Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1855-06-20


extravagant, there's no telling what may
happen
"Mr. Burton is doing good business
so people say"
" Nobody knows anything about wha
he is doing. All l know is, that wher
squire Smith sold him two cords of wooc
last week. and carried in the bill he
couldn't pay it. He actually put the
squire off till next week. That looks as
though they could afford thirty dollar
cIoaks, don't it ?"
With these sage reflections, Mrs. Wax
we'll turned down the lane that led to her
house. leaving Miss Yiney to pursue
her way and ponder on the extravaganza
of some folks.
Mrs. Maxwell loved fine clothes quite
AS we'll as any woman of the nineteenth
century, and this is saying great deal.
But then her husband was parsimonious,
and though she loved "nice things" very
much, she loved money more-which,
We take it, amounts to nothing more or
less than meanness.
Mr.. Maxwell was farmer, and well
off in the world. The advent of the rail
road into his native town. had turned
things topsy~turvy in general, and the
heads of women in particular-to use Mr..
Waxwell's classical language. Time was
when they were content to wear straw
bonnet and q calico gown to meeting F.;
but now they had to rig out in silks and
satins, with flounces and furbelows and all
sorts of rigging attached to them, for all
the world just like clown in che circus.
6 H.
social influence Of the railroad.
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 not much like this
state Of things-it cost money OH the one
hand and he did not much like to be thrown
in the shade on the other. He was about
the richest man in the place, but ten dol
lar bonnets and thirty dollar clOaks were
denominations that he could not tolerate.
Mrs. Maxwell don't like to be out-done in
the matter Of dress, and when she bought
a new mcrino cloak the previous season,
she had not doubt but it would be un-
surpassed for two seasons at least. When
Mrs. Burton came out with the thirty dol
lar 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 into operation, one Of
which was conducted by Mr. Burton, an
enterprising young man from the metropo-
lis, who had brought city wife and a
great many city notions into the place with
him.
AS with great many who go from the
city to the country, he was exceedingly
annoyed by that disinterested charitable
attention to other peoples business, which
SO extensively prevails in many rural dis
trcts. He kept his affairs to himself, and
this bothered and perPlexed the gossip.
His wife had a way Of tending to her own
concerns; she had been brought up where
people do not even know their next door
neighbor. II she wanted new dress or
a new bonnet, she never deemed it ne
cessary to consult a neighbor in regard to
her ability 10 afford it, or about the style
and material.
Poor Mrs. Maxwell, her star began to
decline, when Mrs. Burton came to the
village. She was no longer the leader OF
the to,On, and her heart was burning with
envy. Though she often received the
kind offices Of the storekeeper's wife,
both in sickness and in health, she would
willingly have crushed her. That new
cloak was the cap sheaf of the new indig-
mites which she fancied had been heaped
upon her, and she determined that her
unconscious rival should suffer the conse-
quences Of her temerity.
Her first demonstration was upon her
husband, whom she found no difficulty
in convincing that Mr.. Burton must be
ruined by the extravaganza of his wife,
and that unless he Immediately collected
his debt. he would certainly lose it.
AS soon as she had done her washing
on Monday, she " made some calls" and
embraced the opportunity of commenting
freely upon that new cloak. The women
told their husbands that Mr.. Burton
would certainly fail and before three
days had elapsed there was quite a fer
ment in the place.
Nobody knew anything about Mr.. Bur.
toms affairs he seemed to be doing a
good business. though no one knew OF his
having any money lie dlu not even
own the house in which he lived; he had
no property but his stock. The careful
old farmer, to whom be had become in
debted for produce which he had sent to
Boston, began to be alarmed By these 'u'
mors.
It was in the State of New Hampshire
and at the time Of which write the 'grat
law was in force, and is still for aug ght
know.
One morning. as Mr.. Burton returned
from journey to a neighboriug town, he
found his stock attached on the claims o
Farmer Maxwell and all on account o
that new cloak his wife had worn to meet
ing on the proceeding Sunday.
He had not the means TO pay the mote
at that moment and while he was consid