Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1879-09-16

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very wicked man to tempt Providence
and for her part she would stay with the
Weadles. at Tunbridge Wells, until we
could get settled in less explosive neigh
( borhood
Now Mrs. Weadle was another niece,
an innocent woman enough by nature,
but married to designing husband, who
moulded her plastic character as he wllled.
They had often invited Aunt Sarah to
stay with them, and professed strong
attachment to her; but it is my sad sus-
picion that they were actuated by mer-
cenary motives alone. Ii was much to
be feared that they might ingratiate
themselves unduly in the course of very
long visit, and their son might be foisted
into that place held by our little Sarah IN
| the will and affections of our aged rela-
tive. 1t was true that Aunt Sarah pre-
fcrred girls to boys; that the only child
the Wcadles had was masculine, while
both of ours were feminine: and that she
had taken particular fancy to the little
girl who was named after her. But his
tory, biography, and science combine to
teach us that ladies are occasionally
tickle; Aunt Sarah might be converted
to boys in general, and the Weadle youth
in particular.
1T will not do 10 leave dear aunty
long with the Weadles.' said my wife.
Il fear that they will not make her com
Portable"
She would have expressed her meaning
more fully if SHE had left out the not, but
understood her, and acquicsccd. 1--WE
will look ont for q house in the neighbor-
hood she will like at once replied.
"Iet il be on the hanks of the Thames;
she likes water. and there is none at Tun-
bridge Wells" continued my better half
innocently. 81 will write ~ account of
our prospects Of succeeding in finding
place to suit her every other day
We had sonr u Hastings directly after
the explosion, which took place later in
the autumn, and had spent the winter
there. Itwas In March that Aunt Sarah
went to stay with tho Weadlos, and that
the above conversation was held Il Is
nv firm opinion. derived from experiences
in house hunting at that tame, that If
cold medal were offered for the most IN
genious pcryersion Of facts, house-agent
would win it. \ desirable mansion or
picturesque villa described by one of these
gentry. resembles tho real article about as
much as a theatrical castle seen from the
pit does the same erection viewed from
the wings. Az for suppression of TRUTH
that suppose is to be expected, since the
law which eXoncratcS man from crlm-
mating himself may be inferred to extend
to his property, and therefore to the prop
erty of other people intrusted to his dis
posal. But the general result of all tins
positive and negative deception Is to give
the houSe-hunter an immense amount OF
trouble and anxiety, and to cure him OF
any blind confidence in his fellow-men
forever. For three consecutive weeks my
wife and | saw ovsr twenty houses per
week, so we ought 10 know. 1t Is true
| that the great majority of these tene-
ments, which promised well upon paper
were 50 obviously unsuitable TO us that
glance sufficed to show they would not
do. When the spacious apartments
proved to be seven feet high, or the eight
good bed rooms resolved themselves into
FIVE. with three cupbOards, we did not
waste much time. beyond that taken up
by the journey to and fro. But the dis
advantages ofother houses were not so I'M
mediately obvious. 1t was only during
Spring-tides that tle cellars and kitchens
of Fluvial Lodge were under water. The
faint smell which hoated about Upas Villa
could not be detected when windows and
doors were open, and inquiries in the
neighborhood alone brought out the re-
markable susceptibility of long success
sion of tenants 10 fevets of typhoid
character. 1t was only when the wind
Law in a southehy or easteSy direction
that the near neighborho1i of the Golden
Guano Company's Works TO The Lilacs
became obvious: and we should have
committed ourselves irrecoverably TO five
wears of that unique residence if a breeze
had not sis1ing up in tie quarter named,
on the occasion of our third visit. We
we were likewise very nearly fixing our
selves in The Hermitage, so little pcrcep-
tible was the throb of the water works
engine hard by while you were moving
matters. Yet from what we learned at
terward we might Just as we'll have taken
up our abode on board 4 scrcw-steamer
Port vino could not deposit its bees wing
or ceilings retain thsir plaster, so earnest
and unceasins was the vibration. At
last, when we were well-nigh in despair,
the very place We wanted turned up. My
wife and Two generally hunted in
couples-were walking disconSolately,
not to say sulkily. along quiet road on
our way back to the railway station, after
an unsatisfactory inspection of an incipi-
ent ruin, which might have been rendered
habitable by the outlay Of couple of
thousand pounds or so, when we came to
high, dirty white wall with a door in
it, and on the door there wus nailed a
notice-board: TO Let. Inquire Within. -
"Why, here is a house in Eyotham
which we have not seen" exclaimed my
wife
1T is not down in any agents book, y
said l. 81 wonder what it is like"
"A jail or convent, to Judge from
/ IL. -