The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1877-03-30
A Foreign Ohimnsy-Sweep

physical force in nature and every triv-
ial event in life said to him, "Move on"
Accordingly Mr.. Crampe had moved
on for the past ten years at least, and all
his dearest friends said that they did
not know how Mrs. Crampe put up with
his vagaries. The way Mrs. Crampe
put up with them was to follow in her
husbands erratic footsteps over the face
of the earth, like dutiful wife, and to
keep sort of inventory of her house
hold goods, stored at various bankers, in
note-b book. Melancholy task! When
Mrs. Crampe was In low spirits, she was
frequently to be seen poring over this
notebook, which marked different
stages of development in Mr.. Crampe,
with whom all movement was desig-
mated as progress and development.
There were the trunks stored in London
belonging to the auspicious day when
Mr.. Crampe tried water-cure at NAL
vern; there was wooden box, contain
ing charming pictures and wood-carv-
Ing, at Nice, purchased when Mr..
Crampe believed in the climate of the
Riviera; a whole Turkish and Egyptian
bazar reposing at Florence told of an in
tention to become a permanent Orien-
tai; and the furniture of many cases at
Geneva revealed a reaction of cOnvic-
tion, when Mr.. Crampe discarded the
softer beauties of the Nile for the brac-
ing cold of Switzerland. Mrs. Crampe,
during such periods of dependency, of
ten remarked that she only wished she
had the money back which these gim-
cracks necessarily cost, or could always
remember what she actually owned.
Far away in quiet town of America
was double house, painted white, with
green windOw-blinds, and a pleasant
veranda overlooking the main street.
The heart of Mrs. Crampe yearned to-
ward this mansion, as she jaunted north
and south, east and west, in search of a
country suitable to the health of Mr..
| Crampe. Such land had never as yet
been found, but it was a goal toward
which the unflagging feet of her hus-
band constantly pressed, his spirit
buoyed up by the stimulus of fresh hope
at each experiment. The white house
was the personal property of Mrs.
! Crampe, and she loved it as home. Now
it was rented to any despOiler with chill
dren who would hire it for the summer,
and trample her best carpets under foot.
The neighbOrs freely remarked that had
the house belonged to Mr.. Crampe in
stead, he would have split it up into
kindling wood long ago, if only to feed
the fires of locomotives and steamships
which should bear him farther away
from America.
Mr.. Crampe was pale and cadaver-
Gus man, although nobody knew pre-
cisely what allied him. At one time he
was enthusiastic on the subject of the
circulation; at another, be would as
sure an interested questioner that it had
! O lNuoUo hoan hic of
be the person who could mention a pat
ent invigorator or an inhalation which
Mr.. Crampe had not already tested. He
was a walking advertisement testifying
that drugs are not deleterious unto
death, for he never read of a new medi-
cine without feeling convinced that il
exactly suited the symptoms of "his
case"-whatever his case might have
been-and tested the remedy with such
interest as chemist experiments in his
laboratory.
Mrs. Crampe had long since ceased tc
pine for the oysters, Holsters, and fish
balls of her native land, in the presence
of her husband, as such highly improper
longings only led to dissertations on the
digestive apparatus of man, and Its
abuses in the United States. She haG
also learned to stifle the instincts of hel
nature which required hearth-stone
the domestic circle of harmless loca
gossip, If you choose, and a little limo.
cent relaxation in ones own kitchen in
the way of cake-mAking for company
with large calico apron over a tidy
morning dress. Her friends declared
that she did not sufficiently assert hel
rights, especially the element with
strongly developed views on the subject
of Woman's Suffrage. Undoubtedly
this was true. Mr.. Crampe pursued thu
will-o'-the-wisp health over hill anC
dale, entirely obvious of his wife's re
grets and homesickness, because sh,
never complained.
It's even doubtful If the excellent lady
would ever have asserted herself at all
: had not the dark shadow of chimney
sweep fallen athwart her path, aud sh,
, lost her temper.
The change came like clap of thun
der. Mr.. Crampe had insisted OH cross
ing the Splugen early in the season
much to his wife's dismay, as the snow
was still deep, and had accordingly rat
tied down into Switzerland among tn
! first guests of the season. Mr.. Cramp
scarcely ever lost faith in the Swiss al
r that keen, pure current which come
to the exhausted frame like fresl
breath of life.
al wish they had not invited u.s." so
2 liloquized Mrs. Crampe, with flush o
annoyance on her usually placid face.
She was seated in small room of
5 hotel, with very large trunk open be
/ fore her, and she glanced through tn
window at pleasant garden extending
to margin of blue lake, with a sigh @
D regret. She had been invited to din
e ner party given by a celebrated physi
? clan who dwelt IN villa of the neigh
= bOrhood. She would rather take be
t knitting out under the trees beside tn
= lake. Mr.. Crampe was pleasurably ex
8 cited over an invitation which involve
= possible medical discussion with the ci
: gars. Mrs. Crampe shrank from foreig
] society, where she felt i'll at ease, an
g did not know what was precisely suit
able to wear on such an occasion as tn
2 present one. Women spend preciou
: hours of life pondering over this pei
picking and nice adjustment of not be
ing too much or too little dressed. Poo
8 Mrs. Crampe, shy and nervous anon
J, strangers, had even leaned on tina
f broken reed, her husbands opinion, /
( the matter
f "Oh, wear the best gown you hav
!, got," returned Mr.. Crampe, with hi
t nose in the air.
e Mrs. Crampe, thus advised, had jus
a laid out on the bed her Paris-mad
: mauve silk, and placed the white Brus
5 sells lace shawl over it. This lace shaw
J, delicate as frost-work, was her mo;
I L., III