The Arkansaw traveler., 1883-06-09
' HIRAM'S FOLKS"
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So Hiram's folks has made money. eh !'' said old NIT. Riggs.
 Miss Pauline frickett had invited the Riggs family 10 tea. with hot wafiles. quinoe preserves. Sally-lunns. angel cake. and the best quality of Young Hyson, to celebrate the purchase of new tca-set- white French china with gold band on the edge-in which she had indulged. Inviting the Riggs family, as Miss Pauina well knew. was better than advertising the whole thing in newspaper. for there was a goodly number of them, and they always talked to everybody about every thing. The Biggses seldom invited com pany themselves. because. like Iohn Gil pins wife. they had a frugal mind. bu, they always came in full force whenever they were bidden
 Yes" said Mrs. Horatio Biggs; "in the book business. I'm told.'
 :" knowed q book-maker once" ob- served Miss Pricket,. liberally lading out the golden syrup of the quinces. " as only got ninety cents day. and found him. self"
 That was book binder. Aunt Prick cit, said Esther, her neice. who was serv- ing up the wafTles, hot and hot. with a eountenancc considerably infiamed from the vicinity of the kitchen stove.
 Well, where's the difference:" sharply retorted Miss prickeu
 And everybody knows as printers don't ge, m wages to signify" joined in Mrs. Luke Biggs, who wore green-dyed silk. with plated bracelets and cameo breast-pin as large as an individual but ter plate. saw one, once. standing on the steps of a newspaper office. and he wore dreadful shabby hat, with no coat. and a shr; as was all blacl; and grease spots, only tlt for the wash-tub."
 Printers have to dress according to their work, spose,' said Luke, surlily.
 The Bigss family had no, been like Dr. Watts provcrbial birds, which "in their little nests agreed" Hora,io Biggs had overreaehed his two younger brothers m business. and had SC, up a general store in Biggsville. out of the result of his sharp practice, with tall. angular wife, who despised Mrs. Luke because she had once worked in factory. and seorned Mrs. Hiram because she was icache. when her husband frs, met her. Luke Biggs was selfish, grinding. miserly fellow, who drudged away on the farm because he was too parsimonious 10 spend the money necessary to any other business. and Mrs. Luke's chief end and ann Tn life was to screw enough cash out of her husband 10 outdress the other ma irons and maids of the neighborhood Miss losepha Biggs. the unmarried daughter. made dresses for "the gen. teelest families only," and old Mir. and Mrs. Biggs lived in wing of the old homestead. and when they were not quarreling between themselves made common cause against Mrs. Hora,io.
 Under the circumstances it was no, to be maeelled a, tha, Hiram Biggs, who had eontrived to get an education from his slender share of the family money la few thousand dollars left by a distant relative. and sobbled up a, once by the Blggses). and the young wife that he had married had found the atmosphere too full of disagreeable electricity. and re moved to New York.
 Take my word for it, said Mrs. Ho- ratio Biggs, "yoa arc making mistake. ].
 Don't you expect us to support you when you come back here without a cent; said Mrs. Luke, ruefully signing.
 Hiram's marriage has been his ruin" !" whispered Miss Josepha. II offered to pay his wife fifty cents day to help trim dresses in busy times, but she declined if.r
 Elizabeth was always too proud to put up with us plain people," said Mrs Riggs. senior. with the quiet malice that occasionally develops itself in a mother in-law.
 These family details may in some measure account for the animus dis. played over the wafiies and angel cake at Mrs. Prickett's tea-party that after noon.
 "Well,r sniffs Miss Josepha. accord ing to my idea of things, book nakin, ain't no business at all. If il was car. pentering now, or the hardware line. ol | Elizabe.h had energy enough to 20 into