West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1879-04-12
JONES & co.
LMa5y Jano Jone.. 10 D. Arsoaaut.l


guess pa and ma was pretty rich one
time, for when they came to California
1t was on their wedding tour, and cost
lots; they came 10y the way of New
York, and Washington, and Panama
City, in a steam boat, and ma brought n
maid to wait on her, and pa had black
fellow named "Jim," and when we got
to California; say we, Pm only four
teen years old, now, but I was born then,
though that don't matter, | guess-.-pa
had lots of money. | was born at the
Lick Hou,e, and you ought to see my
baby clothes. Jones & Co. haven't the
kind OF goods them was, because Maud
has draggled them all 10 pieces. Maud
is the baby. Six years old Maud is, and
1T won't be long before she is n clerk in
Jones & Co.'s. First babies always have
the incest things Ma says first babies
are like second wives.
But j keep getting away from Jones
d Co. Well, / am Of the opinion that
after pa bought his house on Van Ness
avenue, he went into stocks, whatever
that is. Going into stocks must be very
serious business, and sometimes pa came
home looking splendid, and wanted TO
buy everything, and laughed at ma for
being 80 mean, and for not getting bet
ter clothes, and then he always wanted
her to drive In the park, and to the
theater
One day he came home with a brand
new carriage ana span of long tailed
horses, and negro coachman, and a
funny little darkey for footman. 1t was
for me, and we rode every day Then
sometimes pa came home and looked
very blue, and talked about stocks, and
began TO watch pa, and noticed that
sometimes when he laughed the loudest
he looked just as if he wanted 10 crv.
and then he sold the horses, and tl,en
the house, and the furniture was sent to
auction, and ma felt very bad, and pa
wasn't himself any more, and once.
when baby Maud was asleep in his arms.
he kissed her and cried, and then when
] told ma, size said she guessed pa did
not feel very well, and mustn't notice
1t, and then she cried.
After this we oil went TO n boarding
house-a nasty, mussy bOardinp-house
Everything was well enough, only IN
clearinghouse is not much Of a home.
Then the baby came, and 10 died, and
ma almost died, and I heard pa say 10
the man who kept the boarding-house
that he was pretty tight up, but 10 was
all coming out right" and the next day
pa didn't have any watch or sleeve but
tons.
! didn't seem 10 notice 10 because
seen that maybe pa had sold them 20 pay
board, and heard ma and pa talk away
in the night, and sometimes ma cried,
and pa looked in the morning as If he
had not slept q wink, and ! don't believe
he had
Once IL was dreadful Pa came home
tpsy and ] never seen ma feel so bad
ever; and then they talked it over and
ma went home 20 grandfather's. i'm New
York, with Maud and ] stayed with pa
to go 10 school
Then pa kept getting worse and worse.
and we went to live in rooms and eat at
restaurants, and pa stayed out late at
night, and guess he drank more than
was good for him, and ] thought some
thing had TO be done. So ] said 10 pa
one day
" Pa less go into business and open a
store"
And he laughed and said
What hind OF a goreg'
And / said
ooh, n candy store or q stationery
store, or thread and needle store, lust
such as women keep and little girls
help in"
And pa laughed and said he would
think of IT,, and when he came home
that night ! asked him If he had thought
about 1t, and he said he hadn't and
SAID he had better, and he said he would
ana that morning he didn't 90 out, but