Charlotte messenger. [volume] (Charlotte, Mecklenburg Co., N.C.) 1882-18??, 1883-05-05

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telegram, alleging as reason that
it wasn't never good policy to have
business matters between relations"
nor how old Mrs. Biggs had cried and
said "that Hiram had shown dreadful
poor Judgment in selecting his wife, "
while Miss Josepha had taken especial
pains to contradict every statement
she made, and Luke and Horatio had
ignored her altogether.
Hiram laughed. "My little darling,
said he. II can interpret that look.
You shall not be tormented out of
your existence to become a conven-
fence to a swarm of relations-in-law,
who don't any of them care a copper
cent for you. If they had ever treated
us decently it would be different
matter. AS it is"
"But, Hiram, you can't send word
to your own father and mother and
brothers and sisters not to come, u
pleaded Elizabeth.
NO." said Hiram Biggs, thought
fully, "I shall do nothing of the sort.
Butt shall send no word at all"
They'll come, all the same" said
Elizabeth.
"But," said Hiram, with sparkling
eyes, "they don't know where we
live"
"They'll look out your name in the
directory" sighed Elizabeth.
cit isn't there" said Hiram, chuck
ling.
"Not there?' repeated his wife.
"Don't you remember that we
didn't move in here until the middle of
June. How could our names be in
the directory2' argued Hiram.
Mrs. Biggs clasped her hands dra-
matically. There's a family of Bigg-
ses in the next avenue" said She
"'H. Biggs, Books, Stationery and
News Agents. They'll go there"
"Well. let Them" said Hiram.
"Just as they please. so long as they
don t come here. And he threw the
letter of Biggs pere into the scrap
basket, secretly feeling himself to be
avenged on the family for all the Sights
and jeers and neglect that they had
cast not only on him, but on his gen.
tie little Elizabeth.
"But, Hiram said Mrs. Biggs, "it
seems so dreadful y
"Not half so dreadful as a vista
tion of the whole Biggs family would
be-" said Hiram, with a groan.
But Hiram knew little of the per-
severance and energy of the Biggses if
he believed that so trifling an impedi-
ment as a lack of invitation or delay
in sending addresses would keep out
the invasion. 1t was Canute and the
ocean over again; and in three days
the whole family arrived, all packed
into one hack to save expense, with a
perfect Leaning Tower of Pisa of bag
gage on the roof, the driver perched in
front nobody knew how, and Mrs.
Luke's two little boys astride of the
very apex of the tower.
At the first wholesale grocery store
on Barclay street a directory was
handed in and duly studied, and the
driver, changing halfway down, like
one who gathers samphire, dreadful
trade" was hidden to drive to 26,0l2
Thirteenth avenue.
"H. Biggs," said Mrs. Horatio.
"Bookmaker and news agent" ad-
ded old Mrs. Biggs. in high falsetto.
And the man chirruped to his horses
and drove on.
"Humphw shifted Miss Josepha, who
had had the good luck to secure win
dow. "if this is Hiram's elegant city
mansion, it don't come up TO my ideas
of style. Brown brick, with dormer-
windows, and only two stories high ;
and the whole front store, with the
shutters up. just exactly as if there
had been a death in the family"
dear me p said old Mrs. Biggs,
chow yon do startle onel But there
amt no Grape on the door"
Mother takes everything SO dead
in earnest!" said Mr.. Luke Biggs,
scornfully.
"Lemme sea- said Mrs. Horatio,
crowding across the old lady, and Civ
ing her best hat "poke" not intended
by the milliner. "Well. / declare l
guess the bookmakers' business amt
SO dreadful full of money after all
And liquor store next door, and
a pawnbroker' across the street -
ieeringly observed Miss Josepha.
"P'r'aps that's the way folks lives in
New York." said old Mr.. Biggs, who
was squeezed nearly fat between his
wife and Mrs. Luke ON the back seat.
"'Taint what l expected to see,
said Mrs. Horatio, in accents Of
scarcely repressed scorn.
"I don't know how they can ac-
oommodate us ALL" sighed Mrs. Biggs,
vofnIu andaa vorin0 IN etraiUhfen her