Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-01-15

him in. He laid out on poetry what he
picked up in prose.
His budget was made up, as has been
limited, from his wife's dewry and his
own, which together brought him in an
income that would have been amply suffi-
cient for citizen of the olden time. But
an artist man who likes everything
that is beautiful! 1t is dear business,
this love of the beautiful. There is a
chance of getting bit of antique tapes
try; how can one resist the delight of
buying it? One reads the description of
a remarkable monument recently dis
covered; how can one help going to see
1t? Artistic pilgrimages are all but an
obligation for artists. But what is most
rulnous for them is the reduced prices.
| Think of immense advertisements pla-
carried upon the walls, setting forth, in
huge red letters, these cabalistic words:
"a Months Tour in the North of Italy,
| with Stops at the Principal Cities-One
Hundred and Fifty Francs!" Only a
hundred and fifty francs! 1t is so cheap!
Yet there is nothing that does SO much mis-
chief as cheapness. These enormous pufs
| are as immoral as the exchange-shOps;
and you can Just so much the less resist
the temptation as you have the air of be-
ing reasonable in yielding to it. Our
young household, then, gave way pretty
often; and if to this you add that the hus-
band was very much in love with his
wife, and consequently desired that sh
should be charming and well got up;
bearing in mind, also, that, in three years,
! they had INDUCED themselves in the lux
ury Of a little son and little daughter,
you will easily understand that, during
the latter part of the quarter, they were
very apt to be in ifficulties-difficultie
that broke the heart of the excellent
| Madame Desgranges, and drew upon the
| head of NJ. Desgranges a deluge Of pray
ers and invectives
" L beseech you, my dear, do add some
thing to their dover"
=" | shall take good care not to do it."
was the answer Of NJ. Desgranges. Il con-
graduate myself too sincerely on the
course l adopted. My system is too good
to be changed"
"Is it possible that you have the heart
to see them thus embarrassed, and to leave
them so?"
Are they embarrassed? %
"Frightfully, my DEAR
$50 much the better. My sor-in-law
will take all the more pains to find en-
ployers."
But they don't come, these en-
ployers."
''AlI the more cause for working hard
| to procure them'
"They have additional burdens besides
their own"
additional sources of happiness, you
mean" And, as Madame Desgranges
made a gesture of desp air, "Come, come,
wife, no outburst. Let's talk it over
calmly. Supposing that three years ago
HAD given my daughter hundred thou
sand francs more, as you wished, what
| would have happened?"
at would have happened" replied
Madame Desgranges, with mingled in
dignation and pathos, ''that, instead of
living in a state of privation, as they have
been compelled to live for three years;
instead Of denying themselves every
| thing"
stop, stop, my dear, permit me. 1t
seems to me"
1T seems to you, indeed? Well, then,
would you have me tell you? When l
am with them at their home, when | see
their poor little modest table-iust sin
gle dish of meat, just one vegetable, and
no sweets whatever-and when | come
home and find you, yes, you, seated there
comfortably with your chin almost upon
the table-ClOth, with your excellent
broiled chickens and your cartridges
larded-for you must needs have them
larded now"
"WLat would you, my dear? AS one
grows old"
"WelI, we'll, all this hurts me much.
reproach myself at every good mouthful
that eat -
81 don't"
| at find orr conduct reyO1tinp -
''Be calm, my good wife, and come
back to the question, from which you
have completely wandered off. Follow
my argument, if you are able. We are,
today, at the 18th Of November
Our daughter, our son-in-law, their
two children, and their two servants,
have been here in our country house since
the 18th of August-that is to say, three
months and two days; and they reckon
on remaining here-they, their children,
and their servants-until the period of
our leaving, which will be on the goth of
December"
"Well, and would you reproach them
for staying with us now? Are you going
to complain Of what their presence costs
you? Have you any idea of exiting them
from your home, from my home?-Oh,
wait moment, beg
"Wife, wifen'
"Depriving me Of the sight of my chill
dren-my only consolation in lifew
"Thank your
"Yes-yes, l know you. You are capa
BILE of declaring that the children make
too much noise! Poor pets, whose little
voices are so sweet, and whose little steps
are so full of gracer'
But, who says anything to the contra
ry?" exclaimed NJ. Desgranges, impa-
tiently.
"Do let me speak, and once more fol-
, low up my reasoning. Why have our
daughter and our sOn-in-law been with us
for three months and two days, and why
will they stay with US until the goth of
, December?"
"a pretty question Because they love
us! because they are happy in being
with u.s. because they know how to make
their stay pleasant to us! because they
are warm hearted, sensitive"
In short, just the reverse of myself
ISM titso?" said NJ. Desgranges, laughing,
and adding, as he went up to his wife,
"CoHe, come, let me give you kiss.
can't help adoring you, for you are never
more than twelve years old''
"HOw ?-l ?-tWeive?"
II mean that you are, and always will
be, the same good creature, simple, con-
fding, credulOus, whom I married with
!, so much satisfaction"
simple and credulOus!' replied Mad
I anne Desgranges, somewhat hurt. "Would
, ! vyO,, ,>-atppG that OI1T chill dram ora not SJr