West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1878-06-22
THAT LITTLE PLACE OF BROWNS
IHarpers wcckly.1

The place was mine, and we lived as
cozily there, my wife and little daughter
and l, as birds in nest, until the
Blacks, some old friends of ours from
the city, came TO live in our rneighborhood.
we were at supper one night when my
wife told me.
They're going TO take the French
rooted house around the corner" said
Sally, with the big extension and the
conservatory, and as / happened to be
walking utjust rs the trucks came down,
couldn't help seeing that the parlor fur
niture is of crimson satin damask and
ebony think it's ebony, but won't
be sure, continued my wife; I" but at
any rate it's inlaid."
Well, that's a comfort anv wav "
said /. If you're positive it's inlaid.
Sally, you can perhaps go on with your
supper"
Yes" she said, so preoccupied with
her theme that she hadn' teatena morsel.
and there's the handsomest bedroom
set for Jane that / most ever laid NV
eyes on; it's one of these dressing
bureaus, Joe, with a magnificent plate
glass that reaches down to the floor"
That's good" said /. You can
run around there, when you have
your next gown fitted, and see the hang
of it,"
g don't expect to run around there, y
said Sally, craning her neck up stiffiy,
turning up the end of her nose, and
drawing her lips down.
Why, what's the matter?' said /
Wasn't Jane friendly? I've done many
a good turn for Black in my day, and I
hope they're not going to turn the cold
shoulder now"
ooh, she was friendly enough" said
Sally; but we can't expect, Joe, that
people living in that kind of style can be
upon terms of intimacy with people that
live as we do. There are certain restric-
tions in society"
Restrictions be hangedp ! cried.
I'm as good man as Black any day in
the week"
that matter" said Sally" but it's all
like pair of scales, Joe: when one goes
up, another goes down, and, from the
way things look, it I'll take pretty
heavy weight on the Blacks side to
bring them down to our position"
must own this kind of logic vexed me
little. / knew pretty well how Black
stood commercially, and ] told Sally
there wasn't feathers weight on his
side, so far as the favors of fortune were
concerned. If he has a mind to live
above his means" said /, she can do it,
and take the consequences"
He has just as good right to live
above his MEANS" said Sally, as you
have to live beneath yours"
This was her Parthian arrow as / went
out the door, and it rankled a little all
the way down in the train, the more
that found Black the center of an ad-
miriDg bevy at the depot. He had quite
an Imposing makeup and glib tongue,
which he used in inveighing against our
system paving. He complained of the
condition of good many things in our
young township, and seemed to gain
popularity with every fault that he found
AT last he spied me, and was exceedingly
loud and ELUSIVE in his salutation.
Halo, Brown" he said, shaking nv
hand again and again, and declaring 10
the people abOut him was an old friend
whom he was glad to unearth. " I've
run you down, you sly fox. That's a
very snug little place around the corner
very snug indeed ~
] wouldn't have believed IL possible
i could have been such an ass as To feel
fattered by this familiarity of Blacks
but / found myself smirkinR and nod.
ding with great cOmplacencv. Here
were at least half n dozen of the gentry
about me who lived in big houses in INV
neighborhOod, that 7 had been going M
and down to the city with for years. vet
scarcely knew them we'll enough for an
exchange Of civilities, and here was
Black already hand in glove with the
finest OF them. Itmakes me sick now when
remember that turned my backon moor
old White, and went toadving ON
with this aristoCracy. White lived in eveu
smaller house than mine, and had hard
enough work to pay for that. He had
failed in business some wears before
and don't know what they would have
done without their boy Bob. lie was
with me in the city, and I knew that =
gOodiy portion Of the lads earnings
we're given to the support Of the house.
1T was rather hard for B b, but he bore
his lot with great resignation. He came
over pretty often TO have game of crib.
bage and talk over business matters with
me, and ! found him sharp enough ON
both. Then he had pleasant wav with
women. Our little Rosalie was n IittIc
more than child. but Sally used to
brighten when Bob came in, tin she cot
into that kink about the Blacks
You'll stay here with ROsalie. won'i
you, Bob, till we come back P I said h
young White; and rs spoke felt Sally
give n savage pinch TO my arm. No
sooner were we outside the door than she
began about poor Bob
IL you have no regard for nv dauph
terS future, and choose IN throuy he,