South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1882-06-09
MISTRESS OR Nj AID.
BY "sMlLAx."

tnete being nothing IL the town 10 IN
vite manufacturing establishments.
aud 10 push in the Inhabitants. At
that time. though, some wealthy Phil.
adelphians happened TO stumble a.
cross Iona during q summers loi:er-
ing, and it's romantic scenery, the ma.
ny beautiful resorts close by il. and
It's many natural advantages, eonvin.
ced those gentleman that Iona would
DO the best place IN that vicinity 10
start summer resort. At the time
| write about Iona had grown from a
struggling village, with 8 few hun.
dred inhabitants, to a large and pros
porous Town in winter, and resort
for the wealthy people of Philadel-
phia IN summer. Numerous beauti-
ful cottages were erected on board a.
venues lined with trees, whose wide.
spreading branches afforded protec.
ton from summer suus. There was
bu, one hotel in Iona, and that not q
very large one The majority Of PEG,
pie who spent the summer at this
place owned their own country seats.
aud cndeayored to make them as hand
some and attractive as possible. The
set which patronized Iona was We.
~ select, and lvowued on all interlo-
pers who might wieh to spend vaca-
ton at Iona. 1t wac not place
which the clerk on salesman would Sc.
iect as a resort Tor the little time al
loted to him for rest. Ii any Of these
people had come to Iona for pieaeure.
though u mistaken impression, they
would have been glad 10 soon retire,
as all OF the anusaments were mono
poiizei by the rich, aud anything of
plobcian nature was rigidly OK.
cludcd.
The summer write about, ono OF
the prettiest cottages III Iona was oc-
cupied by John Hammond and his
family, one OF pnil3delphia's richest
meu. llr Hammond had at one
time been engaged IL the green gro
Gerry trade, bu; by investing his mon
ey in proper channels, had ulnaesed =
fortune, and was now classed among
the nabobs. lie lad retired from the
green.grocery busiuess, and but few
of the set his family moved in, at the
time Ispeak OF, keeR tlat John Ham.
mond, the wealthy ship owner and i'm
porter, had formerly cold penny dips
and whisky III seFen by-nine shop in
q disreputable portion Oh the Quaker
City. In fact, if any ever did think
that these parties were the ssu.e indi-
vlduals, and bad the hGrdihood 10 say
50, they SOON fond themselves bran
ded ne liars by The people who only
knew John ~ : wealthy man. Mrs.
Hammond Indignantly denied { hat
her husband had ever been g vulgar
t9Rdesman, aud Jennie, the char M
ING daughter, wlo had formerly been
the assistant u1ies!ady in the green
grocery, undo. the plain uame Of Jane,
turned up her ayistocra;ic nose when
enc heard Of any person who made
Their living hy selling ut retail. The
Hammonds were we'll educated, hay.
ing had sense enough TO put them
selVes through 'coUfse of sprouts
before flushing on Tie social world
as blue-b.o0ds, hence theT were never
remlRded Of their humble origin by Il
slip o. the tongue True, the father
sometimes used expressions which
sInaci;ed strongly Of those little gro.
ceres We run across IN ali large cities,
but this was excused by the elite on
tie ground that his business associa.
tIoas with common, rough sca-caplains
rubbed on little Of tue veneer given
by a'ietccratic life. but few people
IN Iona knew the IIamtnonds as any
thing bat the descendants Of an old
English Family, the coat-of arms Of
winch were emblazoued on the lamj.
~ carriage, and they treated them &C.
cordingly.
During the suwmer mentioned.
Miss Jennie Hammond brought n
maid with her 10 Iona. This Young
lady's duties we're 10 take care OF Jeu.
Mess clothing, do any sewing reg1ir.
Cd by tnc family, arrange TIE toilet
OF her mistTess, aud accompany Ter
everywhere. ia order 60 perform any
dunes which her aristocratlc emplDv-
er wotij not cOudesceud 10 do. The
Young lady who performed these man.
ltJlI duties was q beautiful girl. Her
name was Lille Iiertiot, and she was
an orphan Only q few years before
she had beeu fswnei or bY the rich
ana onvied by The POOR as tie daugb
ter ola wealthy merchant BIT @ few
months OF busiucss prostralion, and
the failure of extensive specuIatiops.
sent her fathers fortune 60 the four
winds. aud left them almost pennilsss.
Worse Than this. her father could not
stand bis misforuncs, and in a few
weeks vas carried to the grave, leav-
ing Lille, who had been reared in the
lap Of luxury, an orphan, With 10
means OF support except q pair Of suow
white hands, which did not know
wuat drudgcry was Lille bad been
glad To accept the situation offered
her by Hiss Hammond. az the paw