Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-05-18

low, III this 10 Hiram elegant CITY iIHN'
ion, it don't come up to M ideas OK
lyle Brown brick, with dormeg @iA'
lows, ard only two stories high and tue
While front q store, with the shutters up,
ust exactly as if there had been death
IL the family"
Dear me p said old Mrs Biggs, "how
rou do startle one But there nin't no
rape on the door"
dMother takes everything SO dead in
aaid Mr.. Luke Biggs, scorn-
fully.
"Lemme see," said Mrs. Horntio,
crowding across the old lady, and giving
her best hat poke" not intended by
the milliner. "Well, l declare guess
the bookmaker'a business amt so dread
full full of money, after all.
"And liquor store next door and II
across the street, iec,inglF
observed EIiss Josepha.
"P'r'nps that's Tie way folks lives in
New York. said old Mr. Biggs, who was
nearly Hot between his wife and
Mrs. Luke on the back seat.
" 'Tnin't what expected to sec, said
Mrs. Horatio, in accents OF scarcely re-
pressed scorn.
81 don't know how they can accommo-
date us all, sighed old Mrs. Bigge, vain
ly cndeavoring TO straiShton her bonnet.
'That'a their lookout, raid Mrs.. Luke,
leaning comfortably back, with tho htoi
of her boot balanced on hcr iathcr-in'
laws most sensitive corn.
The driver having by this time tumhled
off his pcrilous seat, and rung the door
bell twice without ovoking any signs OF
life from within, looked appealing iowa I'd
his fares
what am 1 to do?' said lie.
Ring again, said Mira. Horatio
And the hickman rang again. this time
with so much energy as TO pull the whole
bell-wiro out and precipitatc himself
backward on the payc.lent like Hamlet
at the first sight OF his fathers ghost, at
which the little boys laughed cngagingly,
and hat box tumbled down from the
Leaning Tower into the gutter where it
split open like Fan oyer-ripc nut, reveal
ing Mr.. Horatio Biggs' best black felt
hat
Boys, boys, do steady up there r.
screamed Mrs. Biggs. look There's
some one coming at last. Is ii Hiram !?
Or is it Elizabeth
1t was neither one nor the other, is il
happened, but stout old woman Ill II
flannel dressing gown. carpet slippers and
a rcd nose.
"AIr. Biggs' folks 10 home?" shrilly
inquired Mrs. Horatio, who had constitu-
ted herself spokeswoman for the phty,
without any formal appointment.
son, yes" answered the old woman, in
q snuff'y, confidential sort of tone, "theyre
to hum. But p'r'aps the children hadn't
better come in"
BY this time the hackman had opened
the door of the vehicle, and the tide of
Biggscs had begun to flow out on the
pavement. But Mrs. Luke stopped alb
ruptly on the carriage step, with her
father-in-law bronzed visage peeping
over her shoulder.
"Not come in, said she Why, we're
their relations-come to visit 'em."
mot but what they're deal better,
and the doctor says there amt no more
danger of contagion," reassuringly added
the old woman.
"Contagion, echoed the Biggs family.
Hadn't yon heard ?" said the old wo-
women generally eyince in communica-
ting any startling piece of information.
"Well, it amt no secret in the neighbour
hood, especially as people amt best pleas
ed with the Board of Health's concludin'
to insulate EN- here instead of sendin'
EN- to hospital. They've every one Of
EN- had the smallpox. And that's the
reason the store is shut up. I'm here to
nurse 'em. l amt afraid Of the small
pox, bein' rs I've had it already"
(Which was self-ovident fact to any
one who looked upon her broad, smiling
countenance.)
"Bless me !" said Mrs. Luke, promptly
retreating into the hack Every thought
less of Hirams folks not to let lis know.
Mother ! Josepha Harriet Ann come
in at once. Pick up the hat'box. Tell
the man to drive back to the ferry as fast
as he can Pr'aps we'll be able to catch
the o'clock train back to Biggsville.'
II didn't know suggested the old wo-
man, rather disappointed at this sudden
withdrawal of the invading forces, "but
you might have come TO help nurse
EN-"
Nothing of the Sort" Mrs. Horatio
answered, as, forcing herself into the NJ
ready overfull hack, she slammed the
door with an emphatic bang, and shouted
to the driver to $50 on.
"The-small-pox T. groaned NIrs. Bigss
senior. "And not one Of the children
has been vaccinated 7!
owed better stop at the nearest drug
store and have it done at once, said Mrs.
Luke breathlessly.
"I'll be dreadful expensive" said Mrs.
Horatio.
"But it'll be cheaper than having the
smallpox" argued Mrs. Biggs.
So, after this important sanitary cere-
monial, during which the Biggs boys
bawled as if they were being flayed alive,
the family returned, without loss Of time,
to Biggsville.
And Hiram's folks did not have the
pleasure, then or ever, of entertaining
their relations. In fact, they never
dreamed how near they had been to that
happiness. The Biggsville Biggses de-
clared over and over again that they new
er should forgive their city relations. but
as Hiram's folks did not know, they were
saved from any overwhelming pangs of
conscience. They wrote n letter to the
Board OF Health, reproducing them bit
terly with the bad management of the
varioloid case in Thirteenth avenue, but
they never got any answer from that au-
gust body. In short, the Biggs family
were very angry, but they would proba.
bly, have been angricr still If they had
known with what fortitude Hiram's folks
endured the privation of their society.