Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1880-09-15
MISS GAY.
From Tinsley's Magazine.l

One of the quietest places In the Lon
don suburbs Is Manville square, CT ap
ham. 1t lies at the core of network of
shady lanes and sequestred roads, where
the thrush and the black kird sing in the
quiet evening. The place is gathered
into apeaceful calm; and to find yourself
LII Manville square, after the dust and
turmoil of the city. is as great a change
as for the citizen of a sleepy cathedral
town to find himself on a prairie, with
the feeling of inexhaustible relief always
arising from the absence of walls. But
In Manville square you find no solitude.
Lightly-swung broughams and lundaus
and victorias brush over the smooth
roadway now and then; you can on no
fine day put your head out of a front
window without hearing the laughter of
rosy-cheeked children and the patter of
tiny feet. Here the sunlight seemed al
ways to come early and stay late. Sum-
mer loved the place and fingered longer
here than even at Kew. The square had
no pretensions to splendor or wealth, or
fashion or distinction. The houses were
modern, well-built, wholesome and
roomy. The grass and shrubs in the in
closures were kept neatly and efficiently,
but there was no such prudery In the
gardening as prevented cricket to forty
year old boys, or the laughing scamper
of children through the trees. The genii
of the place were peace and prosperous
plenty andcourteous services. No angry
words ever invaded that temple of Lon
don. No dun ever cast shadow on it's
clean hagway or wholesome grass.
The houses all belonged to one land
lord, who was a rich man and owned
property in several other parts of Lon
don. He had made one rule over all his
house property, and that was to take ten
per cent. year less for his houses than
he could easily get, and to be much
more particular as to the people he &C
cepted as tenants than most landlords.
Tt was not enough to satisfy him that the
tenant was solvent and respectable; he
would also be convinced that the appli-
cant for house of his was free from
anything which could make him a disa-
greeable neighbor. Those who took
houses were to be clearly informed that
one of the advantages of the place was
that there were to be no dodgers In Man
vile square.
When DR.. Stephen Brooks took his
house he read the clause with satisfac-
ton. When man paid hundred and
thirty-six pounds year for house il
the suburbs he expected not to have
dodgers next door. Mrs. Brooks was de.
lighted at the stringency of this proviso
They had had hard fight in the world
They were childless. Neither was now
young, and little responsibility be-
comes very acceptable in the middle Life
of woman, when youth and matron-
hood have been spent IN narrow ways.
For ten years DIR. Brooks and his
wife lived quiet, easy life in the square
and then. when he was sixty and she
fifty-fve, he died. He had saved a little
money-not mucn When all debts anG
expenses had been paid, there was nc
more than fifteen hundred pounds fol
the widow Her friends recommended
her tC give up the house at once, sell of
what furniture she would not absolutely
need, and take a small house out farther
She wrote to the landlord, and he re-
piled, saying that he would be most hap
by to do anything he could for her. He
recommended her to do nothing definite
for day or two until he had called. Be
tween the dispatch of that letter and the