The Grange advance., 1873-10-29


fight Of stone steps, which led to a
low and narrow door, on each side oil
which were windows with closed shut
ters, too open however to shut in the
light and noise.
Here then, we have our looked for
paradise;' exclaimed Adolph Dahl
"here we have 'the root of the tree Of
knowledge of good and evil as you
have been pleased to say so many times
but what is at?-indeed, doesn't it
smell like fried pork-God be praised
here then, are living human beings -
I love the scent Of the flowers, I anl
fascinated by the rose-scented breath
from pure maidenly lips, but nothing
surpasses the smell Of fried pork
chum, let US hasten-I begin to be rec.
onciled with your Eden"
Edward jaeger assembled the stairs
and opened the door. Adolph Dahl
beckoned his farewell to the moon and
stars. The two friends found them
selves between the dark walls Of the
"Blue Cloth, which were unacquaint.
ed with the painters pencil, but
adorned with all the products of Mrs.
Stromquist's cookery, and so black as to
defy the light Of lonely two-shilling
candle sparingly glimmering from the
bar. Mrs. Stromquist, more feared
than loved by the population of the
City Yard, was absolute queen of this
place. Round as the terrestrial globe,
she had a nose, powerful and shining as
the sun.
She constituted thus whole constel-
lation, because everything revolved
around her nose, and it was fully as
dangerous to come too near that organ
as it is for the planet to approach too
near the sun.
The soldier who laughed at the cud-
gel; the sailor who braved the horror
of the storm-both trembled like leaves
at a word from the lips Of Mrs
Stromquist. All followed her quietly
and respectfully, like the moons follow
their planet.
And yet she had woman's heart in
her breast. At three different times
she had tried to commit suicide on ac-
count of love, but the rope had always
broke, and at the third attempt the
damper and the earthen stove had &C.
companied her to the floor. This
caused expensive repairs and made her
disgusted with death.
Her husband, in his lifetime grain
carrier and a philosopher among the
grain-barrels, sank down under the load
that daily pressed him at home, and
when he one evening, several years ago,
spontaneously and voluntarily laid him
self to rest on the bottom of the sea, he
certainly did not do it for loves sake.
So much for the mistress, now a few
words about her residence.
One room without any other orna-
ment than the "Al-fresco" paint, that
a continually smoking stove had formed
on its brick walls, constituted the bar
room. The painted tables and rickety
chairs, with deep marks from the
the knuckles Of warlike customers, oc-
cupied the sides of the room. Behind
the bar, Of which we have already
spoken, was raised a powerful shelf,
provided with ale-mugs, glasses and
whiskey bottles Of mixed and many
colored contents, thanks to the greater
or less quantities Of the one ingredient
Of the ever serviceable syrup.
On the wall by the shelf was large
black board covered with colossal fig-
ures Of chalk. This board was the
we'll known chalk: k:journal of the place,
the only thing in this world that bore
any traces Of Mrs. Stromquist's phil.n-
thropy. s.~
In the middle of the wall was q
small door, which led to room which
- soon shall zee In tho .m;dclo oexL-