Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-11-27

creepers on trellises about It, and planted roses
and towering shrubs along the stone walls. 1t
was a fresh. sweet place TO live In, and the
Florence had no servant. and Worked very hard;
but she was young and well and strong, and she
declared that she did not get SO tired as she had
often done In our old home with the thousand
and one society duties from which she was ex-
empt now.
''And the balance In favor of this H." she
added that now get tired In accomplishing
en1oyed my life even the first day, for. as no
body knew me, had no loss OF caste to fear, and
it was amusing TO me to see the puzzled faces Of
my customers who seemed to feel that in some
way was not to the manner born. and were EVIL
IDENTIFY pleased with my humble airs and graces.
l ike to study human nature, aud now saw
much Of It at home and of its guard. This de
lighted me. Two rules observed which made
me respected and popular; first, | never entered
house unless was invited; second, l never In
sisted that people should buy what they did not
want. But / always had an excellent assert
ment OF things: and any little novelty might
have took pains should be seen at glance,
that IL nigh. recommend itself.
/ am pasSonately fond OF outdoor air and
scenery. used to enjoy fast Orses, but have
my dreamy side, and hardly know anything
more exquisite than to jog leisutely along the
when the buds are all bursting and the birds
all singing. Or to return quietly home in the
late June twilight, just as the stars are coming
out. / like to be out in a soft summer rain, Too
There is enough TO see and ea1oy In the crisp
autumn weather to reconcile me to the I'M
w1eldly cart ride In. Even on runners it is not
to be despised believe like all winds and
weathers Then used to give myself holidays
often In winter. when Florence and the children
and had no end OF fun. OF course we helped
Florence do the houseWork first, and then had
From May to October hardly ever went alone
on my journey. Every pleasant day Florence,
or one OF the children, or all the family, went
and how happy we were. We took our dinner
with US sometimes, and played we were gy psies
and camped out In the most enticing places In
the beautiful woods.
IL had TO go alone, often took book some
times learned poem, sometimes even COM
posed one, and strange to say, the magazines
which had disdained my contributions In the
often accepted my efusOn5 with compliments.
In the evenings Florence and sang duets
ana popped corn, and read novels. AS we had
no social dignity to keep up, we felt az liberty to
enjoy ourselves even better than In the law
days, which is saying great deal, for we
always had such good time then.
Then my business kept improving. 80 Florence
could have servant Then we had more time
for 'la1ks' than ever. We got acquainted with
our neighbors. There was not a person of any
literary pretension In town except the minister
and doctor. This state OF things had its adyan-
tageS as well as its disadvantages because 1t Is
pleasant to be Caesar even In a country village
Florence and wrote comedy for the Sons of
Temperance, and performed in it with great
applause. suppose Shakespeare went to his
grave without such recognition as we received.
Florence sang IN the choir so sWeetly that
several people who had hardly been to church
twice year before began to go regularly. We
formed a reading club OF all the young people
who showed spark of promise, and they had a
deligp tful time, and thought they were literary,
and we had a delightful time and the modest
consciousness that we were great benefactors
OF our race.
once year we put on our best clothes and
went to the City for week. and went to the
theater, opera, concerts and art galleries, and
came home tired and happy, and convinced
that tin peddllng was far healthier and hap
pier life than It was possible to lead IN the
midst OF such effete Civilizations.
Let me be clearly understood. did not con-
t1nue the business when l had laid aside
enough money to live upon without it. Mean
time can truly say / enjoyed 1t thousand
times better than ever did the law, and to me
at least IL was hundred times more lucrative
and bless The day when my clever wife dis.
covered a sphere in which all our odds and ends
or talent would be available