The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1873-04-24
HOW TT HAPPENED.
BY cARLoTTA PERRY.

had decided that such . t:ulg never
had happened iy the annals of our
family, and never costld happen.
And then to think that after. all it
did happen!
But in order to make it all under
stood, | must begin at the beginning.
You see it was this way: They had
taken the house across the street, two
years before; had come from, no one
knew where, and were, no one knew
who. .ltwas evidently they were
people In moderate circumstances;
and we made up our minds that they
had always been accustomed to strict
economy and yet, there was certain
air ofw ell-bred ease about them that
would have imposed on most people,
but which to our view was nothing
more nor less than affectation. Some
folks have wonderful readiness at
the manners of those above
them in social station and Rebecca
Graves excelIed any one | ever saw.
We called upon them as soon as
they were fairly settled; for one rea-
son they lived right across the street !;
and another was, that having lived
here for twenty years and more,as we
have, and standing as we do at the
head Of Claytown aristocracy, it is in
our power to secure or deny an en-
trance. to that circle to any 'one whom
we may elect. At least it had always
been so and we called upon the fam
lily across the street with the inten-
ton of deciding upon their merits, and
prepared to be very gracious, if the
case seemed to warrant.
But to talk about patronizing! One
might as well attempt to patronize the
north star. The family consisted oil
Miss ReOecca Graves, her widowed
sister, Mrs. Monteith, and her four
children. .... .s 5gtgs.z.
The door was opened by Miss
Graves herself; they kept no servant
and one might think, by her easy, un-
embarrassed manner, that she consid-
cred tending the door the most desir-
able occupation in life. In fact, that
was characteristic of everything she
did.
We did the best we could to find
ont something about her antecedents;
but every allusion to a former resi-
dence was avoided in manner that
left no room for remark or question.
/ confess did not like them they
seemed too secure ir their own posi-
ton, and too little conscious of the
superiority Of ours; too regardless of
the honor we were willing to pay
them. To be sure. Sue said, Why
should they be overwhelmed +? We
are only paying neighborly civility.
And when | said something about
liking to see people uaassuming in the
presence Of superiors, she replied with
ner usual sarcasm that they probably
had not yet learned what very superb
or beings we were and perhaps as
soon as they discovered it (if they ev-
err did, which she thought very doubt
full, not seeing any good reason why
they should), they would adopt be-
coming air of humility in our pres
ence. But Sue never had a proper
idea Of the family dignity in that
she is just like Hugh, and they en-
courage each other, to our great dis
tress. | am sure Hugh would never
have taken just the course he has, if
he had not had Sue to aid and abet
him. | do not pretend to say that ]
am sorry-everything having turned
out az it has ; but it might have been
very different.
For you see, that though Miss
Rebecca Graves was very quiet,
and went out very little, she seemed
to gain the goodwill of the towns
people, from little lame Joe, the gar.
dener's son, to Judge Hubbell, who
lived on the hill, and whose mother
was Payson, Her sister, the wild.
ow,was also very quiet, keeping house
taking care Of her four little child.
rem; and though not approving Of any
OF them, we could not help admitting
that she was a model Of discretion
and propriety. We heard that her
husband had been a chemist, and
had met his death in making some
experiment or other, being devoted
to science. But that old Mr. Graves
had been mechanic, was certain be-
You'd a doubt and that the mother
had been teacher all her single life,
we also found out. Of course that is
all perfectly respectable. / always
feel it my duty to encourage honest
industry, and all that; but that there
is a marked difference between those