The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1881-09-10
IAN OLD NUISANCE. /"

Mind, quote those three words. They are
none of mine. Only, thinking over three or
four equally appropriate titles, chose the one
as being the oldest; and | always had fancy
for odd things. And now for my story.
On what my aunt (by marriage) and her
family founded their claims to aristocracy
never could discover. My uncle had been a
merchant, it is true, and one OF considerable
prominence In his day. have been told, and
so had been his father before him, and his
fathers father before that. That his business
in his most prosperous time was intimately
connected with China is impressed upon my
mind Il became an inmate Of his house when
| | was about Six years of age, 10 consequence
of the death of both my parents within week
of each other, leaving me with no means of
support and no other reative) by the fact that
every first of June saw bright new mating
| LAID on our floors, TO remain there unit. cold
weather came again, and that our mantels All |
whatnots we're decorated with many pretty,
dainty little porcelain cups, thin as eggshells
--raritlcs IN those days, but in these plenty
and cheap enough.
Now, according to all have learned upon
the subject, real Simon Pure aristocrats look
down upon trade even on the grandest scale,
aud never have anything to do with It further
than once in while marrying one of its sons
or daughters who have come into millions
enough to offset the honor.
However, our family q venture to include
myself none of my cousins being within hear.
ing) assumed all the airs of the blue boods"
OF the old coun,ry.
Eleanor, our second, wore look OF deep
indignation for several days after manly
clever, good,looklng fellow, the brother of one
OF her old schOolmatcs, with a comfortable
income, but who was junior partner of a firm
keeping retail store on Sixth avenue, pro
posed for her hand.
| "The presumption of the mani" she cXclaim
ed, raising her arched eyebrows IN astonish.
ment, and curling her full, red upper lip In
lsCOrn; ito imagine for a moment that because
I houOred him with my company to the opera
two or three times | would marry HIM. If his
business had been wholesale, il would have
been bad enough; but fancy person who
sells pins and needles by the paper, and lace
by the yard! Never! | would die first"
Minerva, our fourth, was equally horror
stricken at the eilrontery of young book
keeper whom her brother Laurence had IN.
troduced into the family clrclc--a rare thing
for one OF her brothers to do, for, like all other
men, IA far as my limited experience goes
they scarcely ever thought their companions
10 be good enough to be the companions OF
their sislers-when he vcntured to express hi,
admiration of her. The young man soon after
succeeded TO very handsome property, and
became a great swell-"a perfect tootoo," as
believe the fashionable way Of expressing II
now is-a kind OF being after Minerals own
heart; but she never was invited to ride be
hind his fast horses, and what was much
worse never again asked To take the head OF
his table.
And in like manner the graceful and enthu
sas,ic professor of music, the stout, good.na
Itured proprietor of the extensive iron work.
-"whoesale and rCtdii-on the next block
the young artist, who has since risen to wealth
and fame, and sundry others, all falling shor
of the aristocrailc standard set up BIZ our fami
ly, were snubbed by our lady cousins, aided
. by their brothers, and not wholly unassistet
by their mother. | never had had at the tint
this story commences, being then in my cigh
Iteenth year, chance to snub any one; for
lacking the personal attractions of my rela
tives, as well as their "hIgh.toned" natures
truth TO tell, having decidedly democratic ten
Idencies-l was kept in the background on al
occasions.
Let it be remarked in passing that Eleanor
Eventually married, when rather an old girl,
wIdower In the mix business-very wholesale
howevcr.-the father of four children. At tn,
same time Minerva few years younger, deign
led TO become the wife of an elderly bachelor
something or other in shoe mandatory
But they held their heads as high as ever, ant
declared they had sacrificed themselves fo
1.-THE family, uncle having failed for the seconC
r time-throush no fault of his own, dear ole
man-but few months before the double
wedding.
That their sacrifice" was for the good o
the family ! don't deny; but there still re
NAMED at home to be taken care Of alter thel
!. departure three old maids. q young one, ans