The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1878-03-21
Taking au Elevator.


We have had many inquiries about The
description OF Mrs. Tubbs' experience al
4. T. Stewards retail palace in the year
! 1852. 1t was published in the Hearth
and Home, but, 20 far as we know, has
not been printed in book form. 1t is
often read in public by elocutionists,
being a stock piece On their list, but we
have found no way to answer the demand
for it except by replinting it in our col
umns.
MRS. TUBES HAS AN ADVENTURE.
Mr.. EDITOR or HEARTH AND HOME
Your perfect gentlemanly way of putting
my letter in your paper last winter, writ
IA n warning to all bad boys on ice, in
clines me TO send another letter which il
will be II warnin' to all young women
never TO commit the mistake which | did
most innocent on Saturday gone Il week
ut u big drag goods store in New York.
/ had hcerd considerable about this ERE
store, but ! warn't in no way prepared
for all | see there. Sakes 1t was equal
to a dozen villages like Vandusenburg
a.cHmin' out o meetin' all at
once. Such u crowd | never sec,
and the women maulln' of tho goods
without buyin', and the clerks lookin'
on sarcastic just like you see in any
ornery store. Well, went about bet
tern an hour gettin' Il couple o'pair o
good domestic hose for my son Jabez,
and seven-eighths of a yard OF stuff for
cheese bags; and sudden, bein' uncom.
mon tired, | felt n weak spell commin'
on, and | hadn't hardly strength to ak
for chini@ for the setting sofa.
Next STORY m%a'am,', says the clerk,
kind o looking sharp at Inc, "wouldn't
you like to take a elevator ?"
Well, I was beat 1t seemed a most
uncommon proceeding, and what | never
heard no gentleman do before, to ask me
to take a elevator, had my misgivings
what it meant, for our Jabez with his
jokes and what nOts, though his father
and me is most strong temprince folks,
persists sometimes in takin' what he calls
elevators, which il glasses O speerits and
water, calkerlated, rs he says, to raise
droopin' ieelins and filin' strength.
"Slt," says |, as lofty as | could, 81
prefer not, and to my mind you'd do
better for Il respectable shop not to be
otlerin' elevators, leastawise not to me-"
So | kept walkin' round, not likin' TO ask
questions shown my country ways, and
still teelin' that awful feelin' of goneness
which them as has weak spells is subject
to, when another clerk, hearing me ask
TOR chintzes, said something again about
my takin' a elevator. by this time |
felt awful, and so, says |, maxim up my
mind it was a York fashion, and it warA't
best to seem too back.country, ''Thanks
to you, sir" says |, 81 don't mind tryin'
something of the kind, bein' most re-
markable thirsty"
Certainly ma'am," says he, bowling
careless towards a stand holdin' a fancy
pail with spigOt to it, full of what |
might have took to be water, iudgin' by
the taste, but | know we'll enough it was
some deceitiul gentcel kind of liquor
with the taste and smell taken out, like
they do to benzine and castor oil.
No sooner had | swallowed a goblet
it when the young man pinted
to a little room which, il you'll believe
me, Mr.. Editor, give the queerest kind
of jerk you ever see just as | looked in,
and seein' comfortable sofas all around
wallsof it, | stepped in. There was
other ladies gOin' in too, so we all set
down, and | couldn't help wondering
the poor things had been takin'
elevators like me. cit won't do no
says | to myself. to sit here a
minute or two till this weak spell passes
of" when, MASSEY on me! il | didn't feel
myself AGOIN' UP! Yes, agoin' up; and
with me the room, and sofas, and ladies',
and all! | clutched a hold of the cushion
and stared kind ovid like as not, for one
Of the ladies bit her lip as if contem-
to laugh, and still we was all
igoin' up, leastwise SO it seemed. "It's
III on account O. taking that elevator"
kinks ! TO myself, and then it come up
N me how uncsmmon appropriate the
word was, mesnin' a drink, though often
had heard Jabez's pascold him for using
hat vulgar expression. But couldn't
Ielp feelin' scared, particular when / see,
II of q student, men and women kind O
about in the air. Once | jumped
to go out OF the room, but a man
some clockworks in the corner
ED out his hand. In one moment,
!" said he, a pushin' ME back
18th such an air!
"lbl you take a elevator ?" l whis-
cred to the lady sitting alongside ofme.
be nodded her head without saying
and from her queer look /