The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1871-05-27
@tsrellanp.
KITTEN.

Ellen Vandscken and her sister Bessie were
waiting for dinner in magnificent dwelling in
one Of the most aristooratie streets Of New York
city. al
Ellea, the elder, VAS rocking herself In front
Of the glass between tho windows, and Bessie
vas standing tiptoe before the mirror ON the man.
te-pisce. liking" herself, - ladies call it-that
i. re-srranging her drsss, generally, without
rhyme or reasen-taking off the bow at her
throat, shaking ont her false ourls, putting up
her p,nier, aud betting in her waist
These two sisters the only children of q rich
widowed stock broker, were, in every particular
of dress and thought, girls of the period.
They never Quarreled exactly, but were al.
ways at variance in their opinions, and permit.
ted themselves to use that unpleasant frankness
which is the bane of too great intimacy, and the
downright contradiction which prevails with re.
lstives who not obliged to be petite in the
home circle.
81 wish" said Ellen, "that that Kitten would
not come here any more"
81 wish" said Bessie, that you would stop
calling him Kitten. don't see any fun in it.
He's not bit like kitten"
'He is, then" laughed Ellen "his hair is
light. what call kitten gray, or drab his eyes
are gray, so is his complexion; he wears gray
hat, gray pants gray gloves his sparse NOUS
tache sticks out just like a cats and he speaks
in purring voice. Externally he is very much
like kittsn, but morally think he is more Of
the mouse order, without grain of spirit
Whenever see him siding up to you, without
the courage to pay open attention, I think of such
is the kingdom of henpecked husbands d.
81 hope, returned her sister, shat when you
enter the kingdom of henpecked husbands, yours
may have purse as long your tongue, ELL"
81 tell you, Bessie. if what pa said yesterday
comes to pass, and old Mr. Farringdons bank
Breaks your mild hammered man will have to
take nurse.naid's situation"
And Ellen laughed and rocked back far
enough to reflect the heels of her tiny boots but
Bessie sighed. and said, thoughtfully:
Kitten to work for his living.-There's great
deal said nowadays about the young folks Of the
period but no blame is ever attached to the way
in which the old people bring them up-partic.
ularly girls-in idlensss, ignorance, and extrav.
aganee. Rich psrents take it for granted that
their wealth is going to last forever, and poor
ones that, BY hook or by crook, their children
will get rich and SO they never teach them any.
thing that will be of service in adversely; then
when they are thrown out in tho world to shift
for themselves, they do it badly enough, The men
often by their wits, and tho women by worse.
Now there's poor Donald Farringdon; what
earthly thing could he do to earn his salt, to say
nothing of bread ?-or you or =? It's o hard,
hollow world" ..--
There you're mistaken ); it's not hard or hol.
low, being an incadescent mass Of"
Bother your SCIENCE There's pa let's 20
down to dinner"
1t was true, he told them during dinner that
Harrington Brother had suspended payment
their liabilities were large, and tho merchant
princes of yesterday were thu beggars of to-day.
How did the meek and purring "Kitteu" bear
the blow?
An only son, he had been reared in luxury,
and in the belief that great fortune would be
his; that, therefore, labor-mental or physical-
would never be necessary. ,.
He knew positively nothing Of practical u.e,
although he could swim like duck, sing like
the tenor Of an opera, and dance like Polish
prlncs. he could drive pair Of fast horses with.
out splitting his tight violet kid gloves, was q
celebrated amsteur "cstch" at bsse ball, the pride
of the rowing club, Nimrod with the gun, and
Hollander on the skating rink; but he had
never studied a profession, nor learned any hon.
est, hard. handed trade. He wouldn't bssome a
music teacher nor salesman, so he tried to keep
act OF books He found that he could not mako
in one year BY that as much as he he'd formerly
spent tor neckties and gloves; % he iesisned his
situatioa in three months, and stood alone ia the
world, without penny, or tho means of earning
one. and with al his lux urious HABITS to b over.
come. But there remained to him the good gifts
OF his pride and youthful manhood. Tho first
Pio"PsOu HAW ~ WAtuuFSW IlnmeOlatoly from
his "set" thereby avoiding tho humiliation of
"cnts;" the sesond enabled him to face the worst
without murmur.
lie wrote 10 Beanie Vandecken, releasiug her
from her engagement, giving his reverses "A the
reason. For while be hoped she would cling
50 him but when brief note came to him, ex.
pressing polite but cold regret for his altered
fortune, he made up his mind that he must re.
sign love AZ we'll NV friends and position IL en-.
in the language of the bold outlaw, Rob Roy, che
pulled his bonnet Ger his brow, took to the wood,
and hills, and became u broken man"
The firm of Harrington Il Brother soon passed
out OF the remembrance OF all but the sufferers
by 1t. Kittens father had skunk away to the
poverty stricken retreats OF broken.down gentle.
men Tor his had been no fictitious failure leav.
Ing the bankrupts rich. Thus Kitten faded SO
completely out of Besse's ''set" that she could
learM nothing of him or his whereabouts. Tn
the receipt OF his letter she felt that she loved
him' ana told her father so. She was young and
stood IN awe OF her father, who forbade her to
h'ld ont any encouragement tn young Earring
don, giving these reasons: that she, by virtue of
her bringing up, was untitled to be the wife
OF poor man that he, her father would never
support sen-in.law; that every man should
TAKE care OF his own wife, no matter what tho |
circumstances Of her parents might be- If the
young fellow really loved her, he would pluck
up sp,rit-which he didn't seem to have bv.,he.
w'y-strike a voin of gold, or find Kids treas.
nre, and come back and claim her in good time.
Then i'would be well enough to talk of accepting
MN always suppo'ing that she kept of the same
m'hd' Which, IN 80 young girl, was hardly to
BE- expected. And on in the same strain.
Bessie did not die of disappointed love--i, is