The Xenia sentinel. [volume] (Xenia [Ohio]) 1863-186?, 1865-01-13
.he Xtnia Sentinel.
SETH w. BROWN, EDITOR.
FRIDAY, JANUARY i3, 1865.
MY WIFE's COUSIN.

NJ Hf IT + = ~ - SAAF Z
Seine time ago I called on cousin Of
my wifi, who resided 10 the city OF Phlla'
delphia. I had not seen bin for q long
time but having understood that be was
in afluent circumstances, l was little pre-.
"a ed for the state in winch l f,unl him,
ThrOu.h the Philadelphia Directory,
went u Que of those dark alleys with
which that city abOunds, aud found his
name on q sigu board, associated with that
Of another man, over a dark, dingy shop.
The sigO purpOrtsi that they were lock-
smiths aud beIlhnngers, also that locks
w-re repaired and keys htled. Without
cere uoRy IWalked into the gloomy recess,
where there was = blacksmith's forge,
and there, among several muscular look
ing men, was my wife's cousin.
He received me most cordially, and
for moment internitled filing huge
brsss key on which he was engaged, and
the shake Of my own dexter BY one Of
ais broad, braWny hands, can liksn tO
nothing nearer than the shock VI young
earthquake.
Take q seat, take q seat,' be observed,
and just as soon as finish this key,
veil make tracks for home
l, Of c .urse, replied that was in no
hurry, and At ones became interested in
the facile manner in which be was
me;amorphosing a rough casting into a
polished key. As soon as it was COM
D e;ed, lie washed the worst Of the dirt
from his hands, hung up bis work apron,
aud putting on his coat aud hat, remarked
in = cheerful tone
Come, now, Cousin Aleck, let US 90
and see whether ny wife has got any tea
for US
Alter W5 were in The street, our cOnver-
SatiOn insensibiy ran on business, aud I
took the OCCASION to say to him that l had
been of the opinion that he had retired
from his trade on handsome eOmPeten-
ey.
Don't say = word about retirement,
be replied, 1T nearly makes me sick t.
think of it. People talk of fretiriug from
business while they are healthy, and able
to work; why, 1 tell you Aleck, they
don't know what it means; didn't know
what it meant until tried it, but now, re-
tirsmsnt and misery sound to my ears
like words Of the same meaning.
rere living that he had struck a subjrct
on which he cou d easily be conmunics-
tive. looked inquiringly, when he re-
joined:
Perhaps yeu never heard the particu-
lars Of rvriringY
On my replying that I had not, he pro-
cccded:
'YOu see, Aleck, it is about three years
ag1 that, having as you would say, q
Uompctcney; l uade up my mind to stop
work aud move into the country. So l
sold out my share Of business to my
partner, spent \ year or two In looking at
two ur three scre of cOun. y place, and
at last found Une that ms wife and mysc
were considerably plea.ed with. Fine
double house, four acres beautifully shad-
ed, vegetable garden not to be beat, the
soil ofgoOd quality. I be place J. still Ia my
possession, but, before l would go aud
live ia it again, I'd give it away; yes
Aleck, I'd see IL sunk in the middle Of the
R sea
But 1 am getting ahead Of my st ry.-
For two or three months, matters aud
things we're getting on very well, because
l had something to attend to in making =
few improvements about the house, and
furnishing a number of doors with locks
of my own invention but as the whole
premists were in good condition when I
bought them, l sOun came t. a pnint
where there was not any thing to look al-er
but the cultivation Of the garden. I was
not long in making the di cove y th t I
had TO Q MUS or taste either for d qging
arOmuj roots or pulling up weeds, aud, as
my wife didu't wish the garden to run to
waste, 1 employed a regular English gar
drner to carry the thing handsomely
through.
well, I didn't mind tie expense he
put me to in the way of grand, new
tangled garden tools, and pa,ent watering
apparatus; for I fully expected to spend
money and, thanks TO our previous
economy, We had money to spend. But,
Aleck, it was really amusing TO see what
the fruit and vegetables in our garden
cost US. Making use Of the little arithmetz
ic 1 was master of, l reeollect that l
ciphCred up the cost # some Of the table
fixlngs, aud the result was: cucumbers,
II eeuis apiece; green pc 5, 81 S. for a
half peck; beeis, II c.n;s each, aud
every thing else in proportion. All this
cared nothing about, but sunehow felt
out uf my gearing in not having the right
kind Of employment. Wife did her best
TO coax me iutu gentlema"ly ways; had
the I'D mechanics . me scrubbed out of
my hands; inYerneils cleaned aud round
ed, 81 as to appear that had never done
manual labor.
Then we must get behind couple Of
Morgan ponies which / bad purchased
and make fashionable calls in the daytime
on those who had called on US; and my
wife wanted me to soften down my voice,
and to be particular about my grammer,
and the subjects l talked ca; but for
getting myself; 1 would revel iu the
memory Of the locks and keys I had
handled in my happier day, and COm-
me1cel q bi-tOry Of my exploits in that
line, Wh q my wife would look as though
she was going to silk through the floor.
Ia fact she wanted to keep a perpetual
lock on my lip, with the key in bcr POck-
et. But | sighed for tue shop, and tine
hung so heavily on my hands that m
hour spent in stupid li,tIcssue>s about the
house, 81 scemed longer than it did when
had orders ah al IOr lucks, sud was driv.
ing hard to get q EN- fini,hed at a given
time. My youngest brother, who Is a
crlleg". bred man and lawyer, sent me,
at my request, a fine collection on all
imaginable subjects, so that my library
OutshOne that If any other person, or im-
deed that Of any man IN the place but 1
found had no more tastc to sit down and
re d than I had for trimming currant
bushes.
The time vas after had 6nisbad q