Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-12-25

| hing very shocking. 80 the old man
who had too much sense to mention his
sensibilities, who had never used the
word sensibility in his life, and who real
" thought it meant some fearful disease
when his daughter-in- law used 1.-THE Old
man, having sensibilities, nevertheless
staid out OF the parlor when there was
company, only went to the table to keen
from shocking Mrs. Ardory, by stavinr
away, and when at the table swallowed
but little dinner awkwardly and in
silence, taking pains to shovel his pota
toes up with the back of his knife for fear
of not being polite, cooling his coffee bv
blowing ON it in his saucer, as his master
taught him, and yet feeling that, do what
he would to be we'll hammered. he vas
somehow shocking the sensibilities Of hi.
daughter-in law all the time.
Without any society-too high uss for
the servants, too low down for the fsnilv
the old man had nothing left for him to
do but go on shocking sensibilities ell the
time. Perhaps there is no way of passing
ones lifetime more unpleasant shan to
spend it in being an object OF dislike
People who are stumbling blocks always
feel it more keenly than those who stnh
their toes against them. 1t is far worse to
be in the way and know it, than it is to
have somebody in your way. and SO the
old man. conscious of being IN the way.
fdgety in his halfgenteel rig, longing
y again for the congenial society of his ''ole
woman" aching for the petty cares of old
occupation, enVylng every gan whom he
saw rolling q barrel-what should he do
but seek comfort where there were no SEN
Siblities that could be shocked, in one
II corner of the nice warn9 SELDOM which
bore the nsme of the House of Lords"
where he could sit in the shady corner en-
} the sawdusted t1oor-so much better than
velvet carpets, you could walk without
: timidity here-he could cit in a shady
corner With an old crony p-ho would gen
orally forgive his CHEAP, fne clothes, and
play seven-up and drink whisky with him
until he felt his humiliation ali gone. and
talked is though he were indeed mem
Der o. the House of Lords owning his
son and all his properly, but always CON
fidinG to his friend that his darter- law
was 8 dretf1e fine w0men-and troubled
with the what.you-mayacall-'em the sensi-
: bilites-didn't jest know what that might
b9-but it was disease as made you have
to &c keerful when she was around or
she'd take on you know.
and when the old gentleman had come
e home several times a1ittle too full of the
nectar of the gods and acting as if he
3: were Jupiter himself, Mrs Ardory con-
fided to her intimatcs, those who "canfe
right upstairs" When they called that her
Ee8band's father hGCn't any sensibilitie3
= at all-not single feasibility He never
seemed to care for anybody but himself,
ate like a hog, poured his coffee into the
d saucer and cooled l. with his BREATH ant
--and-well, she wouldn't say anything
IS against her husbands flesh and blood
and besides, she'd promised her husband
not to tell, you knew. But if they could
cGlv have seen-o my If they could
2 only have seen ard heard him when he
came home last n ght at eleven o'clock
well, she wOuldn't say anything, of course
But they could iragne what sacrifice
she had made in receiving him under her
l. roof, and how one of her delicate sensitil-
tiles must suffer They could guess, at
i. least. ALI
CEIAPTER I.-Ms5. ARDORY's sENsIsE i
TIES
Yes, the second chapter will be about
them, too. Mrs. ArdOry's sensibil:ties
were too acute t. be disposed of ia enc
short chapter
Mrs. Ardory SGT, On the very day before
Christmas, at the window, looking over u
pertumed package of old letters, and t&lk-
ing IN her tragic way TO friend who sat
G by her.
'Memoriesn whispered she in a tooe of
/ !2thOmless sadness. memories, my
Z dear-sad, sad nemories-that stir my
heart to the ve-y bOttOmt Whenever
mite this pink ribbon, and see these
letters, all my sensibilities are reused !:
* memory is too much for men' Here Mrs.
Ardory shed q few well considered and
appropriate tears "Ah! who car ever
kEow-who can ever know the bitterness
! have suffered 81 Then, after an interval
: OF choking emotion, in which hrs,
! Ardory's eyes-a2d, for that matter, her
= nose, also-were buried in her lace hand
Z Eerchief, she proceeded, in q disjoiEted
:. and tinely-patle.ic way.
= 'Gchoolmate roommate, friend, l shall
r never see thee more, alasr'
Y rs she dead?' asked her sympathiz,ng
l. friend.
/ ~sVorsen" said Mrs. Ardory, looking out
Is from under melancholy brows, and speak
1t 'nc in a tone that made her friends
+. flesh creep with terror horror, and ever so
j. many other kindred emotions. Worse! !
Y q thousand times w0rser" Then, in an
. awta! whisper, 'Iian away from school
ID at seventeen-WCrthless felOw-married
a him lost all social standing and all her
II friends. OH my poor Laura, where
'AAN<1~ fthC l'o w "a W. hhAASA ~ q
Il Christmas will tomorrow be to yea,
3t poor, lost sheep?"
lie Tbs was Mrs. A-dory with her friends.
" Do you wonder that they said, and truly,
n that Mrs. Ardory was woman of fec
t. ing?
ly On that same evening Mrs. Ardory sat
nj IN the dining groom CT her family, waiting
" the retnrn of her husband, when a little
We ragged girl came to the door.
r Please, Madam" said Bridget, "she
s. says she must see YOU
gt Ask her what sic wants, Bridget; and
he If She is a tramp, send her right away at
10 once. Ny nerves will not bear any ex-
er citement''
III Please ma'am she says she is the child
oy OF your old friend that used to be Laura
NO bordan and her mothers sick, and amt
NJ got no home and sends TO know if you
10 won't come and take her into your house
Tor the night She's turned into the street
4- by the landlord, and she's got five chill
&j drcn"
led "Oh, deari what shall | do? Why, [
IS couldn't have poor Laura here; I'd die
Y with pity to see her and halfa-dOZen poor
@ children. / couldn't stand Is! My sensi-
-# bulties are so keen! Bridget, send the
1- little thing away Don't let her come IN.
e, On. what dreadful thing it is to have
~0 NQch sensibilities! Poor Laura! how