Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1882-04-06
MRS. SYMISGTON,s BARGAIN.

All women we are told have their
weakness, and Mrs. Stanhope SYM
ington was a china maniac, as are most
people to some degree in this aesthetic
nineteenth century Of the world. But
Mrs. SymingtOn excelled in the matter
She would prowl in secondhand stores,
penetrate into the cavernous recesses of
tenement-house8, drive long distances
into the country to old HON esteads
where she had heard vague rumOrs con-
corning "haring blue" cold green
glaze" butterfly yellow and genuine
old India wares" She would remOrse-
lessly turn the 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 the accommodation of
ancient plates, which she called
plaques" and pitchers, which she re-
christened "vases."
Mr.. Symington, a meek little man
with limp yelloW-white hair, q flat nose
and colorless eyes like dim glass mar
bles, began to find it no slight task to
make his way through his own house
without breakage or misfortune.
Il wish there was not sucn a thing as
old china in the world" he lamented
upon one particular occasion, after he
had knocked handless cup from q
tripod draped in olive velvet.
"Stanhope," reproved his wife not
withoutseveri "would you retard the
progress of modern civilization? This
cup, fagile as it may seem, represents
an area in decorative history"
"Well, it won't represent il much
longer" observed Mr.. Symington, as
he gathered up the fragments with
something very like vindictiveness in
his faded eyes.
"But, Stanhope," cried his wife,
what are you going to do with those
pieces?"
Throw them into the ash barrel, of
course said Mr.. Stanhope, spiritlessly.
But Mrs. Symington rescued them
from his grasp with shrek of appre-
hension.
care you mad, my dear ~ she eiacu-
lated. 81 can mend them with little
cement and a great deal Of time; and
even then | would not take twenty dol
lars for this exquisite cup. And [
have been thinking, Stanhope-"
''Wel, my DEAR" said the luckless
iconoclast, looking dolefully at his
finger which has been cut with one of
the pieces of broken crockery, what
have you been thinking?"
THAT | should like to go up into
Maine next week" said the lady in
sinuatingly.
Unto Maine? In midwinter? ?"
echoed her amazed spouse, opening
the dim eyes very wide indeed.
'To see Aunt Grizzel," explained
Mrs. Symington-"my Aunt Grizzel
Grumpton, you know, at Wild River"
"Humpn !" remarked Mr.. Syming-
ton, bandaging his finger with his
pocket handkerchief II didn't know
that you cared so very particularly
about your Aunt Grizzel."
''My DEAR" said Mrs. Symington,
merging her speech into a mysterious
whisper, 1--WE Just remembered, all of
4 sudden as it were, that she has set
of very old haring blue china. She
must nave 1t belonged to her mother
before her; and how I've forgotten it all
these years Pm sure l can't imagine.
Even now I shouldn't have recalled it
to my memory, l suppose, if l hadn't
CHANGED TO see, at Mrs. Hepburn's
afternoon tea yesterday, the darlingist
little egg-shell cups, with bridges and
pagodas and willow trees all over EN-,
exactly such as Aunt Grizxels mother
used to have. Then it came to me
like flash of lightning GrizzePs
china!
Probably it's all broken by this
time," gloomily suggested her hus-
band
'Nonsensep' said Mrs. Symington,
briskly. "Aunt Grizzy never broke
anything in her life. She is careful
ness itself; and up there in Maine, you
know, they don't have clumsy waittres-
ses to fling things about. No, no, you
may depend that she has it alI safe and
sound in one of those odd little three
cornered cupboards of hers. 4 treas
IRE, Stanhope, q perfect treasure. Mon
ely wouldn't buy such a set as that; a
hundred years old, if it's day. So, if
you won't mind, my dear, I'll just run
up to Maine, and see about it."
'Do as you please, Arabella," said
Mr.. Symington, resignedly. He knew
that Mrs. Symington generally did as
she pleased, and he saw no especial ad-
vantage in debating the question.
Thanks, dear; so kind of you p
uttered Mrs. Symington. "And OF
course | can't 60 to the polar regions
entirely unprotected, so I'll order one
of those comfortable seal dolmans that
everybody is wearing now, and a new
plush hat with a cluster of ostrich tips.
One must go dressed like other people;
and if you can give me twenty-five OF
thirty dollars | dare say Aunt Grizzly
will let me have the set for that (she
don't know the value CT old china
poor thing J and the journey won't be
more than thirty dollars both ways
if | go by sea, including a state
ROOM"
at appears to me-" said Mr.. Sym
ington, discouragingly, chat this is 8
good deal of q wild goose chase, going
dancing up to the northern boundaries
ofMaine at this time of year for an
old set of trumpery china which prob,
ably didn't cost ten dollars to start
with"
ooh, Stanhope, it did !" cried the la.
DIV, Indignantly. cit was real India
ware, imported, without paying dol
lar of duty, by an old sea captain il
the India trade, expressly for my
grandmother Grumpton. And besides
you are so groyeling and prosaic in YOU
ideas. AS if the original cost of thing
of this nature signifies It's the