Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1878-07-11
That Little Place Of Browns.

Blacks, some old friends Of ours from
the city, came to live in our neighbor
hood.
We were at supper one night when my
wife told me-
They're going to take the Frech
rooted house around the corner said
Sally, with the big extension and con-
servatory. ana rs | happened to be walk
ing out Just rs the trucks came down. l
couldn't help seeing that the parlor
furniture is of crimson satin damask and
cbony-l think it's ebony, but ut any
rate it's inlaid"
We'll, that's Il comfort, any way
said l. "If you're positive it's inlaid,
Sally, you can perhaps 90 on with your
supper. ,
her theme that she hadn't eaten morsel,
land there's the handsomest bedroom set
tor Jane that most ever laid my eyes
on; IT'S one Of these dressing bureaus,
Joe, with a magnificent plateglass that
reaches down to the floor
That's good" said |. ''Iou can run
around there when you have your next
gown fitted, AMI see tAe hang of it."
Il don't expect tr run around there,
said Sally, craning her neck up stittly,
turning up the and OF her nose, aud
drawing her lips down.
Why, what's the natter" said l
wasn't Jane friendly: I've done many Il
good turn for Black IN my day, and
hope they're not going to tura the cold
shoulder now
''Oh, she was friendly enough" said
Sally; but We can't expect, Joe, that peo-
pie living in that kind of style can be up.
on terms of intimacy with people that
live as we do. There are certain restric-
tons in society,""
"Restrictions be hanged" | cried
I'm as good man as Black any day in
the week.
You're us good as the President, for
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'll take pretty heavy
weight on the Backs side to bring them
down to our position
must own this kind OF logic vexed
me a little. l knew pretty we'll how
Black stood commercially. and I lold
Sally there wasn't a feathers wei ght on
his side, so far as the favors Of fortune
were concerned IF he has mind to
live above his means, said l, "he car do
it and take the consequences.
lie has just as good a right to live
above his means" said Sally, "as you
have to live beneath yours.
This was her Parthlan arrow as I went
out door, and it ranked little all the
Way down in the train, the more sharply
that found Black the center of an adj
miring bevy at the depo:. He had quite
an imposing makeup and glib tongue,
which he used in inveighing against our
system of 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.
"Hallo, Brown" he said, shak-
ing my hand again and again, and de-
clairing to the people about him I was
an old friend whom he was glad to ~"
earth. i've run you down, you sly fox.
That's snug little place around the
corner-verv snug indeed
wouldn't have believed it possible I
could have been such an ass as to feel
lattered by this familiarity Of Blacks,
but found myself Sinking and nod
ding with great complaccncy. Here
were at least half dozen of the gentry
about me who lived in big houses in
my neighborhood, that had been going
up and down to the city with tor years,
yet scarcely knew them we'll enough for
an exchange of civilities and here was
Black already hand in glove with the
finest Of the them. It makes me sick
fbot I t11rppG "
back on poor old White, and went toady-
ing on with this aristocracy.
White lived in even a smaller house
than mine, and bad hard enough work
to pay for that. He had failed in bust
ness some years before, and don't know
what they would have done without their
boy Bob He was with me IN the city,
and l knew that goodly portion of the
lads earnings were given over to the
support of the house. 1t was rather hard
for Bob, but he bore his lot with great
resignation. He came over pretty often
to have a game Of cribbage and talk over
business matters with me, and I found
lin sharp enough at both. Then he had
pleasant way with the women. Our
little Rosalie was little more than achild,
but Sally used to brighten up when Bob
came in, till she got into that knk about
the Blacks.
You'll stay here with Rosalic, won't
you, Bob, till we come back" I said to
Young White, and as I spoke l felt Sally
give savage pinch to my arm. No soon
er were We outside the door than she be-
gan about poor Bob.
eff you have no regard for your
daughters future, and choose to throw
her away on poor miserable beggar
like Bob White" began Sally.
''Why, my dear" broke in, "Rosal'
ie'sa mere child. Don't begin to plan
about her future, beg Of you. She's
scarcely left off her pinafores, and If evel
there was maiden meditation, fancy
Free any where it lies in the brown eye:
Of our Rosealie."
By this time we had reached the i'm
posing portal of Blacks house. and were
soon ushered into the presence of the
satin damask and ebony. Blacks chill
dren were none of them grown, but were
precocious enough to take the lead II
conversation; and we sat for whole
mortal hour and listened to the eldest cir
hammer out upon the piano what Mrs
Black called a ''reverie" I was gla(
when Black took me into his library.
But goodly quantity of poision wa'
infused into Sallys system and mine be
fore we left the big luxurious house, ant
we went home together as changed as
touched by the rod of an enchanter
t. "Dear me!'' said Sally, ''what littl
cul by -hoIe this is! l declare it's quit
like baby house"
"I'd like to have library like Blacks,
sad !, taking up the refrain. Its mic
to have room, continued to Bob White
''where man can take his friends. !
would be far pleasanter, tor instance,
you and I could have our game of crib
bagc without the continual gable Q
women in our ears
"Oh, don't think So" said Bob