Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1854-12-09


him two cords of wood last week, and carried in
his bill, he couldn't pay it. He actually put the
Squire off till next week. Thai looks as though
they could afford thirty dollar cloaks, don't ii"
With these sage reflections, Mrs. Maxwell turn.
ed down the lane that led to her house, leaving
Miss Vney TO pursue her way and ponder upon the
ex,ravagance of some folks.
Mrs. MAXWELL loved fine clothes quite as much
as any other woman OF The nineteenth century, and
this is saying great deal. But then her husband
was parsmonious, and though she loved '' nice
things" very much, she loved money more
which, we take it, amounts 10 nothing more or less
tn an meanness.
Mr.. Maxwell was farmer and well of in the
world. The advent OF the railroad in his native
town had turned things opsyturvy in general, and
the heads of The women in patllcular-to use Mr..
WaxweIfs classical language. Time was when
they were content 10 wear straw bonnet and
calico gown to meeting but now they had 10 rig
out in silks an1 salins, with aounces and furbeIows
and all sorts ofrgging attached 10 Them, for all The
| world just like a clown in circus. Such were
! MIR Waxwell's views of The social influence OF
The ra abroad.
Society began to be little " select" folks put
| on airs, and were so stuck up that you couldn't
touch them with ten foot pole.
Farmer Maxwell did mol much like this Stale Of
things- cost money on one hand, and he did no.,
like 10 be thrown into the shade on the other. He
| was about the richest man in The place but Ten
dollar bonnets and thirty dollar cloaks were abom-
inaons that he could not tolerate. Mrs. MAXWELL
didn't like 10 be out done IN The matter of dress,
and when she bough, merno cloak the pre-
| vious season, she had not a doubt but it would be
unsurpassed tor two seasons, al least. When Mrs
Burton came out with The lhniy dollar velvet, she
found the wind was taken out OF her sail, and she
was as indignant as the case demanded.
In the rise and progress of the village since the
advent of The railroad Two new stores had gone in
TO operation, one of which was conducted by Mr.
Burton, an enterprlsing young man from the me-
| lropois, who had brought city wife and great
many city notions into the place with him.
| AS with great many who go from The city 10
the country, he was exceedingly annoyed by that
dsineresing charitable attention TO other people 3
| business, which extensively prevails in many
rural districts He kept his affairs TO himself, and
this bothered and perpexed gossPs. His wife had
a way OF attending 10 her own concerns-she had
been brought up where people do not know
heir next door neighbor. If she wanted new
| dress or new bonnet, she never deemed il neces
sary TO consult the neghbors in regard TO her abi
" TO afford it, or about The style and material
| Poor Mrs Maxwell her star began TO decline
when Mrs. Burton came TO The village She no
longer lhe leader OF the ton, and her heart was
bursting with envy. Though she often received
the kind offices OF The store keepers wife both in
sickness and in health, she would willingly nave
crushed her That new cloak was The cap sheaf
of the indignilies which she fancted had been
heaped upon her, and she determined that her un-
conscious rra! should suffer The consequences of
her lemery.
| Her first demonstration was upon her husband
whom she found no difficulty in convincing that
| Mr. Burton must be ruined by The exl!avagance of
| his wife and that unless he Immediately collected
| his debt, he would certainly lose il.
| AS soon as she had done her washing on Mon.
day she " made some calls" and embraced the
opportunity OF commenting freely upon that new
cloak The wona en- told their husbands that Mr..
Burton would certainly fail and before three days
hal elapsed, there was quite fermenling in the
place.
Nobody knew anything about Mr. Buron's af.
fairs; he seemed TO be doing good business,
though no one knew OF his having any money
He did not even own the house in which he lived
he had no property, apparently, but his stock The
careful Old farmers, TO whom in The course of
trade he had become indebted for produce which
he sent to Boston, began 10 be alarmed by these
rumors
1t was in The Stale OF New Hampshire; and a.
the time OF which write, The " grab law' was in
force, and is still, for augh, know.
One morning, as Mr.. Burton returned from a
journey 10 neighboring town, he found his sock
attached on the claim of Farmer Waxwell-and
all on account of iha, cloak his wife. had worn
10 meeting on the preceding Sunday.
| He had not the means TO pay the note at that
| moment, and while he was considering plan TO
exlrlcae himself from The dilemma, the news that
his goods had been attached, spread all over The
place. All The creditors were in hot hase 10 fol-
low The track OF Farmer Waxwell--for it was
:. first come, first served"-and in less than two
hours dozen had fastened upon The stock of The
Store
| This was a tremendous result 10 follow in the
train OF thirty dollar cloak, and gossipinS old
| woman.
"Wha, do you think now, Miss Viney2" asked
Mrs. MAXWELL, as they met, soon alter The sIoIe-
keepers disaster had been made public.
81 hope MIR. Burton will be able 10 pay his
debts.'
| "But he won't-I know he WON'T !"
| "PtobabIy if they had given him any notice OF
| their intentions 10 den and the payment oil their