94 Mr. Duropus and Family. [Feb., 



MR. DUROPUS AND FAMILY. 



One Friday evening, as Mr. Duropus came in from the field, 

 he found his house in especial fine order, and all the labors with 

 which he was wont to close the day, anticipated. This was cer- 

 tainly a very pleasant fact, and not a very unusual one in the 

 history of his experience. It was commonly followed by a demand 

 on the part of Mrs. Duropus, upon a leathern purse which lay in 

 a small chest, under the bed, in which (the purse, not the bed,) 

 was deposited gold, silver, and bank-notes, received in exchange 

 lor beef, pork, hay, oats, potatoes, apples, and other commodities 

 produced by the farm of sixty acres, owned and cultivated by 

 Mr. Duropus. 



When the supper table was removed, and the girls had gone 

 over to the next neighbor's, and Mrs. Duropus had lighted her 

 candle and threaded her needle, (which last feat was not perform- 

 ed till after divers nippings of the thread with her eye teeth, and 

 many fears that Mr. Duropus would repeat a remark, not at all 

 pleasant, "you had better take your spectacles,") and had com- 

 menced repairing a rent in her husband's coat. When all these 

 important things had taken place, Mrs. Duropus began to expati- 

 ate on the prosperity and fine appearance of their neighbors, the 

 Dashiels. " Only to think," said she, looking up from her w'ork 

 by way of emphasis, " how well they have got along in the 

 world. Two or three years ago, when they came into the village, 

 they had nothing at all, and now there is not a family in the 

 place that dress better; I don't know of a single family that has 

 got along as well as they have." 



" Mr. Hardy's family have got along better, to my notion," 

 said Mr. Duropus. 



"According to your notion; but your notions are different from 

 those of most persons." 



" When Hardy bought that run-down farm, four years ago, he 

 paid two hundred dollars down, and gave a mortgage for eight 

 hundred. Since then he has managed to pay one hundred and 

 twenty-five dollars a year, besides the interest, and to make the 

 farm worth double what it was when he took it. He will soon 

 be out of debt, if he lives, and be the owner of a fine farm." 



" How has he done it ? He hasn't allowed his family the 

 comforts of life." 



" I think you hardly do right to say that. The house is about 

 the neatest one I have been in, and the children look as plump as 

 partridges." 



" I presume they have enough to cat. As to the house, I sup- 

 pose you have never been in any room but the kitchen. Their 



