The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1874-06-23
THE GIRL FROM THE COUNTRY
THHE Miss Calkins--or, as they were


sometimes wont to call themselves,
the Misses Calkins-were two young ladies'
who never omitted to congratulate them
selves that they lived Gin town." This
more particularly, in contradistinction to
anything that ever came from, or went to
the country. The Old Bailey could not
certainly be a worse place, in their fancy,
than was the expanse Of territory that
stretched beyond the walls of their pent-up
streets Nothing, they religiously be-
lieved, ever came to much in the country (;
and nobody ever was anything, who hap
pened to hive out of town.
They were not even endowed young
ladies, the two Misses Calkins, either in
point of comeliness or gentle breeding.
They were lankish, muddy complexioned,
and had little grace to spare in their man
ners. Their social situation, too, was
somewhat peculiar and might possibly
have been altogether responsible for the
unsettled and decidedly inconsistent char
acter of their demeanor. They affected re-
fined society, and kept the cheapest. Yet
in doing as they did, they offered just pat
ronage enough to the latter class, to assure
them that they were capable of vastly su-
perior social achievements.
They shuddered to think that Miss Bar
stow-the lady who had just arrived from
New York, with an inherited fortune
should chance to see rustic cousin mount
their steps; and could have gladly laid hold
of his very respectable ears, and with main
strength drawn him into the hall, if by
that means, their modification might have
been spared them. They never dared to
Mr.. Heidenseil, the wholesale merchant,
who had two OF three times called, for feai
the horrid sylables might jar on his deli.
cate ear. And yet this fastidiousness did
not betray itself in anything else They
had only laid their ban on the land that
wasn't duly taxed by municipal corpora
tion. 1t hardly mattered what man was
after proving that he was at least medic
ere, provided only he lived, moved and haC
his being Gin town." A green grocer, il
town, was far before gentleman from the
country.
And so they deuded themselves. They
thought country life must be so mucl
mixed up with stables, and horses, anC
cattle, and plOughs; yet they lived almos
directly opposite livery stable themselves
and thought nothing of the Inconvenience
such neighborhood would certainly offe
to well-bred and at all sensible country
people. Everything in the country was 81
very vulgar-they never thought of thu
word without unconsciously turning VI
their noses. And between vainly creeping
after society in town and cutting it dead il
the country, the two sisters Calkins made
pretty miserable life of it. They coulC
neither raise themselves to high bench
nor settle themselves comfortably down il
low one. And, always in a ferment les
people should wrongfully interpret thei
social opinions, or mistake in respect t,
their social position, they were at hear
looked down upon by one class, and hatet
by the other.
For all this, however, Mr.. Caleb Calkin
was quite another sort of person. II,
laughed at his sisters, when they did no
vex him; and when they were unfortunat,
enough to do that, he was ungallan
enough to retort upon them his own anC
other peoples opinions of their very fas
tidious notions. Mr. Caleb Calkins rarel,
split hairs with anybody. If he had al
opinion, any one could have it for the ask
ing. And among other opinions that haC
become a part of the warp of his character
he really believed that all country peopl
were not fools or clowns. And as to vul
garity of manners he always said tina
there was vastly more of it in town thar
you could find anywhere in ten mile cir
cults about the country. He thought tina
simplicity and honest -heartedness Away
insured gentle behavior, whether the intel
lect had been highly cultivated or not.
In this, as in almost all other things Mr.
Caleb Calkins was unlike his sisters. Thei
influence over him was exceedingly small
and they went the wrong way to work tt
enlarge it they protested, and he reasoned
they taunted, and he stung they put OF
airs, he mad6ened them with clever ridi
cule. No armor of theirs, that he coul,
not pierce with his arrows. Yet to then
Caleb was totally invulnerable.
He drove up to the stable one day, in al
airy little one-horse carriage, and jumpe
out upon the ground. Taking his wallis
from the vehicle, he proceeded to cross th
e4,ooA 20 HE fathar,a houca