Kenosha tribune & telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1856-1859, 1856-12-04

which OF course greatly enlightened the
public mind. The old servant obtained
home in the aims house, and the Viii
,ow Cottage passed to the next of kin.
These events occurred in the month Of
May. About the middle of June the
the weather became so hot, the streets
30 dusty, that the city grew intolerabIe
to us. During winter the town Of w.
had afforded q pleasant contrast to the
country, during summer it was quite the
opposite In the height of our discon-
tent, one morning, VIII Rackaway came
in.
The Willow Cottage is for rent
Here is chance for YOU
The Willow Cottage for rent! Oh,
that is delightful, said Ally and in q
breath.
who has the renting of it, inquired
grandmother.
Wei, the agent is out of town; but !
got the key from his clerk, and if you'll
order Jenny put to the carry-all, I'll
drive you ont there to look at it. /
think it will be let cheap, for the asso-
Citations Of the place are SO gloomy that
none but strong minded woman like
Aunt
" Christian woman you mean, Will
'Well, yes, Christian woman like
Aunt, would venture to live in it.
Mrs. Hawkins had in the meantime
put her hand to the bell, summoned
Hector, and given him an order to get
the carry-all ready for drive. We
were soon in the carriage, and half An
hours drive took us down the street,
across the long bridge to the other side
of the river, and to the Willow Cottage.
There is, as | have noticed ALWAYS, a
remarkable fitness in the names given to
country houses. This was certainly the
case with the present one. There was
not Willow near the place.
A few yards from the end of the
bridge, and to the right Of the highway.
disuscd, raSs-grown road led through
close thicket of evergreenS, some quar-
ter of a mile on to an open level area, Of
about an hundred acres of exhausted
land, grown up in broom sedge and com
pletely surrounded by the pine forest.
In the midst of this area stood a red
stone cottage, consisting Of a central
building oftwo stories, tianEed each side
by wings of one story in height. The
central building was finished by gable
roof front, with large single tan-shaped
window Just above the front portico.-
The cottage stood in the midst Of gar
den OF about one acre. shaded with MA
ny pine trees and surrounded by a sub
Stantiai stone wall, parallel to which, on
the inside, WAS a hedge o. evcrgreens,
and on the outside another hedge Of
climbing. and INTERVIEWING wild rose,
eglantinn and blackberry vines. An
iron gate, very rusty and dilapldatcd,
admitted us TO the grass grown walk
that led between two rows Of black oak
trees to the front portico Of the central
building. We entered small hall be-
hnd which was a large square parior
| in the rear Of which was a long dining
room. The wings on the right and left
consisted each OF bed chamber, enter
ed from the front hall. There was but
one room above stairs, large chamber
Immediately over the parlor in the cen
trail building, and lighted by the fan
light in the front gable. The kitchen,
laundry, and servants rooms were in
another building in the rear of the cot
tagc; they were not joined together, but
stood as it were back to back, present
ING TO each other dead wall without
door or window, and about two feet
apart, thus forming a blind alley.
have been thus particular III desert
bing the house that you may better IN
derstand the story that follows
The builder who designed this was
certainly dementcd,' said one ofthc par
ty, pointing to the blind alley, with its
waste of wall.
VIII laughed.
L have noticed, Madeline, that quite
as much Of character is shown in the
construction Of houses as in the cut Of
phiSygnomics.'
But upon the whole, like it, said
the other.
And so said every one.
There was stable, coach-housc, a
hen-house, a smoke-house, and III fact
every possible accommodation for the
household. The fruit trees and vines
we're tceming with fruit, which also lay
ripening or decaying i'll great quantities
upon the ground. The rosebushcs had
spread the grass with warmer-hued
and sweeter covering.
We filled our old carry-all with fruit.
and our hands with flowers, and prepar-
ed to return home. Ally was i'll eXta-
cies. SO was cousin VIII Sowas our
grandmother, rs much as selt-possess-
ed and dignified matron OF the old school
could be said to be. AS for myself, /
could not sleep that night for thinking
of our removal to the fine Old place.
W. mad unanimously resolved to take
It.
Alas! we had reckoned without our
landlord Upon inquiry of the agent
next day, we learned that the place was
AREA " let to a man who intended to
make it a place OF summer resort, for
which its convenient distance from the
city, its cool and shady and secluded
site. and its extensive grounds, numer-
Gus shade trees, and fine fruit, and many
other good points, peculiarly adapted It.
We were very much disappointed,
but our regret was somewhat modified
when we ascertained that it was let at
preposterous rate Of rent, that prudent
woman like our grandmother never wod
nave undertaken to pay. So we resign
ed ourselves to the inevitable.
However, in a week or two we were
so fortunate rs to rent small, neat
house on the opposite side of the road
from the Willow Cottage, and nearer to
the bridge. We Immediately moved
INTO our new home; and grandmother
sent Hector down into the country TO
bring up her poultry, and drive up her
cows-a business that he took but three