HIDDEN WEALTH IN HUMBLE HOMES.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2951, 24 November 1900, Page 2 (Supplement)

HIDDEN WEALTH IN HUMBLE HOMES.

“ Unconsidered Trifles ” Worth Fortunes.

{Tit-Bits.) A very poor widow in the North of England, some twenty years ago, was wont to treasure certain bits of paper — “ fancy stamps ” she designated them, with fine "com—merely because her lamented husband had collected and prized the apparently insignificant items of paper. She kept them in the family Bible, and deemed them of no intrinsic value until an ardent philatelist, who inspected them one day, startled the ignorant dame by offering her £l5O for “ the bits of fancy paper,” one of which was a genuine Mulready envelope, and another a priceless blue Mauritius stamp. Then the true worth of her possessions dawned upon the widow’s mind, and she accepted the offer of the collector with unaffected delight. Another indigent old lady, who resided m a remote Australian hush-lodge, was one day visited by a Government assayer, who sought a night’s lodging in her humble home. He found the worthy woman engaged at the wasfli-tub— her usual means of livelihood—and as she toiled at her task, she told him a little about her struggle for existence. While she was thus talking, the keen eyes of the assayer were shrewdly conning the rude stool on which her tub rest- “ What is that block made of?” he inquired, ; “ Oh, it’s only an old bit of ruck, replied the dame, n. differently. “Allow me to inspect it,” persisted the visitor. He did so, and exclaimed: “ Why, do you know that your wash-stool is not a bit of rock but a lump of gold, and there is quite enough of it to maintain you 'in comfort for the remainder of your life i And so, indeed, it proved to be. About seven years ago a cyclist called at a pretty farmhouse in Sussex and asked for a glass of milk. While enjoying the delicious beverage the eyes of the tourist chanced to light upon a charming little blue and white vase containing a hunch of violets. He begged leave to examine the vase more minutely, after which he greatly amazed the farmer’s wife by offering her a sovereign for her vase, which she readily accepted, though mildly protesting that it was “ really not ‘worth such a lump of money,” But the good woman was ignorant of its true worth, for it proved to be a superb specimen of Wedgwood ware, and the shrewd cyclist who puychase’4 the prize for a pound disposed of it later on for twenty-five guineas. An Irish family, who had long been in extremely embarrassed circumstances, resolved to sell a box of books which had lain despised in the attic of their house. The books—some three hundred in number—were the unappreciated legacy of a long-deceased relative. Before culling in a dealer to appraise the value of the volumes, however, they asked a friend in Dublin to inspect the books and advise them accordingly. The Dublin man was an ardent collector of old books, and his surprise and delight were groat when he discovered among the musty tomes at least a dozen works of immense value —including several rare old black-letter books which he had long been seeking. He immediately offered the family a cheque for £2OO for their box of books, an overture they wore only 100 glad to accept. A poor provision dealer in the East End of London, crushed by the double curse of credit and competition, was about to be sold up (o satisfy the demands of her pitiless creditors. The sale of her furniture included a very old and grimy picture, which attracted the sharp eyes of a collector who chanced to drop in. Recognising the worth of his discovery, the collector made a bid of £5, which a, shrewd dealer outreached by £IP. 'Hie collector and dealer maimtained an obstinate duel of bidding, until the price reached Hie allowing amount of £SOO, when Hie collector had the best of it and carried away Hie picture. The portrait was a genuine Raphael, and Hie money it brought paid Hie debts of the poor woman and set her up hi business again.

The army death-rate is lower- in (treat Britain than in any other country. in Trance it is nearly six times as high.