Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1882-03-31
INKS. sYMINGTON'S BARGAIN.

weakness, and Mrs. Stanhope Sym
ington was il china maniac, as are most
neopIe IL some degree in this aesthetic
nineteenth century of the world. But
Mrs.. Symington excelled III the matter.
She would uroWl iii second hand stores,
nenctrate into the eaveTnOns recesses OF
tenement-houses, drive long distances
into the country to old hOmeateads
where she had heard vague rumors con-
corning .iIaring blue" "old green
glaze, 4 BUTTERFLY yellow" and genuine
nld India wares She would remorse
lessly turn tile choicest pieces OF mod
ern brIc-a-brac from her tables to make
way for spoutless tea-pots, cracked
bowls and noseless jugs. She crowded
her drawing room with brackets shelves
and cabinets for tile accommodation Of
ancient plates, which she called
"plaques," and pitchers, which she re-
christened vases.
Mr.. Symington, 4 meek little man
with limp yellow-white hair, i flat nose
and colorless eyes like dim glass mar
lies, began 10 lind il no slight task to
mike his way through his own house
without brcakage or misfortune.
III wish there Wai not sucn thing as
old china iii the world, he lamented
upon one particular occasion, after lie
lad knocked Il handless cup from 4
tripod draped in olive velvet.
'Stanhope,' reproved his wife not
without severity, would you retard the
progress III modern civilization This
emp, fagile is il may seem, represents
iii area III decorative history
well, il won't represent il much
longer observed Mr. Symington, Us
lie gathered MP tile fragments with
something very like yindictiveness in
his faded eyes.
'But, Stanhopc,p cried his wife,
what are you going To do with those
pieces
Throw them into the ash barrel, Of
course, said Mr.. Stanhope, spiritlessly.
Bit Mrs Syminston rescued them
from lis grasp with shrek Of appre-
hcnaion
Are you mad, my dear p she eiacu-
lated II can mend them with a little
cement and great deal Of time; and
even then would not take twenty dol
lara for this exquisite cup. And 1
have been thinking, Stanhope
aWeil, my dear, said the luekless
iconoelast, looking dolefully ut his
finger which Inns been cut with one Of
tile pieces of broken crockcry, what
h,tye you been thinking n
t'That | should like to 70 mp into
Name next week, said the lady in
alnnatingly.
Into Maine In midwinter2'
echoed her amazed spouse, opening
the dim eyes very wide indeed.
10 see Aunt GrizzoI,' explained
Mrs. Symington my Aunt Grizzel
Grumpton, you know, 1T Wild River j"
"Hnmpn u remarked Mr.. Syming-
ton. handaging lis finger with his
pocket handkerchief. Il didn't know
TINT you cared 10 very particularly
about your Aunt t;rizzel
MY dear, said Mrs. Symington,
merging her speech into mysterious
whisper, I've Just remembered, MI Of
i sudden rs II we're, that she has set
liz very old llaring blue china. She
must have. Il belonged I'll her mother
before her: and how I've forgotten tall
these years I'm sure ! cant imagine.
Even now shouldn't have recalled il
ID my memory, | suppose, II ! hadn't
chanced To see. III Mrs. Hepburns
afternoon tn yesterday, the darlingist
little cggshell cups, with bridges and
pagadas and willow trees all over en-,
exactly such liz Aunt Grizxel's mother
used ii haye. Then it came 70 me
like Hush II lightning Aunt Grizzels
ehlnal
Probably its I'LL broken hy this
time, gloonnly suggested her hus-
hana
"Nansenscr said Mrs. Symington,
hriskly. Aunt Grizzy never broke
ANYTHING iii her life. She is careful
ness itself; and III there III Maine, You
know, they don't have clumsy waittres-
ses Il fing things ahoat No, no, You
may depend that she has il I'LL safe and
sound III enc If those odd little three
cornerei oupboards of hers. 4 treas
ire, Stanhape, i perfect treasure. Mon
III wouldn't huy such i set rs that 4
hundred Years old, il it, i day. So. ii
yen went mind, my dear, Ill just run
np q Maine, and see about II.
~ As yen please, Arahella," said
MIR. Symlngtan. resignedly. He knew
that Mrs. Symngton generally did as
SHE pleased, and tie saw no especial nd
vantage iii debating the question.
Thanks. dear: 30 kind Of You z
uttered Mrs. Symlngton. And d
course can't u IL the polar region.
entirely unprotected. 81 Ill order one
II those comfortable seal dolmans thai
everybody il wearing now, and new
plush hat with cluster 81 ostrich tips
tine must 70 dressed like other people
and II You can give me twenty-five ii
thirty dollars dare say Aunt Grizz,
will let me have the set for that tshC
don't know the value of old china
poor thing 4 and the Journey won't i,
more than thirty dollars both ways
II ] - ~ sea, including state
room
III appears IL me, said MIR. Sym
ington, disoonragingls. that this IS
good deal Of i wild goose chase, goins
dancing mp 10 the northern boundaries
u Maine IT this time 81 year for ii
old set of trnmpery china which prob
abr didn't cost ten dollars t. star
with.
''Oh, Stanhope, il did 81 cried the Ii
ds. Indignantly 1t was real Indi:
ware. imported, without paying dol
lar III duty, hy IN old sea captain ii
the India trade, expressly for nj,
grandmother Grumpton. And beside
you are 80 groveling and prosaic n YOU
ideas. As il the original cost Of a thin.
II this nature signifies! Its Id,
aesthetic value that we look at, don
You seef'
All Y said Mr.. symington. well
if you must 20, you must 80, | sup
pose: and Of course shall have to give
you check for what money you ar,
likely to need
And Mr.. Symlngton sighed deeply
and went up stairs t. get 4 piece 8
eourt-plaster for his cut finger.
Mrs. SymIngton went to Wild River
III the northern boundaries OF Maine
where the pine forests were thatche,
with snow, and the icicles tinkled ii
the woods of 4 moonlight night like s,
many castanets gone mad. She mad,
the greater part Of the voyage by sea
and was consequently very seasick, 70
the water was rough and the gale tenn
pestous.
! will come back by land" she sal,
to herself, as she sat in the little hote
at Portland. and viewed her green an,
yellow complexion with 4 shudder
!. Money wouldn't induce me to risl
49,