The Literary echo, and Pawcatuck advertiser. [volume] (Westerly, R.I.) 1851-1854, 1853-03-24
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BY T. .. ARTHUR.

Oss sou uuo ucf fuauSueSto, "to-OOu'u :
asked a ncighbor, alludirg to q famil,
that had j-st MOVED into Sycamore
Row. s.
mo, indeed, Mrs. bennington, tha
/ am not. l don't visit everybody
l thought the Claytons were yer,
respectable family, remarked Mrs. Lem
mington.
Respectable +! Every body is getting
respectable nowadays. If they arc
respectable, it is very lately that the,
have become so. What is Mr.. Clayton
| wonder, but schoolmaster : It's too
bad that such people will come crowdiDl
themselves into genteel neighborhoods
The time was when to live in Sycamore
Row was guarantee enough for any one
but now, all kinds Of people have
come into it.
1 have never met Mrs. Clayton re
marked Mrs. bennington, but have
been told that she is most estimable
woman, and that her daughters have
been educated with great care. Indeed
they are represented as being highly ac-
complished girls
well, l don't care what they are
represented to be. I'm not going to
keep company with a schoolmaster's e
wife and daughters, that's certain
'Is there anything disgraceful in
keeping school''
No, nor in making shoes, either.
But, then, that's no reason Why should
keep company with my shoemaker's s
wife, is it Let common people asso-
ciate togeiher-that's Wy doctrine
But what DO you mean by common
people, Mrs. Gould p
why, ] mean common people. Poor
people. People who have not come of
respectable family. That's what 1
meau.'
Il am not sure that I comprehend
your explanation much better than l do
your classification. Ifyou mean, as you
say, poor people, your objection will not
apply with full force to the Claytons,
for they are now in tolerable easy cir
cumstances AS to the family of Mr..
Clayton, believe his father was a man
of integrity, though not rich. And
Mrs. Clayton's family l know to be
without reproach of any kind
And yet they ate common people
for all that persevered Mrs. Gould.
Wasn't old Claytnn "ero petty dealer
In small wares 7 And wasn't .nrs. Clay
tons father a mechanic -
Perhaps, if some Of us were to 20
back for generation or two, we might
trace out an ancestor who held no higher
place in society," Mrs. bennington re-
marked quietly. Il have no doubt but
that / should
Il have no fears of that kind, replied
Mrs. Gould, in an exulting tone. Il
shall never blush when my pedigree is
traced
'Nor neither, 1 hope. Still, l
should not wonder it some of my anccs-
tors had disgraced himself, for there are
but few families that are not cursed
with q spotted sheep But l have
nothing to do with that, and ask only
to be judged by what am-not by what
my progenitors have been.'
"A standard that but few will respect,
let me tell you.'
"A standard that far the largest por-
ton of society will regard as the true
one, l hope, replied Mrs. bennington.
But, surely, you do notintend refusing
to call upon the Clayton's for the reason
you have assigned, Mrs. Could ~
Certainly I do. They are nothing
but common people, and therefore be-
meath me. l shall not stoop to associate
with them
i think that I will call upon them.
In fact, my object in dropping in this
was to SEQ if you would not
accompany me- said Mrs. bennington
Indeed, I will not, and for the rea-
sons | have given. They are only com
mon people. You will be STOPPING
mo one stoops in doing kind act
Mrs. Clayton is stranger in the neigh
aud is entitled to the courtesy
Of a. call, il, no more; and that 1 shall
extend 70 her, If / find her, TO be un-
in her tastes, no intimate ac-
luaintanceship. need be formed. If she
3 ,congenial, l win add another 70 my
list of valued friends. You and I, /
ind, estimate. di6srently. Ijudge every