The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1876-03-25

! You don't see what utter folly all this tall
is about giving up our own house anG
boarding; so | beg that l may hear n,
more about it..
And then John took up magazine
lighted another cigar, and settled down t.
his selfish employment, while poor | went
on with my matter-of fact work, (shall
confess it?) of darning his socks. Blu
pray, do not for one moment imagine b,
this that | was conquered. No indeed
But bided my time. | am not going Il
let out my secret, and betray the net work
of little articles I used to carry out my
design.
The fact remains to be stated that a week
from the day on which l had first mention
ed the subject to John, he told me, on go
ing to his business after breakfast, that
might please myself; that his great wish
was to see me happy, and if it would make
me more so, | might let our house, and
find Il boarding house as soon as | pleased
Somehow | felt a little badly then, as if
after ALL might have been wee bit selfish
and wilful, but | soon persuaded myself
into thinking that we should both be more
really comfortable in boarding: SO before
dinner time | had notice up by our front
door, which | had painted myself with a
big brush and some black paint, "To Let
Inquire Within Then l went across the
street to admire my work.
The letters certainly looked to me as if
they had been out on spree all night, and
were tumbling against each other for sup.
port, but | thought that other people would
not be so critical as |, and went in doors to
search the newspaper for an advertisement
of a boarding place. There was only one,
which read thus
BoARDING.-Two unfinished rooms,
with board, may be obtained in the house
OF a widow lady. Unexceptional references
required. Address, &C."
"The very thing l thought to myself
1.-The house of widow lady would proba
bly, be quiet and comfortable, and there
would be no vulgar man around making a
noise. We can furnish no end of refer
ences, and | will go as soon as we have
finished dinner, and secure the rooms'
Then | went to attend to some cookery,
and while was thus engaged, there came
sharp peremptory ring at the front door,
followed by another, and another in quick
succession, that | made sure something
dreadful had happened. l rushed to the
door, more than half expecting to see John
brought home on shutter half killed by
some frightful accident and thinking self
reproachfully of certain little wicked
speeches of mine, opened it, with a terror
stricken face, | am sure, as the bell sent
forth a still louder peal, and there stood a
seedy looking, unshaven man, with his
hat on one side, and hands in his pockets
was about to shut the door in his face
thinking him beggar, when he cried-
Say, how many rooms is there in this
here house"
Eight, | replied, shortly.
"What's the rent?" was the next ques-
ton
| hestated. John had left everything
entirely to me, and | had overlooked this
important point.
FIFTY dollars month"; said, boldly.
The man stared at me a moment in sur
prise, and then turned and walked off with
out word. l quickly locked the door,
and put the chain up, as the man, thought,
might be housebreaker, and return to
rob us-he looked capable of it! / had
just got my kitchen apron on, and was
beating up the white of some eggs to froth
a pudding with, when there came another
ring at the bell.
Bother | cried, setting my plate of
eggs down on the table with such jerk
that the slippery whites glided elegantly
off, just smearing the table before they
landed in an UNBEATABLE mass on the kitchen
floor.
But the ring was repeated, and | must
not linger. So with rutfled look Though
not a ruf1ied neck trimming l went to the
door, and at once felt horribly conscious
of my common apron and the other defects
of my toilet, for there stood tall, graceful
lady, dressed in the extreme of fashion.
She languidly made few enquiries, while
felt she was cycling my dress and noting
by instinct all its deficiencies, and then said
that she would like to see the house.
| took her into the parlor, which she
silently examined with the aid of an eye
glass, and then commenced crticising the
hall, not approving OF our choice of paper
lug, which, she said, should be lighter and
vanished. Then the stairs were far too
narrow and the steps too high; she had
never been accustomed to such common
steps. Up stairs everything was wrong.
Our pretty front bedroom, which we had
foolishly imagined to be perfection, turned
ont to be too low and to possess too many
windows; to need Il moulding, and to be
uninhabitablc without a dressing room
leading from it, The second bedroom, to
my surprise was considered tritle better
and would almost do if it had new paint
ing and papering. Then she asked to see
the bath room.
We have none" faltered.
Oh, the whitening look that met mine,
No bath room"' the eegante exclaimed.
Why, | thought that every family with
any pretention to gentility had that. But
| suppose your husband might turn one of
the smaller bedrooms into one?'
"No doubt he could do SO if he wished"
l replied, angry with myself for being
snubbed and broken spirited by this woman.
Well, we even climbed up into the attic,
and | had to endure all sorts of hard
speeches about our home, which made me
inwardly rage, and then we descended to
the parlor.
"What rent do you ask for this house,
asked my tormentor.
81 think it will be thirty five dollars a
month, " said |, in my uncertainty rs to
what would lie a fair price.
She seemed u divine that knew nothing
about rents, and put Oh as great an appear.
ance of astouIshment as was consistent
with her elegance.
Why she exclaimed, 81 never heard
of such "a sum for IL house like this. If
there were all the modern improvements
the case would be different, but there
would be SO much to be done to render
this house fit to live in, that thirty-tivc
dollars is an absurd price to ask. 1t you
had said twenty-five | should have consd
cred if uuite rnOupl. -