The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1856-02-08
OBJ 9ailg 9onrnal
MR. CALKINs' BABY.
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CHAPTER /.
HISTORY OF THEOALKINs FAMILY.

HISTORY OF THEOALKINS FAMILY - .,t
Mr.. Christopher Columbus Calkins was q
gentleman Of moderate fortune, moderate ex-
lpectations, and moderate age; he was proprie-
ftor of moderately-sized store, in a moderate
| sized village, in a moderately mountainous
New England State. You may perhaps judge
| by the foregoing paragraph that Mr.. Calkins
was moderate man. He was, decidedly
| He was one of those men who, should they
| live a thousand years, would never succeed in
setting the river on fire, and whose only chance
of having their names handed down to poster
Iity, would be the probability of their rearing
some young facsimile to succeed them.
| Mr.. Calkins was proud of the name he bore.
I By some species of metamorphosis which
cannot describe, but which surpassed in i'm
probability any of the famous conceptions of
Ovid, he could trace his name, on his fathers
side, back to the Cromwells-the progenitors
Iof the famous Oliver. HQ.s3
As the name through long series of fami-
lies had degenerated to Calkins, so also in ex
act proportion had the spirit and energy of the
race decreased, until the present owner of the
little was as unlike his great prototype as though
born on different planet
There had, however, been handed down in
the Calkins family, tradition to the effect
that, one of the line had been visited by q
Isl i 1t, who Informed him that if for seven sue
cessive generations, the name of Christopher
Columbus Calkins should be borne by one in
leach gneration, the last of the name should
rise to high position among men. Five of
the generations had already lived, and were
now mouldering in the dust. a..-.l.
For five generations mid numerous daugh-
tiers, there had been in each but one son, who
Invariably bore the aforementioned name
Each generation, as it passed from earth, en-
Joined it upon this son to preserve the chain
unbroken. Consequently, no bachelor graced
|(?) the name. The present Mr. Calkins was
the sixth of the series; therefore on him de-
pended the issue of the question whether or
not the name should stand high on the pillar
of fame, and in the seventh compensate for the
insignifcance of the other six generations
Therefore Mr.. Calkin was married man.
At the time of which write, for seven
years had Mr.. and Mrs. Calkins been bound
in the holy, but sometimes heavy, bonds of
matrimony, and for a reasonable period had
the good people of the village looked anxious
ly for the advent of the seventh Christopher.
But they appeared destined to disappoint-
ment, for as yet the heir to the title was want
ing, and many village beldame shook her
head at the mention of the family, and uttered
omnous words of evil about to fall upon it.
Well might the couple most interested have
forebodngs that the name of Calkins would end
when they themselves should be laid away
with the other generations in their narrow
house of death. .-... r- s- p
Whether or not the better half of the house
of Calkins followed the example of many la
dies of classical memory, while in like extrem-
ity, l cannot say; but if such was the case the
Gods appeared to have turned deaf ear to
all her ehtreatles, for the proof of their having
listened to her was not given.
Such was the state of thing when the in
cident occurred which | am about to relate.