The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1881-09-30
House HUNTING

Mrs. Fleshly very much wanted to let
about six rooms in the house to some
small and respectable family, and Mrs.
Prod very much wished to hire sixrooms
in some house, with small and respect
able family in the other part; but, as
both had lived long enough to under
stand the hazards of moving, and what
it was to dwell under the same roof
with disagreeable tenants or landladies,
they thought it wise to be particular
when they met for the first time, and
enter into details before they made a
bargain, and thus lessen the possibility
OF future regrets on account OF it.
The terms having been stated, as
theYwent about the premises Mrs. Prod
proceeded to give some idea of her fam
ily;J
"We are five people, 1 would wish to
state, in the first place, to avoid all mis-
understanding. We are Mr.. and Mrs.
Prod-that is, my husband and myself
and be is few years older than myself,
and in the flour business and my
brother, Joseph Squeams Il was a
Squeams before was married and heis
25 and clerking it-and that is three !:
and then there is my son James, who is
u, and that's four and my son Samuel,
who is 8, and that's five, and they go to
school,"
Sand in our family there are four"
returned Mrs. Fleshly. "We are Mr..
and Mrs. Fleshly, with no children Mr..
Fleshly being in the boot and shoe bust
ness, and little older, like your hus-
band And then there are my grand
mother, who is eighty, she being q
Floshly, as she married my husbands
fathers father; my maiden gsister, Re-
becca Tiddy, who is-ahem Ia few
years older than l am, and as / was a
Tiddy before l was married. "
1.-THE six rooms which we wish" con-
tinued Mrs. Prod, care to be parlor
md a kitchen, one chamber for Mr..
Prod, one for my brother Joseph, and
one for James and Samuel together, and
one spare"
eve have all them, said the equally
precise Mrs. Fleshly, "and when we
can agree rs to front and back, [ have
no doubt we may make things agreeable,
if we should agree upon other things. +"
g am glad you spoke of that, for I
wished to question you myself about
the other things, for, after all, it may be
the other things which will be the mot
important. How is your water? Is 1t
good and hNndy?"
"Croton in both kitchens, as You may
now perceive, and both in wet sinks, as
you perceive; and am glad you spoke
Of the water, for Rebeccs is nervous,
and can't bear to hear the water running
all the time, and [ presume that your
boys are not rude and won't let it. j"
Il shall see that they do not, Mrs.
Fleslay and now, as we are speaking of
wateS how is it about coal?"
Twill show You the coal-holes my
self, Mrs. Prod. There they are Two
holes in the sidewalk, and you may have
the right or the left, and [ can put an
# over mine or q p over yours, to pre-
vent mistakes or we can have it dis
tinctly understood among us all which
hole belongs to your family and which
to nine
" l will speak to Mr.. Prod about that.
l think he will have no objection to do
ing whatever you think is right"
:" Isuppose not. Ha, ha the gentle.
men are always easy to get .along with.
"foo easy sometimes, and that's the
reason why | go house hunting myself.
Nobody but woman knows what o
woman wants in q house."
"That is very true" agreed Mrs.
Fleshly, In business-like tone. "And
how are you about visitors? Do you
have very many to keep the door-bell
ringing much Of the timer Rebecca is
very nervous about bell-ringiLg. She
says it pierces her head through and
through, and makes her afraid that
somebody is coming to see her."
I'VE have but very few visitors"
answered Mrs, Prod; and, speaking of
annoyances, was going to ask you if
you have any objection to our burning
fluid in the house instead of gas. My
brother, Joseph, prefers gas, but Mr..
Prod insists upon fluid"
L don't see how he can insist upon
fluid when we have gas in all the
rooms"
"But we have so many lamps to be
put in use, and Mr.. Prod has q great
many gallons of fluid, and thinks it
AlOlO WlOANoOllS dLlNk pOibttblOs
And very dangerous to be carried
about the house by boys, Mrs. Prod, to
he dropped and set us all on fire. I don't
think Grandmother Fleshly nor Rebecca
neither would consent to the risk.
Dontyou think MIR. Prod would agree
to gasp"
II think l will try and see, as you SO
much wish it. ;"
"And that reminds me of another
thing, which is, that l should hope that
your brother, being single young man,
keeps good hours, and also your two
boys"
"Thoy are always in, if not in bed, by
ten o'clock"
"ApdI suppose your husband is,
too?@
Most generally, Mrs. Fleshly. fol
he is religious man. Aud am glad
you spoke OF that, for L was about to
wish&o ask you the same question N.Y.
self, for hope your husband don't come
late; as MIR. Prod has an idea that it
ISN'T respectable for q person to be seen
entering at an unreasonable hour"
Mr.. Fleshly always comes home ia
tigued, at supper time, and nothing
could persuade him TO stir out of the
house till morning."
ct hat reminds me that I would wish
to walk out back and see what kind of a
yard or garden you have got, before we
make division of fronts and backs. A
back kitchen or back parlor is often
more pleasant than the front, if there is
something green to rest the eye upon.
"That is very true; but we have
nothing green here at present" replied
the landlady, leading the way majestic
ally to the small and barren area in the
rear, where there was crop of clothes
lines, but not blade of grass, nor even
a sickly tree. "But you are at liberty
toplantand cultivate whateyeryou please.
except vegetables and sunfowers. We
shouldn't wish to have it look like a
market garden, and Rebecca has par
ticular dislike for sunfowers. You might
make it look aperfect paradise, and then.
perhaps, you would prefer to have all the
back rooms you could get. They would
be away from the noise of the street. and
back kitchen is handiest in several re.
spects."