Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1879-10-09
MIR. BEVEL'S HOBBY.
From Harper's Bazaar.


1t was in a quaint, old-fashioned
quarter of London that old Mr.. Bevel
lived. He has been young Mr.. Bevel
in his time, when the quarter WAS not
so quaint nor the street so shabby,
though even then the irresistible refux
Of fashion had begun to set in another
direction. But gentility fingered after
fashion was past, and when Mr.. Bevel
installed his bride in her new home, the
region was still spoken of as eminent
ly respectable" Alas nobody called it
respectable now. The very fact of resi-
dence there implied certain ignominy
"a fact understood and resented by all
the Bevel family except It's head. Even
Mrs. Bevel, who, when first transplant
ed thither from her country surround
ings, had looked upon the London resi-
dence as unspeakable promotion, re-
garded it now as q cOntemptuOus dis
favor, which was instituted and egged
on by her sons and daughters.
" 1t is really quite too bad," declared
Maud, the eldest born and beauty OF
the family. "I'm absolutely ashamed
to let Arthur come and see me. 1t
might be enough to lose him his place
in society"
arthur" was Maud's fance, Ar
thur Brooks, and the society thus i'm
posingly alluded to consisted of his fei-
low clerks In one of the lesser public
offices, limited though "stylIsh' cir
Gle IN the neighborhood of Westbourne
grove, and an oft-quoted second-cousin-
ship to that city magnate, Peter Brooks,
of Lombard street and Lancaster Gate,
whilom Lord Mayor of London, and a
great man in his own set. The readi-
ness of the young man so connected to
show himself in such locality as that
inhabited by his lady-love and her
family could be regarded as nothing
less than condescensiOn. Maud felt it;
the boys felt it; everybody felt it except
that insensible parent in whose hands
lay the power to stay and the power to
60. Mrs Bevel felt it also, but she
deemed it duty to protest against
Maud's remark.
'My dear, you are foolish to talk So
Arthur is quite too sensible TO mind
where we live, am sure"
Nothing of the sort, mamma. He
minds great deal. There is nothing
he hates like an omnibus, and cabs al
this distance are an immense expense
He ought not to take them halfso Otter
as he does"
For all her blue, sleepy eyes and puff
of Colleen hair, pretty Maud had keer
eye for the main chance.
Eyes, and the most provoking thing
about it Is that if pa would only stoE
buying those ridiculous old things he i!
so fond of, we could go where we Liked
and live like other people," remarked
Matilda, the next girl in age, casting {
look of displeasure around the room. /
was hideous room, Matilda thought
old-timey and queer, but to az artist i
would have been a treasured roye, &
very paradise of quaint and picturesque
and valuable disorder.
For old Mr.. Beveps hobby was bric-a
brac, and the house was stuffed with
his acquisitions through forty years O
practice. Like all pioneers in specia
lines of taste, he suffered the fate o
being regarded by his contemporaries al
little better than a maniac. With hin
the taste was Unborn. He had been {
collector before his marriage, twice {
collector since. Beginning In those
early days when there were few com
petitors in the art. he had worked the
rich mine thoroughly before others be
came aware of its value. Little by
httle his treasures had accumulated
Armor, brasses, carved furniture, cbinf
of every age and style, fragments o
rich stuffs, of alter linen, ancient mis-
sails and breviaries, quaint tones IL
early English, worries creamed by time
to delicious yellow, bits of bronze, o
silver, old tapestries threadbare anC
tarnlshed, but still splendid, lace, pict
ures, parchments, spoils of cottage anC
cathedral and quaint Tudor mansion
there were, crowding every crevice ant
and corner, every cupboard anC
closet, till Mrs. Bevel declared sh,
couldn't turn around in peace
and should inevitably so crazy if on,
single thing more were added to thu
stock. The dusky shabbiness of thu
house made picturesque background
for these ancient 71easbLsS, but pictur
sequences was lost in the younger Bev
els, and only sbaboiness was discerni
BILE. As they sat there in the early twi
light Matilda groaned for probably tn,
illiISIl llIlIC Wv SI ll4S wall mel
lowed by time into a delicious mixture
OF neutral tint and warm apricot, agains
which the dull, superb carvings of {
Delhi cabinet stood out respondent, Its
top crowded with rude jars. The apri
cot grayness was simply dirt to Matilda
eyes-dull, common, every day wea
and tear; the cabinet was clumoy; tn,
high-back Venetian chairs On either
side ugly and hard to sit on. What sh,
longed for was smart, gilt hanging, stars
perhaps, on polka dots-a polka do
was so stylish always-and suit o
modern walnut and green, such a.
could be had in the Tottenham Cour
read for e9 10 shillings the eight pieces
She hated old things-rubbish she call
ed them-and had eyes for neither
grace nor form nor charm of color which