New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-02-06
A NARROW ESCAPE.
BY ELIZABETH STUART PHELPS

A NARROW ESCAPE.
BY ELIZABETH STUART PHELPS.
How long ago exactly I can not tell
but long enough for two little boys
have grown into two great men, and yo
can judge how long that must be as we
as there lived in a gentleman's tamil
in England pretty housemaid and a
honest young coachman. And in cours
of time-how much time or how little
can not say, for this is matter in whic
it is not so easy to judge of time-th
Gousemaid and the coachman fell in love
1t was very foolish thing to do, Q
course; but people do foolish things il
this world occasionally, even SO foolish a
that and don't know any better wa,
than for wise people, like you and me, t
look on and say, I'm SO glad it was no
r. and then walk off.
The coachmans name, by the way, wa
John, and the housemaid they called
Susan.
So one day, when Susan was standing
in the garden door, with clean white
apron on, and cruel pink ribbon in he,
hair, John came by with the silver.
just going to polish up. Said he, ''Susan,
don't like these goings on with the but
Ter, and that's the truth.
Said Susan, just turning her head so
that the unkindest bow in that merciless
little pink ribbon shone like star in her
beautiful hair, "And what if do take a
walk with the butler of an evening when
like? It amt any mans business, John
Jacobs"
Il don't know as it is" said John, re-
1ectively; it had never struck him in that
light before. He wished it were his bust
ness, with all his heart, but he wouldn't
say SO; and Susan wished the same, you
may be sure, but she couldn't say so; so
he went away to the great coach house
with his whip, and Susan sat down on the
steps with her thoughts. And so, pretty
soon, when the honest coachman came
back, the pretty housemaid was crying
Said John: ''Why, SUSAN
Said Susan: "G-g-go away
.ou,u John: "lou don't mean as you
cared because was cross to your
Sobbed Susan: II d-d-don't know-ow"
Said John: "Susan, will you have me?"
Said Susan: eyes, will
L
story, because l don't believe the editor
would think that was proper; but had to
tell YOU about John and Susan, because
that was the beginning Of everything; and
as love story always is the beginning of
everything, perhaps the editor will excuse
us this time.
The long and short of it is, that the
honest coachman and the pretty house.
mald were married.
At least, that's the short of it; that gen.
orally is the short of it; the long of it
comes afterwards.
The long of it came to John and Susan
when their children came. Two at time,
to begin with; twin boys; "beautifur
boys their mother said; bouncing" boys,
their father said-and their names were
Titus and Tam O. Shanter. And before
Titus and Tam were able to walk across
the kitchen to the molasses jug on their
own feet, dear me! bless it! there was
another.
'But she's girl" said John, "and
won't cost so much"
For John had just reached that desper-
ate point in young mans life when he
first begins to suspect that it costs five
times as much to support five people as it
does to support one. This is great dis
covery in domestic science, which you
will observe as you grow older, people
seldom do make till they have five people
to support
But then, you see, when the little girl |
Il think her name was Betty, but can |
not be quite sure) was beginning to talk, |
she had little sister to talk to, and that |
was serious,
Said John, decidedly, MY dear, we
never can manage it in the world. How's
one coachman's wages to do all this?"
Said Susan, dejectedly (for the baby |
and one twin had cried all night), Il
don't know, John. Can't we 90 to Amer
icar'
"And what should we do in American"
said John.
'Livev' said Susan, and her tired black
eyes snapped.
Well, the long and short of that was.
they came to Nebraska and here, perhaps.
my story should properly begin.
So long ago as it takes for little boys to
grow great men, it was not SO easy to live
in Nebraska as it is now, when the great
land commissioner of the great railroads
hangs buffalo's head in every depot in
Boston, to show the world how much
more delightful is the society of buffaloes
than the society of Bostonians.
When John, and Susan, and Titus, and
Tam O'Shanter, and Betty, and the new
baby came to Nebraska, that plucky
young State was, for the most part, an
ugly, bowling wilderness.
In the thick of the wilderness Mr.. and
Mrs John Jacobs dug out for themselves
a home. Literally, they dug it out with
their own hands. Susan was tough
little woman, with stout hands and a
stout heart, and she dug too. think, if
the truth must be told, she rather enjoyed
leaving Titus and Tam with the other
babies-theres no GUESSING how much care
one baby will take of another till you've |
tried-and taking an Ak to help her hus-
band fell trees and cut underbrush, or
taking hoe to hoe her row in the darling |
little garden, out of which they meant to
make . living, if they died for it.
It was only because they meant to, so
very bard, fancy, that they made the
living without dying for it. 1t was al
most worse, at first, than coachman's
wages in mother England. There was