The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1879-06-07

UloWn out OF 1t by the famous gunpow
der explosion which created such a mani,
early one morning a few wears 400
When the powder-barge blew nm i
shattered our windows and Aunt Sarah,
nerves.
When my wife had assured herselt
that the children were safe, she went r.
Aunt Sarah's room. and presently he,
voice rose in wild alarm: "C6arles
Charles! Aunt Sarah's goneln I was
much shocked, thinking she alluded to a
fatal effect. "And you must 90 after
her directly"
This was even harder blow, for ]
fancied my spouse had been frightened
out of her wits. eco after herln 7
exclaimed.
Yes; the hall door is open: she
must have run out into the road. Oh,
do follow her at once!"
| obeyed without delay, though nv
costume was grotesque and insufficient !.
and taking, fortunately, the right turn
ing, came presently upon the poor old
lady, who was standing bewildered at a
street corner, with bed-candle in her
hand. knew her by instinct, or / should
never have recognized her in her night
attire, which consisted of variety of
wraps and the most pretentious night
cap that imagination can coniure up. 1t
was some minutes before | could coax
her back: and when at length she took
my arm and allowed me to lead her
away, the spectacle we presented must
have been curious.
The effect of this event upon Aunt
Sarah's nerves was so serious that she
could not bear to remain in the same
nelghborhood. 1t was in vain that re-
lated to her the precaution of that
legendary mathematician who, happen
ing to be on board frigate during naval
action, thrust his head into the first shot
hole, and remained in that position, like
a nautical ostrich, till the firing was
over, having made rapid calculation of
the enormous odds against two balls
striking the hull in precisely the same
spot. She only replied that he was q
very wicked man to Providence, and for
her part she would stay with the Wea-
dies, at Tunbridge Wells, until we could
get settled in q less explosive neighbor-
hood.
Now Mrs Weadle was another niece,
an innocent woman enough by nature,
but married to designing husband, who
nodded her plastic character as he willed.
They had often invited Aunt Sarah to
stay with them, and professed a strong
attachment to her; but it is my sad sus-
plclon that they were actuated by mer-
cenary motives alone. 1t was much to
be feared that they might ingratiate
themselves unduly in the course of a
very long visit, and their son might be
foisted into that place held by our little
Sarah in the will and affections of her
elderly relative. 1t was true that Aunt
Sarah preferred girls to boys; that the
on y child the Weadles had was mascu-
line, while both of ours were feminine
and that she had taken g particular
fancy to the little girl who was named
after her. But history, biography and
experience combine to teach us that
ladies are occasionally tickle; Aunt
Sarah might be converted to boys in
general, and the Weadle youth in par
ticular.
1t will not do to leave dear aunty
long with the Weadles," said my wife.
" fear that they will not make her
comfortable"
She would have expressed her mean
ing more clearly if she had left out the
not, but | understood her, and acqui-
esced. We will look out for house in
a neighborhood she will like at once"
replied.
"Let it be on the banks of the
Thames; she likes water, and there is
none at Tunbridge Wells" continued
my better-half innocently. 81 will
write an account of our prospects of
succeeding in finding place to suit her
every other day"
We had gone to Hastings directly
after the explosion, which took place
late in the autumn, and had spent the
winter there. 1t was in March that
Aunt Sarah went to stay with the
Weadles, and that the above converse
ton was held. 1t is my firm opinion
derived from experience in house-hunt-
ing at that time, that if q gold medal
were offered for the most ingenious per-
version Of facts, house-agent would
win it. A desirable mansion or a
picturesque villa described by one of
these gentry, resembles the real article
about as much as theatrical castle seen
from the pit does the same erection
viewed from the wings. As for suppress
sion of truth, that suppose Is to be ex-
pected, since the law which exOnerates a
man from eliminating himself may be
inferred to extend to his property, and
to the property of other people intrusted
TO his disposal. But the general result
of this positive and negative deception
is to give the house-hunter Ian immense
amount of trouble and anxiety, and to
cure him of any blind confidence in his
fellow-men forever. For three consecu-
tive weeks my wife and | saw over
twenty houses per week, SO we ought to
know. 1t is true that the great majority
of these tenements, which promised well
on paper, were 50 obviously unsuited to
us that glance suficed to show tina.
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 cup
boards, we did not waste much time,
beyond that taken up by the journey to
and fro. But the disadvantages of other
houses were not so Immediately obvious.
1t was only during spring tides that the
cellars and kitchens of Pluvial Lodge
we're under water. The faint smell
which foated about Upas Villa, could
not be detected when windows and
doors were open, and inquiries in
the neighborhood alone brought
out the remarkable susceptible
ity of a long succession of tenants to
fevers of a typhoid character. 1t was
only when the wind lay in southerly or
easterly direction that the near neigh
borhood of the Golden Guiana company's
works to the Lilacs became obvious; and