The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1864-10-20
ENTERED FOR THE PLATE.
Ny Wife'S Inheritance.


''We must really have civility dinner
next week. There are the"-here my wife
enumerated some half dozen or Go of az
quaintauces, who had not ripened into init
majestic whom we are in debt"
"Then let us settle the score as soon as
possible" | replied. Send out your invita-
tions, and give me the number, that may
know what wine to order from Bookay and
BADLY"
For blush to confess that l had no eel
lar. had twice attempted to clay down
wine but it would keep rising up again
with such pertinaclty that gave up The
experiment believe, however. that
though ceIIarlees, am rather of hospitabe
disposition, and like playing host. so TIT
spoke with cheerful accent, which rather
aggravated my spouse.
''Ab," size said. and with perfect truth.
1T IS easy enough to order the wine; hut
if you had before you the task Of loo"ing
after the collection of the silver, with the
bother, and anxiety, and responsibility which
feel tilisit is all returned safely, you would
not be so pleased at the prospect. Let me
see there is Cousin Mary dozen Of forks
and spoons, Mrs. Tomkyns,s epergne, Low
| lSd 4 llSt-SiICb -IIlN llIG HUE HOlnau SCOU
made out a last OF the friends who were to
supply us with the silver requisite to make
our table sufficiently imposing III the eyes
of comparative strangers.
For on ordinary occasions we ate off sip
PED out of, and stirred with electroplate. =
With the exception of few bachelor tea
spoons, and tobacco-box bearing an in
scription which tended to perpetuate the re-
membrance of the grace and dexterity with
which a certain undergraduate was once
wont to handle an oar, there was not an ar
ticle of silver in the house. 1t is true that
our teapot has hitherto always borne the
credit Of being genuine, but that was owing
to ruse Of mile; for, learning at an early
period Of hyineneal initiation thai plated tea
pots were distinguished by the thickness Of
their nozzles had ours fitted with silver
spout and did the gossips.
We were not Wea .IIT OF titled it is true
but most people with ouI income and posi-
ton have some little property sunk in pre-
cious stones and metals; while do not be-
Iieve tlat the most cnterprising pawnbroker
would have advanced twenty pounds upon
our united stock of rings, brooches, chains,
watches and other trinkets. We were mar
IiCd " letl liz .OyOuo OCe|ChOA VI jul 10
spective relations, yet our wedding presents
were not SO handsome as those often bestow-
cd by them on comparative strangers on
like occasions, hut ran mostly to Illustrated
Byrons, papier-mache knives, and cut glass
butter coolers. Our children had been god
fathered aud godmothered in a genteel and
Christian manner, yet their little mugs
were made of deli, not silver. The TACT was
that no one cared to give us, nor did we
feel inclined to bny, either plate or jewelry,
because at most it was only five to onel
against my wife being helress to about the
largest collection eff gold and silver articles
and, above all, of emeralds and diamonds,
possessed by any private Individual in
England in a word, she was the favorite
niece, and the promised inheritrix of Sir Pc
ter Sparkles.
An astroIoger who once cast Sir Peters
horoscope, said that he was born when the
Gemini were in conjunction with Aqnarius, /
which accounts, perhaps, 1or his instructive
perception Of the tineness OF the water otpre- |
cious stones, and the mania he had for their
acquisition. This taste which in very early
life had been comparatively harmless, had
become developed by an accidental opportu- !
nifty which occurred to him while serving
against Tippoo, in India, Of purchasing loot |
ed jewel OF inestimable value for hundred
pounds or SO; and having thus formed the |
nucleus OF collection, he devoted the re
mainder Of his life, his own considerable for
tune, aud that Of the two wives whom (for
virtuoso reasons, principally lie had 1T diff
ferent times married, to its increase and en-
rlchment SO that al the age OF seventy-hve
abildIaSS .,,lIfarxy IL
annuity, which he had taken the precaution
to purchase, Of two hundred year for his
sole support; but with plate which might
have furnished the mess table Of a volunteer
regiment otficered 10y the Rothschilds, Bar
ings Childs, and Gouttses, and jewels
enough to Set Il couple of monarchs up in
regalia, all in an iron bound fire proof closet
at tie back Of his bed.
While he was somewhat like other men,
before he had secluded himself from his fell
low creatures, and spent lis last ten thous
and pounds upon sapphire which had
caused two wars, and three coups d'etat, he
had taken a great fancy to the daughter Of
bis tayorite sister, who had died under some
what affecting circumstances, and had the
ciiid to stay with him on several occasions
and had spoken of her as holding promi
nent position in his will. Better still
when that little girl grew up, and married
the present writer she received letter from
her crotohety uncle on her wedding morn
ing, apologizing for not sending her some
little ornament, on the plea that it would
spoil the collection but consoling- her
with re promise, that it shouli I'll be hers
one day ; and so we contenued ourselves
with mother of-pearl studs, ivory brooches,
and silken watch-guards; our fingers and
ears were, with one unavoidable exception,