The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1874-05-07

But my wife saws that if ''go on" with
my hOmily much longer, the reader will
never wait TO hear of our Spanish Castle
so perhaps we had better return to our
muttOnS. ..r... M.
Having succeeded In securinga halfholi-
day, we started out one breezy afternoon.
duly armed and equipped with a list OF
all the ''eligible" and ''well-appOinted''
houses that seemed to come within
our limits, fully prepared to find among
the ''rare opportunities" at least half a
dozen that would fit us nicely. But the
! first house inspected resulted in an un-
! pleasant surprise; the second is a serious
disappointment; the third In positive
shock, and the middle of the afternoon
found us in a state of general distrust and
| skepticisn lamentable to contemplate
One of the most serious troubles that we
encountered, was to harmonize our tastes
4 and requirements with the very moderate
| sum that we felt able to set aside for rent.
1 Ii was the old story of human lOngingS
/ and aspirations in a very practical form.
| What we wanted we could not have what
we could have we did not want, and so we
wandered on restless and dissatisfied.
The questions which We're asked us in
our rounds were numerous but not varied.
In general range they embraced inquiries
! largely of a social nature, though there
were those that also had a decided busi-
ness tone. The principal points touched
upon were those relating to our previous
! location; our reasons for moving: my
own business; the size of our family; our
| church relations; the length of time we
| should probably want the house; whether
we designed taking bOarders, and if so,
/ how many; with others that need not be
| nunnarafnI Rnt n rho credit M lapIlpr,l
and agent be it recorded, that in all the
! list there was nothing asked concerning
which it was not the positive duty Of the
| landlord to inform himself TO the owner,
the renting of his house is not pleasure
but duty, and it behOOveS him, especially
when the number of applicants is large
and the number of houses small, to take
every precautiOn for his own safety. For
there are not unfrequently people in the
budding of the year. who yield by slow
degrees to the insidiOuS allurements of
that wild, weird pleasure till its fascina-
ton becomes too powerful for them. and
they spend days and weeks in the giddy
rounds of hOuSe-hunting. tits little won
der that now and then the pleasure is too
great or too long continued for the over
taSked frame, and the subject finds relief
i'm a mad-hOuse.
The afternoon was not more than half
exhausted before we had learned to distin-
guiSh readily between houses that had
been constructed to live In, and those that
were only designed TO rent. In many OF
the latter, the skimping and Stinting. the
make-ShittS and false economy stared the
visitor in the face from every room and
corner. and the walls were plainly in
scribed " twelve per cent, exclusive of
taxes - in Others the general plan of con-
Struction, if found anywhere in the Or
ganic world, would have afforded an
atheist an invaluable Illustration for an
argument against design i'm Nature. Here
and there we found a house that was fairly
off with the old love before it.was on
with the new, having gotten rid of one
occupant before securing another. These
met us with vacant, semi-idiOtic stare, as
though having been detected in.diSheveled
toilet, they were trying to brave it through
bv putting on an air of easy assurance
which they never felt. What stories the
walls might have told if they had been en-
dowed with tongues as well as ears, we
never knew, but some of the departed had
written their own biographies upon the
plaster with half-burned matches, or left
them in broken lines upon the paper. So
true it is that blood and breeding are not
to be concealed.
THE truth is, Patty" said /, at last,
zone might as well try to find a coat or a
character ready made to suit him, as a
house. And if we are to wear somebody
elsc's cast-Off clothing, the sooner we be-
come recOnciled TO it the better. But you
may be sure that it will be too large in one
direction, and pinch us i'm another.
''Oh, Hugh" cried Patty, at this stage
Of my philippe, ''hcre comes gentleman
who can direct us to Chester street, per-
haps Who knOws?'
| had only time to glance down the
nearly deserted sidewalk for we were now
in a suburban street,, to see that our I'M
known friend was too close upon us for
further remark, and so | bowed quietly as
| caught his eye, saying at the same time
1--WE are looking for Chester street, sir,
and as we are strangers in this part of the
city, perhaps you would be kind enough
TO direct us"
with all my heart said he. "Indeed,
am Just going into Chester street myself,
and shall be glad to accompany you"
He spoke with an easy politeness, and
his address showed him to be a man of So
ciety. and cOnversant with the world and
its ways. | think he certainly was not
more than thirty-five, though his face had
an old look, as though he had been devel-
Oped into a hOt-hOuse maturity. As we
walked along, | observed that while he was
not richly dressed, his clothing bore that
general conformity to the prevalent styles
| which indicates an acquaintance with what
is required by Fashion, without too great
subserviency to her demands distinct
/ ion. | may remark, which is always OBJ
served by your true cosmopolitan.
"You are in search of friends, prOba-
| bly?' inquired our new acquaintance
courteously.
ION the contrary, we are only visiting
our enemies. We are in search of ahOuse." "
Indeed" said he with an affable smile,
d" am somewhat interested in houses my
self"
Then you are looking for a house,
too?'' | asked with some show of in
! tereSt.
"Oh. no; am only interested so far as
finding homes for other people is con-
cerned. have no home of my own now
| this with a tinge of sadness in his voice.;
| have rooms at the St Eustace Hotel, and
that you know" he added more pleasant
! lv. lis merely another name for display
and gilded OStentatiOn, without any of the
comforts of home''
Patty glanced at me in a meaning way,
but said nothing in reply; and our friend
went on:
81 belong to that much traduced class
called landlords. "A pinch on my arm
from Patty.) Some years ago, when
came into possession of my property, quite
a snug little sum of ready money had ac-
cumulated (some thirty thousand, if L re-
member right, and some of my friends ad,
vised me to put it into houses. But am
sorry that ever consented. This Is Ches-
ter street, sir, on our left"
But we thought that landlords alway;
made a great deal of money from thelI
houses, didn't we, Hugh?' demonstrated
Patty.
Not at all, my dear madame, not at all
l assure YOU" replied the landlord, warm
ly. ave are subject TO great many eX
penses that probably have never occurred
TO you. What with interest. insurance
and taxes and repair, with the occasional
loss incurred through poor tenant. the
margin is very small l can assure you
madame, very small indeed"
80 Hugh" cried Patty rather irrele
vanity, there is No. l97,' just in from
of us
Sure enough, our walk had drifted IL.
into the very neighborhood that we wer,
seeking. To make assurance doubly sure
| houeyer I drew out the slip of paper con