Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1874-09-17

| Sallie's form was genuine; flesh, bone
| and blood were more irrepressible than
| cotton With the united efforts Of the
/ family poor Sallie was got into new
silk gown. Then came the bonnet, little
crownless thing, half hat, with wide
strings tied back Of the ears, brought for
ward under the chin.
Sallic sighed in the plebeian depths OF
her heart for the comforts OF her old Sun
| day cress, but with the firmness of a
martyr she endured her torture. Josiahs
happiness had always been more 10 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 little too red for
! his complexion When 1t came to Sallie' s
/ gloves there was failure. No amount
of putting and blowing, of pinchiDg and
pulling, would work them on. The
| gloves were kids and SaIlies 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 see 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-tbose are the only men Of
| principle"
Josiah looked over TO his son rather
doubtfully. He had never considered
him remarkably bright, in fact had re-
garded him rs 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 smugglc 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 Polly's
stockings. Josiah felt the drops of
perspiration breaking out all over him as
ut DhuBtuI IlbbCUlUB W uUluttI-
rupted flow OF talk-a rccapitulation,
heard by him for at least the hundredth
time Recipes for all sorts of colds,
coughs, catarrhs and infiucnzas, wonder
full stories of ghosts and COLLINS, little
when they were children, etc, etc.
Mr. Todd noticed too that the young
people were laughing behind Sallie's
"a tfcf a. ho
He did wish Sallie wasn't so difficult
subject to dress fasbionably II was
with considerable misgiving that Josiah
gained position where he could view
Sallie from the rear What was the poor
mans CONSERVATION to find that Sallie's
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 Us bald and
bare as was Josiah's own. Of course
this was catastrophe, but not more try
ing than the incident which occurred inn
mediately after Dinner was announced,
and when they came 10 the table Josiah,
junior, seated himself at the head in the
Captains chair, from which the waiter
politely elected him.
In vain did Mr.. Plum scowl at his fam
lily; the Misses Plum laughed broadly.
Poor Josiah blushed scarlet, and in his
helpless embarrassment awkwardly de-
stroyed with a spoonful Of hot soup the
immaculate whiteness Of his shirt Fol
lowing the book of etiquette was diff
Guilty to which the TODD family, from
pdter f1mSlids down, were UNEQUAL
Knives would go into mouths, bits of
meat would fly away from under folks,
tea would empty itself into saucers, nap
kins would slip off to the floor
Josiah thanked his stars deyotedly
when the day was ended IL was quite
out Of the question, he saw, that Sallie
should ever be equal TO polite society.
She was as she was, and they must make
the best of her, But Polly must be sent
to boarding school where she could be
properly finished, and Josiah should
have tutor. Hadn't Plum praised his
son and noticed with compliment his
daughter? Plum wanted to see him
about the election. Plum was talking OF
running for representative, and had said
just the day before that he considered
himself as good as elected If he secured
his-Todds-- influence All of the work
ing men would go with Todd. They
knew that he was no fraud. He was no
railroad Spectator, no bloated bond
holder, no thieving monopolist
AT Mr.. Plum's u most cordial welcome
awaited him when he called on the fol
lowing afternoon. Mr.. Plum was alb
| sent, but Mrs Plum and her daughter
Sophronia, though they were dressed for
grand dinner party Mt Col. Purse
proud's, the richest and most aristocratic
family in town, greeted him with great
aflabilty. And Miss Sophronia, dear,
artless girl advanced to meet him, and
placing her outstretched hands in his in
quired sweetly after the health of Josiah,
Jr,, and her lovely friend Polly, and that
dear, goodhearted woman, Mrs. Todd.
Josiah was quite overcome by such kind
ness. He did not stay long, for Mr. Plum
was out Of town, and our plain Josiah
could not long sustain conversation in
ladies' society, but departed, after being
warmly urged by the ladies to be sure
and come again on the following day,
when Mr. Plum would be ut home, and
would be so glad to see him.
The next day Josiah went. Poor, un-
suspecting Josiah! Why did not some
kindly fate check thy steps, even on the
marble threshold of that dwelling, and