The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1874-08-06

trying on new dress before the mirror
in her private apartment, when, will
Characteristic freedom, in walked grand
ma.
What am ! going to wear?" asked tn.
latter.
Mrs. Hardenberg turned herself about
You? Surely you are not coming
down.
Why, Of course grandma was cominl
down. Why not, she would like te
Know?
at would not be proper, nor suitable
nor anythiag,' replied Mrs Hardenberg
explosively.
Mrs. Hardenberg, senior, would like te
know ohy it wouldn't be proper.
You've always objected to our din
ner hour. We shall dine an hour
later than usual tomorrow" said Mrs
Elihu
"Oh, don't care about the dinner;
can always get enough to eat, and what's
good enough, in this house. It's the com.
pany Iwant to sees
aBut you wouldn't Md the society Of
these people, IR9 ssrangr Eepldn't'
pursued Mrs. E1fnG.
81 don't know about that; l amt SC
mighty particular about the company
keep as some folks are"
Mrs. Elihu began to be frightened
ooh, you can't come down, indeed you
can't" cried she.
"Cornelia," said Mrs Hardenberg
senior calmly raising her spectacles upon
her forehead, "I'm not going to stay
cooped upstairs as if l wasn't fit to be
seen. If you never have anything worse
than Almira Hardenberg to be ashamed
of you won't be badly disgraced."
Mrs. Hardenberg flew to Eloise. Eloise
was reading German and when she read
German Eloise was tritle cooler and
more imperturbable than usual.
"Well, why not?" asked she, after her
mother had laid the case before her.
"Why not, Eloise?"
"Yes; why not? She's papas mother
For that very reason l won't have
her down If she won't listen to reason
| shall command her not to appear"
Il wouldn't do it, mamma. If our
social position is SO precarious that the
appearance Of our nearest blood relation
will undermine it, let it go down."
"But, Eloise"-
"I don't think there is any but in the
matter, mamma. I'd be ashamed to keep
her upstairs, / would. If people who
visit us are too exclusive to recognize an
old lady like grandma, why, I'm too ex-
elusive to recognize them" Miss Eloise
rose from her seat with an air of fine
scorn.
Law, Eloise," said grandma, who ap-
peared on the scene, calmly knitting,
while her ball Of yarn bobbed along the
hall after her; law, Eloise, you
needn't worry; I'm coming down any
way. l didn't bring up such a croupy
child as Elihu was that should be kept
in the corner by his wife now"
Mrs. Hardenberg appealed to Elihu,
out HfIil SAdSpCldlIHSiy
ent she took the precaution, the next
day, to make grandma respectable in
black silk and real lace, and awaited re-
suits.
Because of digestive considerations
grandma didn't go down to dinner, but
she insisted upon meeting the guests in
the parlor Mrs. Elihu declined the hon
or of presenting her, and she appealed to
Elihu. The latter escorted her in and in
troduced her, his courage considerably
strengthened by Eloise's bearing during
the ceremony.
The old lady seated herself beside
Mrs. Appollonious, Augustus mother.
Mrs. Appollonious was a little rosy
woman, who hadn't 1.-THE of Mrs. Elihu
Hardenbergs STYLE" but belonged to
the "best society by the triple right of
birth, breeding and marriage. Grandma
was soon launched in the full tide of
conversation, the little woman appearing
keenly to enjoy it.
Cornelia-that's Mrs. Hardenberg-
ulOu Will lIlC W COIC tloN IL, Dul lIiOlSC
and Elihu said come if I wanted to-"
Certainly responded Mrs. Apollo
NOUS, graciously.
Father said / hadn't better. He
don't care for anything but books. l
like company. l thought if we came
down here we should see so many peo-
pie we should never be lonely any more
but Of all the lonesome places this is
the lonesomest.'
g | am sorry you find it so. Strangers
often do, but you'll get acquainted by and
by, and like it, Hope" Mrs. Appollonious
spoke in a pretty little way, and with a
show of dimples that quite took grandma's S
heart.
II tell Cornelia / shall never get ac-
quainted unless she lets me see people
more. Cornelia is dreadfully proud
woman knew she wouldn't want me
down here. expected to find Lois like
her, but they amt bit alike; you'd
think by the way Lois carries her head,
and that way she has of sailin' into a
room, and talkin' to company so kind
Of grand-like, that she was proud; now
wouldn't your
Mrs. Appollonious glanced over to
where Eloise was entertaining Gen. Won
velocipede with the air of pimperatrice,
and then smiled back upon grandma with:
+" might take Miss Eloise to be a trifie
naughty"
"She's just one of the humblest girls
that ever lived. She's bound to have
father and me enjoy ourselves, and she
don't care what the people say. The only
trouble is, we don't get acquainted with
folks. We amt to blame for being old
fashioned. Wouldn't you or Cornelia, or
any of the people here, be old-fashioned
if you'd lived on farm In New Hamp-
shire going on seventy-five years."
"Iadeed we should, indeed we should,
grandma" eagerly responded Mrs. Ap-
pollonious, as if there was something
quite new and pleasing in the idea.
"Cornelia and Lois and all of us to-
gether will be old-fashioned hundred
years from now"
ITO be sure we shall" replied Mrs. Ap
pollonious, cheerfully.
The low ripple of Mrs. Appollonious'
laugh once or twice fell upon Mrs. Eli
hu's ear, and, misconstruing it, she wished
anything but blessings upon the head ol
her husbands relatives.
"Now, grandma said Mrs. Apollo