The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1879-06-07
lied notice board: "To let. INQUIRE

nailed a notice board: "To let. Inquir
within"
"Why, here is house in Eyothan
which we have not seenl" exclaimed M,
wife.
" 1t was not down in any agent
book" said 1. 81 wonder what it i
like"
"a jail or a convent, to Judge from
this side of it, which is all wall"
Never mind; let us look at it."
SO We stopped and pulled at a bell
handle at intervals, until deaf char
woman let US into very pleasant looking
premises. All the gloom was confined
to the side facing the road; once through
the door, all was bright and Cheerful
enough, especially when the shutter,
were opened. The rooms were of good
size and height, the kitchen dry, the
roof and floors apparently sound, the
cupboards deep and plentiful, the fix
lures convenient. A pretty lawn, shaded
by handsome trees, sloped down to the
bank OF the Thames, where there was 8
picturesque boat house. The kitchen
garden was ample, with good store OF
fruit trees in it; the stabling sufficient
saw all this under favorable auspices
1t was the first really balmy day of early
spring. the sun was shining, the birds
were singing, the river sparkling, and
the birds on the trees seemed to be grow
ing greener every minute. We really
thought that we had at length hit upon
the very thing. Not that we were over
sangulne as We rode back to town; we
had been too often disappointed not to
fear some hitch or some fatal drawback.
The more we saw of Swansdown villa,
however, the better we liked it. The
only reason for its being empty was the
exorbitant rent demanded by the propri-
etor; but since that would be divided
between Aunt Sarah and myself, it was
not 50 serious an obstacle in our case.
As for that estimable relative, when she
saw the place she was charmed: and to
cut a long story short, we happily res.
cued her out of the designing hands of
the Weadles, and established her COM
fortably in her new home Not too
soon, for Weadle had gained certain
ascendency over her, and a correspon-
dence has been kept up with that branch
Of the family ever since.
For time we were in constant expec-
tation of some unthought of defect
coming to light in our new home; but
weeks passed on without smells cropping
up, or kitchen boilers bursting, or any
other domestic calamities occurring, and
we gradually grew easy. We boated,
we fshed, we made pleasant acquaint-
ances among our neighbors, we picnicked,
we practiced lawn tennis, and thoroughly
enjoyed the summer, which extended
itself into October; Aunt Sarah being
as happy as any one in a quiet sort of
way, and recovering in a great measure
from the shock she had received; for
though [ have spoken of that explosion
in a somewhat light tone, the poor old
lady nerves were seriously Jared by it.
The pleasant weather died off very
suddenly at last. A fog, frost, and
three days perpetual rain closed the
season effectually. The boat was hauled
up into its dry-dock; the garden games
were packed away carefully; and my
wife and /, who are partial to theatrical
entertainments, began somewhat to re-
greet our distance from town.
At breakfast on the Sd of November,
Aunt Sarah said off you are thinking
of having any fireworks to amuse the
children on the 9th, Guy Fawkes' Day.
Charles, | should like to contribute" /
left an egg half-decapitated, like vic
tim in the hands of an executioner, so
astounded was |. We had been devising
how we should keep the flare of squibs
| and the banging of maroous in the dis
lance from the eyes and ears of relative,
and had arranged to have all the shutters
in the house closed, and all the curtains
drawn at very early hour on the event
full evening, dreading lest any such sight
or sound should recall the alarming cpl
sode of the year before.
"Why, you look quite scared, my
DEAR" she added to my wife; d" it does
not do to give way to unreasonable nerv-
business. We are many, many miles away
from that dreadful canal now"
| have often observed that invalids
and nervous people defeat all calculation
of their likes and dislikes in this way,
and yet | was surprised. Not wishing
Aunt Sarah to see that | thought her
weaker than she was, however, | entered
with alacrity into the scheme, went to
London and purchased a neat assortment
of pretty combustibles that very after
noon, and spent the 4th and the morning
of the 9th in making arrangements for
| their effective display. The business of
these preparations was absurd enough,
| have no doubt, for | had not launched
out into anything elaborate, but had
contented myself with very simple and
familiar pieces. Still, it required some
thought and study to find out how to let
off even these with advantage, so mex
perienced was /. However, there were
printed directions in my box, and by
| following these carefully / hoped to
please my not too critical spectators.
These were placed at the drawing room
window, which looked out upon the
j lawn where the exhibition was to take
place; and soon after dinner on most
favorable evening, dark, dry, and still,
sailed out with a box of Vesuvians in
my hand, and opened the entertainment
by lighting the touch-paper of a neat
case, which presently began to burn with
entense brightness, causing the trees,
the river, and all other objects to appear
blue, then green, then rosy, then intense.
ly dark; quite an allegorical representa-,
ton of human life. Next came a
cluster of Roman candies, which fixed
and threw up colored balls in satisfac-
tory manner enough. Then | let off a
fire-wOrk which was to run backward
and forward along a string which | had
fastened for the purpose between two
trees. 1t started fairly enough, but
stuck at the further end, and had to be
stirred up with hoe before it would fly
back again. However, Ialone knew that
it was intended to act otherwise. Next
we had a Jack-in- the box, which ter.