The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1881-08-31
AN OLD NUISANCE. "

mlQQ, QuOI6 bnObe luTce WOTuS'
They are none of mine. Only, thinking
over three or four equally appropriate
titles, l chose the one l use 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 al is
tocracy l never could discover. My
uncle had been q merchant, it is true,
and one of considerable prominence in
his day, / had 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 l was about
six years of age, in consequence Of the
death of both my parents within week
of each other, leaving me with no means
of support, and no other relative) by
the fact that every first of June saw
bright new mattinps laid on our floors,
to remain there until cold weather came
again, and that our mantels and what
nots were decorated with many pretty,
dainty little porcelain cups, thin as egg
shells rarities in those days, but in
these plenty and cheap enough.
Now, according to all have learned
on the subject, real Simon Pure aristo-
Gratis look down upon trade even on the
grandest scale, and never have anythiug
: to do with it further than once in while
marrying one of its sons or daughters
who have come into possession of mil
lions enough to offset the honor.
However. our family Il venture to in
clude myself, none of my cousins being
within hearing) assumed all the airs OF
the :" blue bloods' of the old country.
Eleanor, our second, wore a look OF
deep indignation for several days after
manly, clever, good-looking fellow
the brother of one of her old school
mates, with a considerable income, but
who was junior partner of firm keep
ing retail store on Sixth avenue, pro
posed for her hand.
"The presumption of the man !" she
exclaimed, raising her arched eyebrows
in establishment, and curling her full rec
upper lip in scorn; to imagine for {
moment that because I honored hin
with my company to the opera two o,
three times, would marry him If hi
business had been wholesale, it woul(
have been bad enough; but fancy per
son who sells pins and needles by thu
paper and lace by the yard Never
would die first"
Minerva, our fourth, was equally hor
ror-stricken at the effror terry of a younI
bookkeeper whom her brother Lau.
renee had introduced into the famil,
circle--a rare thing for one of he
brothers to do, for, like all other men, a
far as my limited experience goes, the,
scarcely ever thought their companion
to be good enough to be the compan
ions of their sisters-when he venture'
to express his admiration for her. Tn
young man soon after succeeded to
very handsome property, and became
great swell-"a a perfect too-too," as
believe the fashionable way of express
ing it now is-a kind of being after Mi
nerva's own heart; but she was neve
invited to ride behind his fast horses
and what was much worse, never agai
asked to take the head of his table.
And in like manner the graceful an
enthusiastic professor of music, the stout
good-natured proprietor of the extensiv
iron-works ("wholesale and retail ") O.
the next block, the young artist, VIII
has since risen TO wealth and fame, an
sundry others, all falling short of tn
aristocratic standard set up by on
family were snubbed by my lady cousins
aided by their brothers, and not who'll
unassisted by their mother. Inever ha
had, at the time this story commences
being then in my eighteenth year, a ehanc
to snub any one; for, lacking the persons
attractions of my relatives, as well g
their "high-toned natures-truth
tell, having decidedly democratic ter
dencies-I was kept in the backgroun
on all occasions.
Let it be remarked in passing thu
Eleanor eventually married, when rath'
an old girl, a widower, in the mil
business very wholesale, however-tl
father OF four children. AT the san
time Minerva, few years younge