The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1877-08-29

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q gentleman's frien's."
Mrs. Mix retired as before, and
Granger, after timid and suspicious
glance toward the door, remarked in
subdued tone:
cit is really singular about the rats.
I had no idea that they were so destruc'
tive in housekeeping. can't say how
many pounds of sugar, butter, flour, tea
and coffee they have made away with in
the few weeks that I've been here"
"Set traps" I suggested.
81 have done SO, but without success.
Not rat have I succeeded in captur'
ing" .
"I rather think that I smell one now, u
I hinted.
"Indeed! Where % inquired Gran
ser, with interest, as he looked around.
ooh, nothing only it strikes me that
Mrs. Mix may not be sufficiently eco
nomical." .
"Oh, yes, I think she is. I don't
complain of her wastefulness, only l
fear she is a little careless at times. For
instance, on Sunday had fine fowl
which I did not touch, preferring it cold;
but, on inquiring for it at breakfast next
day, she informed me that while enter
tanning her cousin she had carelessly left
it in the kitchen window, whence a
strange dog had stolen it. 1t was the
same story the week before, in regard to
n ham and that cat also does good
deal of mischief among the pies and
sweetmeats in the pantry. I should
think that woman Of Mrs. Mix's sense
and prudence could guard against such
accidents but women are so contradic.
tory" = p
GA wife - I commenced; but Gran
ger interrupted me.
"You see, I'm too old to think of that
now. Besides, wife is too expensive.
I can't afford it." .. l-..s.-.,.
On my next visit to Woodbine Cottage
I found things progressing not so favor
ahly as had been anticipated. Some of
the vegetables had not come up at all,
while others, especially the melons and
cucumbers, had grown so rapidly, that
being planted only a few feet apart,
they had naturally fatally encroached
upon each other. The scurrant and
goosebery bushes had been attacked by
mold, and had beside, in their rapid
growth, become entangled across the
narrow walks, which would have to be
widened. The chickens had scratched
up the flower seeds the watch dog (of
which Granger obviously stood in awe)
WAS gwen to eating hens eggs the bees
(for which he had sent per express to
Te1as) had declined residing in the new
hives, and the vulgar minded small boys
of the neighborhood had not only wor-
ried Granger by looking over the fence
and inquiring if he were "raising sup.
plies for the Rooshian war;" but had
made target of the shepherdess, and
knocked off her head and her gilded
crook.
"The garden is rather discouraging in
fact" Granger admitted. 1.-THE place is
too small. 7 could succeed better with q
model farm, if I could afford to buy one.
Meantime T think of making some i'm
provements in the house-adding tow
er to the east end, and high peaked
gable on the opposite side-something
between cottage and q castle, you
know. What do you think of it? ]
would plant ivy around the tower, you
see, which would make it picturesque.
About a week after this Granger paid
Us visit, and I could but notice how
nncommonly bright he looked. Inquir
ing about his little place, hereplied:
"Oh, things are promising much bet
ter. now. Fact is, there is very pleas.
ant family next door-a young married
couple, with oh a1lnt-ahem |! A very
intelligent lady, who knows all about
gardens, poultry, bees and such things,
having country place OF her own. She
-ahem she has given me some very
valuable information concerning these
things-ahem !" -n
Granger's face was little more forid
than usual; but that might be the effect
of his slight cough.
On leaving he invited my wife and
myself to tea at Woodbine Cottage on
the following Saturday to meet the Den
nys and their aunt, Miss Timms.
It was very pleasant little tea party,
and to make it pleasanter, Miss Timms
turned out to be an old boarding-school
friend OF my wife. She was a nice, mid
dle-aged lady, pleasant sand sensible,
and also good-looking, and, as my wife
informed me, remarkably cheerful and
kindly in disposition. Why she had not
married, Mary Jane declared to be to
her q mystery, especially as she posses
sed quite O snug little property of her
own. She herself asserted, laughing,
that it was because the right man had
never presented himself.
had never seen Granger so amiably
beaming and bissful as upon this occa-
sion, while presiding at his own board.
Mrs. Mix, on the contrary, maintained
mien and countenance of extreme
rigidity, and in special regarded Miss
Timms with glances of strong disappro.
baton. The table, however, was well
laid, and there was plenty of everything
nice and tempting, though the pride ol
the board was a dish of lettuce-salad
fanked on one side by a handful of cur
rants in large glass bowl, and on the
other by six or eight radishes, about
three inches long, the product Of
Granger's own garden.
"You can have no idea what luxury
| it is to have fruit and vegetables of YOU
Gown raising" he said to mo inia'sort o.
aside, while the rest were admiring the
currants. "Take little salad-arn't il
fresh and crisp? Next week I shall ex
pect you to spring chickens and new
potatoes. Miss Timms has been goot
enough to explain to ME about raising
the chickens, and, in fact, offered to hell
in taking care OF the Young ones, if th'
weather prove too cold for them.
We walked in the garden after tea
and my wife privately directed my atten
ton to our host and Miss Timms, wht
we're tagging behind in earnest discussion