Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1874-09-11

superlntended the arrangements himself, |
feeling assured that getting the feminine |
portion of his home off in style was the.
most particular part of the whole affair. |
Josiah, junior, had been dressed by the |
draper. His coat was black and shining |
his hat a silk fur, his vest white, his |
watch-chain immense, his pants a per-
feet fit-so perfect, in fact, that the last
words from the senior Todd were that
he should be careful about making any
sudden plunge, or indulging in any of
his usually eXuberant spirits, for fear of
the direful consequences to that perfect
fit. Miss Polly was dressed in u gor-
geous rainbow silk with wonderful
train and an immense Elizabethan ruff.
Josiah himself had donned blue coat
with brass buttons, upon which the
American eagle made widespread dis
play His shirt collar came up high un-
der his ears, three immense studs glis-
tened from his shirt front. His vest was
orange, his recktie delicate salmon.
Through all these arrangements Josiah
had felt that Sallie's was the most trying
form to decorate. Sallie was stupendous.
The fashionable mOdtste pulled at corset
strings, at buttons, hooks and eyes, until
she was fairly black in the face. But
Sallie's form was genuine; flesh, bone
cotton. With the united efforts of the
family poor Sallie was got into a new
silk gown. Then came the bonnet, a little
crownless thing, half hat, with wide
strings tied back of the ears, broughtfO for
ward under the chin.
Sallie sighed in the plebeian depths of
her heart for the comforts of her old sun
day Cress, but with the firmness of u
martyr she endured her torture. Josiah's
happiness had always been more to her
than her own comfort, and she did think
that Josiah was just splendid in the blue
coat and brass buttons, though she must
say that salmon was q little too red for
his complexion. When it came to Sallie's
gloves there was failure. No amount
of putting and blowing, of pinching and
pulling, would work them on. The
gloves were kids and Sallie's hands were
flesh. The hands had the best of it, and,
do their utmost, the dainty gloves could
not get on the outside of them.
Put one thumb in, so," said Todd, il
Illustrating. Mrs. Plum always wears
hers in that manner and of course Mrs
Plum is correct"
"Happy to sec YOU said Mr.. Plum, as
they came on the boat. "Mrs. Plum,
here is Mrs. Todd and daughter. Here,
! Sophronia, take charge of Mrs. Todd a
! fine young man, that son of yours, Todd.
Going into the professions? Intellect
there. That's what we need Men of
! the people-those are the only men of
| principle"
Josiah looked over TO his son rather
doubtfully He had never considered
him remarkably bright, in fact had NE
garded him as rather slow, and perhaps a
little stupid. But, of course, if Mr..
Plum said that he was bright and tai
ented, Mr.. Plum knew. He, JOSIAH
! Todd would never dispute that saga
cious mans opinion. Everybody went
| by what Plum said
AT this stage of his reflections Josiah
became alarmed at Sallie's loquacity.
! Sallie was the most industrious woman
living, and, quite unknown to Josiah, had
managed to smuggle along her knitting
work, and thus she sat in her broad
backed chair, her feet planted firmly
against the railing, forming, with the
bright steel needles glancing in and out,
the immense proportions of Pollys
stockings. Josiah felt the drops OF
perspiration breaking out all over him as
he paused, listening to Sallie's uninter-
rupted flow of talk-a rccapitulation,
heard by him for at least the hundredth
time. Recipes for all sorts of colds
coughs, catarrhs and intluenzas, wonder
full stories of ghosts and goblins, little
anecdotes of Josiah, junior, and Polly
when they were children, etc, etc.
Mr.. Todd noticed too that the young
people were laughing behind Sallie's
broad back Something must be wrong
He did wish Sallie wasn't so difficult q
subject to dress fashionably. 1t was
with considerable misgiving that Josiah
gained a position where he could view
Sallie from the rear. What was the pool
mans CONSERVATION to find that Sallie''
chignon had been forgotten, that the lit
tie knot of gray hair, not so large as one
of the buttons on Mrs Plum's redingote
was all there was to fill the empty back
The front of Sallie's head was covered
with frizzes, the back was as bald anC
bare as was Josiah's own. OF course
this was a catastrophe, but not more try
ing than the incident which occurred i'm
mediately after. Dinner was announced
| and when they came to the table Josiah
Junior seated himself at the head in tn
! Captains chair, from which the waite
politely elected him.
In vain did Mr. Plum scowl at his fam
lily; the Misses Plum laughed broadly
Poor Josiah blushed scarlet, and in hi
helpless embarrassment awkwardly de
stroyed with spoonful of hot soup TIL
5 immaculate whiteness of his shirt. Fo
lowing the book of etiquette was diff
t Guilty to which the Todd family, fror
r pateI .fdiniiids down, were unequa
Knives would go into mouths, bits O
= meat would fly away from under folks
4 tea would empty itself into saucers, nal
c kins would slip off to the floor.
I Josiah thanked his stars devoted
4 ,,l,.r tho 1oNr Nuoc nnIaH If uFoG omit
out of the question, he saw, that Salli
d should ever be equal to polite society
She was as she was, and they must max
(, the best of her. But Polly must be ser
S TO boarding school where she could b
c properly finished, and Josiah shoul
c have tutor. Hadn't Plum praised n
C son and noticed with compliment h
daughter? Plum wanted TO see hil
q about the election. Plum was talking {
Z. running for representative, and had sal
a Just the day before that he considerc
IS himself as good as elected if he secure
V -Todd's-infuence All of the wor
/ ing men would go with Todd The
n knew that he was no fraud. He was L
; railroad speculator, no bloated bon,
s holder, no thieving monopolist.
AT MIR. Plum's a most cordial WELDON
E. awaited him when he called on the fC
k lowing afternoon Mr.. Plum was a
1t sent, but Mrs. Plum and her daught,
k Sophronia, though they were dressed Il
l. grand dinner party at Col. Purs
If proud's, the richest and most aristocrat
n. family in town, greeted him with gre
g afTability. And Miss Sophronia, dea
IS artless grill advanced to meet him, al
1t placing her outstretched hands in his i
quired sweetly after the health of Josia
/. Jr., and her lovely friend Polly, and tn
As dear, good-hearted woman, Mrs. Tod
le Josiah was quite overcome by such kin
n ness. He did not stay long, for Mr.. Plu
a. was out of town, and our plain Josi'
r could not long sustain conversation
p ladies' society, but departed, after beil
IN warmly urged by the ladies to be su
le and come again on the following da
lg wien Mr. Plum would bc at home, al
ID would be so glad to see him.
The next day Josiah went. Poor, u
ID suspecting Josiah Why did not sor