Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1873-07-30

| oue ever knowing 1t. L guess l can plar
occasionally. Now, I'm not going to SEE
you wear that old coat single time more
50 take all the things from the pockets
| and put them in the new one"
| lie obeyed in leisurely, careless fash
ion, stopping every minute or two to talk
suspending operations midway to try on
the new coat once more, and scattering
articles over chairs and lounges in the
course of the transfer; thereby disclosing
the fact that he was carrying three hand
one, while he declared, in laughing be-
wilderment, that 'he hadn't the least idea
how he came by so many'
The dinner was certainly not cold one
that day-at least, to begin with; but they
fingered over it until the chime of the
clock suddenly startled the gentleman
into remembrance that he must return
to his office atsonce The overcoat was
donnea once more with an air of great os-
tentation, and then there was some vhis-
pered nonsense about somebody looking
so handsome" and somebody else being
| such dear little plotter.' Well, all
| that sort of thing is very tame and com
monplace when it happens next door, and
very nice when it happens to ones self;
SO Mrs. Aladdin, after a farewell peep
| through the halfclosed shutters, turned
away, with shining eyes, and laughed
softly, as she surveyed the apartment
REALLY, he has contrived to disorder
things considerably for one garment!
suppose whole new suit would turn the
rooms upside down, and be equal to a
housekeeping
She restored chairs to their places,
gathered the surplus of handkerchief,
| and lifting the old coat from it's resting
place on the sofa, hung it away in the
closet. Joe, their wood sawyer, should
have it now; it would be perfect treas
ure to him. Someway that last sugges-
ton carried her thoughts over the street
again. Mrs. Garnet would say there were
many better ways to dispose of such
things than giving them away; ''for her
self, she couldn't afford to do it'' And
Mrs. Garnet seemed very pleasant body,
and her house was certainly. beautiful.
Mrs. Aladdin's mother had been wont to
say that what was economy in some cases
might become robbery in others; and in
the deciding of many matters in her
country home, quoted, quantity: "When
thou gatherest the grapes of thevineyard,
thou shalt not CLEAN it afterwards; it shall
be for the stanger, for the fatherless, and
for the widow"
But Mrs. Garnet said things were differ
ent in city; one had need to turn every
thing to account. As for the poor, it was
hard to find those who were deserving:
and it was really a duty not to encourage
Wlckedness by trusting people with any
thing until they reformed. She had learn
ed great deal about it, doubtless, living
Id town so long; and Mrs. Aladdin had so
great respect for her opinion, that it
kept her vibrating between old ways and
new. That front hall across. the way was
lovely; but then it did look hard to see
people turned away from the back door
united when they were hungry:
Mrs. Aladdins face was growing
thoughtful, as it often did, over the prob,
lem, when Nancy looked in at the door.
Man out here with big basket on his
head; wants to know if We don't want to
buy something.'
mo; | think not" answered the young
housekeeper, mindful of her thin port
monnaie.
"WeH, he's got all sorts of match-boxes,
lnjun women an heather images; an
he's dreadful anxious we should see 'em.
Says he'll take most any old trumpery in
pay-that is, fur's I can make out, for he
don't talk English fit for nothin','' pursued
Nancy.
The Invitation to look at pretty things,
with the added possibility of securing
some Of them "at a bargain" was irresist-
ible. Mrs. Aladdin fitted downstairs on
a tour Of inspection, and was speedily
deep in the contents of the basket, admir-
ing this smiling at that, until suddenly,
in among mantel ornaments and trinkets
numberless, she espied lamp.
"Ah, how prettyp'
Tie keen vender drew it out at once,
and, in his ''it-for-nothin' - English, be
gan enrolling its charms as altogether
the rarest thing he had 1t was, at least,
the one article that quite captivated the
lady's fancy.
'But it is just the stand-the lamp ?n
she said, inquiringly. "You have no
globe or glass? '
Surely not; che coot not carry so frail."
he informed her. But what did it matter
when those slight additions could be fitted
to 1t anywhere for tri1e? And all his
mixture Of languages, and many gestures,
seemed INSULT clent to express his opinion
of its beauty.
'Not real bronze, of course; but it
looks almost as well, and would last nice
ly, haven't doubt And then the de-
sign is so rare and graceful % commented
Mrs. Aladdin, in a half-aside to Nancy.
cit would certainly be very handsome
when fitted up.''
The price asked was rather startling,
but the dealer insisted so urgently and
persuasively upon his willingness to take
old things in exchange for his new, that
she began to consider the subject.
The old lamp was brought out and ex-
hibited. She would be obliged to pre-
vide a globe for that if she kept it. 1t
would not cost much more to furnish
the new one, which she had such an ex-
cellent chance to secure by disposing the
other in part payment for it, argued the
would-be salesman, with better logic than
language. Little danger of his being un-
Ineligible, however, with the coveted
article as an interpreter Mrs. Aladdin
came, saw, and was conquered -
When it came to an arrangement of
terms, however, the new lamp rose to yet
more marvellous attitudes of grace, beauty,
and all desirableness, while the old one
was discovered to be more ugly, old
fashioned, and generally worthless than