Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-05-18
IIIRAlI,S FOLKS.
The True story Of the Trouble In the
briggs family.
From lIarper's Bazar.l

From Iarpers Bazari
$50 IIiram's folks has made money,
ell ?" said old Mr.. Biggs.
Miss Paulina Prickett had invited the
Biggs family to tea, with hot wafiies,
ounce preserves, Sally-lunns, angel cake
and the best quality Of Young Tyson, tc
celebrate the purchase of n new tea set
white French china, with gold band on
the edge-in which she had INDUCED
Inviting the Biggs family as Paulina very
well knew, was better than advertising the
whole thing in the newspaper, for there
was goodly number of them, and they
always talked to everybody about every
thing. The Biggscs seldom invited com
pany themselves, because, like John Gill
pins wife, they had frugal mind, but
they always came in full force when they
were hidden.
Eyes, said Mrs. Horatio Biggs Sin
the book business, I'm told.
81 knowed book maker once" OBJ
served Miss Prickett, literally ladling out
the golden syrup Of the ounces, "as
only got 30 cents Il day, and found him
self"
''That was book-binder, Aunt Prick
EFT, said Esther, her niece, who was
serving up the waflles nice and hot, with
countenance considerably inilamcd from
tho vicinity of the kitchen stove.
"Well, where's the difference ?" sharp
ly retorted Miss Prickett.
"And everybody knows us printers
don't get no wages to signify" Joined in
Mrs. Luke Biggs, who wore green dyed
silk with plated bracelets, and n cameo
breastpin as large as an individual butter
plate. II saw one once standing on the
steps of newspaper office, and he wore
dreadful shabby hat, with no coat, and
n shirt as was all blacks and grease spots,
only fit for the washtub."
"Printers have to dress according to
their work, | suppose" said Luke, surli-
ly.
The Biggs family had no: been like DIR.
Watts proverbial birds, which Sin their
little nests agreed" Horatio Biggs had
overreached his two younger brothers in
business, and had set up a general
store" i'll Biggsville, out of the result of
sharp practice, with tall. angular wife
who despised Mrs. Luke because she had
once worked in factory, and scorned
Mrs. Hiram because she was teacher
when her husband first met her. Luke
Biggs was selfish, grinding, misery
fellow who drudged away on the old farm
because he was too parsimonious to spend
the money necessary to enter any other
business, and Mrs. Lukcs chief end and
aim in life was to screw enough cash out
of her husband to outdress the other ma
irons and maids Ct the neighborhood.
Miss Josepha Biggs, the unmarried
daughter, made dresses for "tbe genteel-
est families only" and old Mr.. and Mrs.
Biggs lived i'll wing of the old home
stead, and when they were not quarrel
ing between themselves made common
cause against Mrs Horatio.
Under the circumstance it was not to
be lnarvelled ut that Hiram Biggs, who
had contrived to get mn education from his
slender share of the family money "a few
thousand dollars left by distant relative,
and gobbled up at once by the Biggses),
and the young wife he had married, had
found the atmosphere too full of dis
agreeable electricity, and removed to New
York
"Take MY word for it," said Mrs. Ho-
take"
"Dont you expect us to support you
when you come back here without cent, I"
said Mrs. Luke, ruefully signing.
"Hirams marriage has been his ruin, /"
whispered Miss Josepha. 81 offered to
pay his wife so cents day TO help trim
dresses in busy times, but she declined
it,"
elizabeth always was too proud TO put
up with us plninpeople, said Mrs. Biggs,
ST., with the quiet malice that occasional
ly develops itself i'll mother-in-law.
These family details may in some ineas-
ure account for the animus displayed
over the waflles and ansol-cnke at Miss
Pricketts tea-party that afternoon.
"Well, shifts Miss Josepha, accord