Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-04-09
HOUSE HUNTING,

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 q
bargain, and thus lessen the possibility
Of future regrets on account OF it.
The terms having been stated, as
they went about the premises Mrs. Prod
proceeded to give some idea OF her fam
lily:
owe are five people, I 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 he is q few years older than myself,
and in the -four business and my
brother, Joseph Squeams Il was a
Squeams before was married-and he is
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 s, and that's five, and they go to
school"
''And in our family there are four, :"
returned Mrs. Fleshly. we are Mr..
and Mrs. Fleshly, with no children Mr..
Fleshiy 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 a
Fleshly, as she married my husbands
fathers father; my maiden sister, Re-
becca Tiddy, who is-ahem "a few
years older than [ an, and as I was a
Tiddy before [ was married
"The six rooms which we wish" con-
tinued Mrs. Prod, care to be parlor
and kitchen, one chamber for Mr..
Prod, one for my brother Joseph, and
one for James and Samuel together, and
one spare.
owe have all them" said the equally
precise Mrs. Fleshly, "and when We
can agree as to front and back, have
no doubt we may make things agreeable,
if we should agree upon other things"
81 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 most
important. How is your water? Is it
good and handy?"
"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 Rebecca is nervous,
and can't bear to hear the water running
all the time, and I presume that your
boys are not rude and won't let it.
81 shall see that they do not, Mrs.
Fleshly ; and now, as we are speaking Of
water, how is 1t about coal?"
''I will 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
F over mine or a P over yours, to pre-
vent mistakes Or we can have it dis
tinctly understood among rs all which
hole belongs to your family and which
to mine.
"I Will speak to Mr.. Prod about that.
/ think he viii have no objection to do
ing whatever you think is right"
~ 81 suppose not. Ha, ha ! the gentle
men are always easy to get ,.along with. )"
"Too easy sometimes, and that's the
reason why I go house hunting myself.
Nobody but woman knows what a
woman wants in 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 time? Rebecca is
very nervous about bell-ringi-g. She
says it pierces her head through and
through, and makes her afraid that
somebody is coming to see her,"
eve have but very few visitors, -
answered Mrs. Prod land, 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.
81 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 III use, and Mr.. Prod has q great
many gallons Of fluid, and thinks it
more wholesome and portable"
Sand very dangerous TO be carried
about the house by boys, Mrs. Prod, to
be dropped and set us all on fire. / dom
think Grandmother Fleshly nor Rebecca
neither would consent to the risk.
Don'tyo think Mr.. Prod would agree
to gas?"
II think I will try and see, as you SO
much wish it.
"And that reminds ne of another
thing, which is, that l should hope that
your brother, being single young man,
keeps good hours, and also your two
boys"
"They are always in, if notin bed, by
ten o'clock. -
"And I suppose your husband is,
too?"
"Most generally, Mrs. Fleshly, for
he is religious man. And I am glad
you spoke of that, for I was about to
wish to ask you the same question my
self, for hope your husband don't come
late; as Mr.. Prod has an idea that it
isn't respectable for 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"
"That reminds me that I would wish
to walk out back and see what kind OF a
yard or garden you have got, before we
- T.