Litchfield enquirer., 1840-11-26
THE USEFUL FAMILY.

| VII TetnOFIAST SOn10 tt1Ie ago. tO A u6W quarter of the town, where l was an entire stranger, one of any first measures was to look cut for d respectable grocer with whom we might deal for family necessa- rieS. With this object in view, one day shortly ;;fer our settlement in our new domiclr, Salfied out on preliminary ex- ploratoiy expedition, through oUr own, aud some of the adjoining streets, in order, in the first place To see what like the general run of shops in our neigbbo,hood were.- | The result of this tour was to Earrow tue matter of selection 10 three shops of res- pectabe appealaIice which oftlese how ever, si,euld eventually patronize, did not al the moment determine, as ! always like 10 do things deliberately. This de- liberation, then, rendered another tour of observation necessary.
 On this second excursion, seeing noth- ing even after very careful survey, in the externals of either of the three shops to decide my choice, resolved, in the con- ceit of pretty ready appreciation of char ac,er, on beiug guided by the result of a glance at the general personal appearance of the respective shop-keepers. On pre- tence, then, of examining box of Turkey figs that lay in the window of one of the shops in question, took a furtive peep at the gentleman behind the counter. did not like his looks at all he was a thin, starved, hungry looking fellow, with a long, sharp, red nose, and, ] thought, alto gether, a sort of person likely to do ii;tle business in the short weight way with those who deah with hiu,. thought, too. from the glance l took of his head that there was deficiency in his bump of conscien- the list, and proceeded to the next.
 This man was, in all personal respects, the very opposite to the o,her; he was a fat, gruff, savage looking monster, from whom did not think much civility was to be expected; nor did l like the act in which found him, when peeped through the windOw-lhis was throwing a basket at the head of his apprentices Probably it was deserved, but did not 1 like the choler it exhibiled--so I passed on to tho third. Here was jolly, mat ronIy looking woman for shopkeeper. ] was taken with her appearance, so in l popped, and we soon came tO an under standing. l opened negotiations by the purchase of couple of pounds of tea, a propor,ionate quantity of sugar, and seve- l ral other little odds and ends, ior which had commission from my wife. We found the articles excellent-our worthy, jolly g,Oceress civil and obliging; and all therefore, so far as this went, was right The grocer, however, although a most convenient sort of parsonage, cannot supp ply all the wants of a family there is an- other still more essential one, iHasmucb as he is necessary not only to our comfort, but also. to our existence-the baker, We still wanted a baker; having hitherto bought our bread in a struggling sort of a way. What we wanted, then, was a regu- lar haker and not knowing well where to look for one, we applied to our obliging groceress. The worthy woman seemed delighted with the inquiTy-we wondered why she thus solved the mystery.- !" Why, sir" said she, " my sons baker i; his shop is just little further on. He will be ye,y happy 10 supply you. and l un- dertake to warrant his giving you salis- | factiOn." r.....s5 eH vi .... We'll pleased to find that our little ex- penditure would-at least so far as the ad- dition of bread went--be still kept in the family, we proc eeded forthwith to the shop of the baker. It was very respectable looking one, and tho baker himself civil, obliging fellow so we settled matters with him on the instant. .. t......... It was, l thiak, somewhere about three weeks after this, that our servant girl brought, along with a quantity of butter for which she had been sent tO Mrs. Ai- kenside's-the name, by the way, of our worthy groceress-a very handsome card which ran thus:
 Miss Jane Aikenside begs to intimate to her freuds and the public, that she has begun business in the millinery and dress making line, and that every care and atten- ton will be bestowed in the execution of all orders with which she may be favored" At the bottom of the card was appended "Availing herself of this opportunity. Miss Mary Aikenside takes the liberty of an- nouncing, that she continues to instruct young ladies in music, on the terms for merly advertised, namely, tw" guineas per quarter, of three lessons per week."
 Aikehside !'' said on perusng tlie card "who are they, these Misses Ai- kenside? ?''
 Relations of the grocers, dare say" said my wife. We inquired, aud found they were her daughters.
 Very fortunats," said my wife; ! was just at loss where ] should go with the girls new frocks and my own gown We can't do better than give them to Ms. Aikenside's daughters"
 thought so too, aud moreover, said so