale and - sorrowful, and - I knew\J bad
done it—and she loved me still. And still
she prayed God- to help her--help her What!
help her love her poor father - I
I was killing
her, and she tried to, , smile upon me. One
evening I heard you conversing in the old
hut. My 'child chose misery with ditty to
her 'father, rather than break that duty in
union with the roan she loved. And you ut"
tered a prayer, You prayed that I Might be
made penniless l ----Stop! hear the through.--;
You .would then show-your disinterestedness!.
I walked away and pondered. Could it be
that I• bad found a man that would love an '
old wretch like myself %rid? do money. If it
was so, then that would break the last layer
of crust from my soul, I determined to test
you. I h§d gained it gliruering of light—My
heart had begird to grow warm—and I prayed'
fervently that I might not be disappointed.
"I went to the blink and drew mit fifty
theutiand &Mars in bills. That night my
,miserable old but was set on-on—or—a=
caught tire: I shall always think my candle
did, it. But the old shell burned down, and
room was made fora - better Wilding. I came
out with• the wrong trunk, arid the other
was burned up. But the money wasn't iii it,
No, no. I had that safely stuffed in triy bri4 -
som in deep pockets, and all, buttoned up;
and the next day'l carried it all back to the
bank, and had it- put with a few thousand,
more which I hadn't disturbed—and- so my
experinient commenced; and I found the fall
sunshine at last. Aye, Walter, I had tound
you the noble,,true hearted man thed prayed
fur. You took me intb.your home, and loved
me when you tholight me penniless, and you
took my child to your bosom for' just what
God made; her. And- now, my boy, I have
paid 850,000 in bash for Mr. Osgood's share,
in the bUsiness, and it is gll yours. And let •
me tell you one thing more, my boy—if your
two partners can raise fifty thousand dollars
More to invest, jest' tell'em you can put' in
five and . twenty thousand more at , twelve
hours' notice. Telrein -that, my boy! Tel Pent
old Noah ain't ashore yet. Telrem he has
found a- heart—a nEkirr, my boy ! Coma ,
here, Agnes--corrierhere, Walter. God blest
err both—blesss=ou as you blessed me!"
you yo. ,t
Nobody pretended,that they had motes in
the eye now, for the Occasion of the weeping
was too parotid°.
TIIE LIQUOR L • AW Iv MAINE.-At !hero'
cent session of the executive council the vote
upon the liquor law submitted to the people
on the 7th June, was co - tinteA and declared.
The: aggregate) was as follows :
'For the prohibitory law of 1858, 28,864.
For the lic c ense law of 1856, 5,911.
AroosiOok was- the only county in the
‘tate which gave a •majority for- licenie.
The tote there was "--
license" 399, " probibi
bitiok" 370. The vote in penobgeot, wet
" prohibition" 2705 ; " license" 2480:
Pam "An UP.—The Paiissippi river-was . ,
aicended
. tbisspring as high as the Pokegarzia
Falls—upwards one hundred andlifty miles
further than wrtuver, reached before. The
steamer North Ststi•rnade a trip recently, hay
ind on board about axty personti who went
up on pleasure exeursion froth St. PAUL
The party speak in the highest fermi of the
country; and express the b ief that it *ill,
in the vicinity of the river, settled at no
distant day.
Tod Nowrii Bassou - Nordi
Branch Canal ComPau. have succ
having the whole line of their canal p YY in
order, solar as , to be ready to - ship co'al,eiilier •
north or south from' Wilkibarre, at this time.
The dams are nearly completed; and perms ! '
nendy secured by--coffers agairist any (further
contingency from 'sudileris extgnsive