Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-04-14
"HIRAM's FOLKS"
By LUCY RANDALL COMFORT.


From Harpers Bazaar.
$50, Hiram's folks has made money eh3~ said
old Mr.. Biggs.
Miss Paulna Prickett had invited the B,gps
family to tea, with hot waffies. ounce preserves,
Sally-lunns angel-cake and the best quality OF
Young Hyson, to celebrate the purchase of a
new tea set-white French china with a gold
band on the edge-in which she had INDUCED.
Inviting the Biggs family. as Miss 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 everything The
Bigges seldom invited company themselves be-
cause, like John Gilpin's wife, they had a frugal
mind. but they always came in full force wher-
ever they were hidden.
Yes" said Mrs. Horatio Biggs; in the book
business. | am told"
Il knowed a book-maker once" observed
Miss Prickett, literally ladling out the golden
syrup OF the ounces, las only got ninety cents
day, and found himself"
That was book-binder, Aunt Prickett, q"
SAID Esther, her niece, who was serving up the
wafiies hot and hot, with countenance con-
siderabiy iniamed from the vicinity of the
kitchen stove.
We'll. where's the difference?" sharply re-
torted Miss Pickett.
And everybody knows as printers don't get
no wages TO signify" Joined in Mrs. Luke Biggs
VINO wore green dyed silk with plated brace
lelS, ana cameo breastpin as large as an indi-
Fldual butter plate. " saw one once standing
on the steps OF a newspaper Office. and he wore
a dreadful shabby hat with no coat. and shirt
as was all blacks and grease spots, only tit for
the waSh-tub"
Printers have to dress according to their
work, spose." said Luke. surliIy.
The Biggs family had not been like DR.. Watts
proyerblal birds. which lin their little nests
a"reed." hOratio Biggs had overreached his
two younger brothers in business and had set
up general store in Biggsville out of the
result of his sharp practice. with tall. angular
VIE, who despised Mrs. Luke, because she had
once worked In factory, and scorned Mrs. Hi
ram because she was teacher when her huS-
band first met her. Luke Biggs was ii selfish,
grinding. misery sort Of fellow who drudged
away on the Old farm because he was too parsi-
monious to spend the money necessary to en-
able him to enter any other business and Mrs
Luke's chief end and aim i'm life was to screw
enough cash out of her husband to OutOress the
other matrOns and maids Of the neighbOrhOOd
Miss JOseDha Biggs. the unmarried daughter,
made dresses for 1.-The genteelest families only"
and old MIR. and Mrs. Biggs lived in wing of
the old homestead, and when they were not
quarrelling between themselves, made common
cause against Mrs. HOratO.
Under the circumstances 1t was not to be
marveled at that Hiram Biggs who had con-
trlved to get an education from his slender
snare Oh the family money, "a few thousand dol
lars left by distant relative. and gobbled UP at
once by the Biggses) and the young wife that
he had married, had found the atmosphere too
luil OF disagreeable electricity, and removed to
New York.
Take my word for It," said Mrs. Horatio
Biggs, you are making mistake"
i'on't you expect us to support you when
You come back here without a cent" said Mrs.
Luke, ruefully signing.
''Hirams marriage has been his ruin" whis-
pered Miss Josepha. 81 offered to pay his wife
fifty cents day to help trim dresses in busy
times. but she declined it."
Elizabeth always was too proud to put up
with US plain people," said Mrs. Biggs senior,
with the quiet malice that occasionally develops
Itself in a mOther-in-law.
These family details may i'm some measure ac-
count for the animus displayed over the waffles
and angel-cake at Miss Prckett's tea party that
afternoon.
We'll, shifts miss Josepha. according to my
IDEA OF things. book-makng amt no business
al all. Ii 1t was carpentering now. or the hard
ware line. or if Elizabeth had energy enough to
go into the millinery trade, instead Of paying
four dollars in good hard money for SPRING hat,
as she did when she was staying here in April!
But l. We no falth In their calculations, and never
had"
Mr.. and Mrs. Hiram Biggs, however had am
billions which the family never dreamed of. Hi
rams tastes had always been of a refined and
literary Nature, and several simple stories of
rural life which tie had ventured to send with
fear and trembling to a popular monthly maya
zine had been accepted and literally paid for.
And Elizabeth, though she could not trim hats
and abhorred the dressmaking business, had
Delicate fancy with her pencil in IL
Illustrating the Ideal dreams Of 9th
ers. and she too tried her luck. and
succeeded in the artisticworld, much to her own
amazement And as time went on their good
fortune became more pronounced. Mr.. Bggs
wrote satrical novel, under the nom de plume
OF Paul de saTez." which had wide and BRILL
ant circulation; Mrs. Biggs illustrated popular
poem which was brought out In an edition de luce
at Christmas. And the young couple became
the fashion.
The Biggses of Biggsvle not being literary,
were a long time in finding out that their kins-
people We're succeeding in the world. At first
they declined to credit the thing at ALL having
settled idea that the 'book-lnaking business"
as they persisted In calling it, was but a grade
above the avOcation of the rag picker But when
at last they realized matters, they decided that
Hiram ana Elizabeth ought to be encouraged
I've never been to New York" said old Mr.
Bi@gs. Folks tells me us quite stirring
place. guess I'll 90 and stay a spell with
Hiram's folks. And it'll be a good opportunity
for mother to buy herself that new alapacky
gownd she's been cacklin' about this ever so
long
Il don't see why / shouldn't see the world as
well as other folks" remarked Mrs. Biggs
senior.
Il shouldn't wonder If went along. too. to
get look at the tall fashions, said Miss Jo-
sophia
We'll, while we're about It," suggested Mrs.
Horatio. ''why don't we make up a party and
get excursion tickets cheap? I've always wanted
to see what the city was like myself, only
don't care about paying hotel prices"
Mrs. Luke entered with ardor into the
scheme, aud the old man sat down with a single
sheet OF fbrous paper, . muddy inkstand, and
stumpy steel pen tied on q stick with thread to
concoct letter. in which he formally notified
"Hram's folks" Of the pleasure which they
might prepare themselves to expect.
The document was brought Just as Hiram
Biggs waa getting into the spirit Of his mornings
work in his study, with Elizabeth dreaming at
an adjoining table. and the breath Of vase Of
Niphetos roses pertaining all the ROOM
my DEAR" said he, looking aghast at his
wife, what are We to do7 All the family
are coming to visit uA With the proof-sheets
OF my last novel coming In, and your etchings
OF Wild Rose only half completed"
I'VE must do the best we can, Hiram" said
Elizabeth, perplexedly knitting her pretty brows
together
MY darling child, there's no best ABOUT II. Z"
groaned Hiram tearing his hair-which. being
brown and curly, looked none the less pictur.
esque for the operation. "You don't know the