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


did when she was staying here in
April But I've no faith in their
calculations, and never had"
Mr.. and Mrs. Hiram Biggs, however,
had ambitions which the family never
dreamed of. Hiram's tastes had always
been of refined and literary nature,
and several simple stories Of rural life
which he had ventured to send with
fear and trembling to a popular month
ly magazine 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 illustrating the ideal dreams of
others, and she too tried her luck, and
succeeded in the artistic world. much
to her own amazement. And as time
went on their good fortune became
more pronounced. Mr.. Biggs wrote
satirical novel which had a wide and
brilliant circulation Mrs. Biggs il
lustratel popular poem which was
brought out in an edition de luxe.
And the young couple became the
fashion.
The Biggses of Biggsville, not beng
literary, were long time in finding
out that their kinspeople were sue
ceading in the world. At first they
declined to credit the thing at all, hav-
ing settled idea that the book-mak-
ing business" as they persisted in call
ing it, was but grade above the avo-
cation of ragpicker. But when at
last they realized matters they decided
that Hiram and Elizabeth ought TO be
encouraged.
"Tve never been to New York"
said old Mr.. Biggs. "Folks tell me its
quite stirring place. 1 guess I'll go
and stay spell with Hiram's folks.
And it'll be good opportunity for
mother to buy herself that new ala
packy gownd she's been cacklin' about
this ever so long"
al don't see why shouldn't see the
world as well as other folks" re-
marked Mrs. Biggs senior.
81 shouldn't wonder if l went along
too, to get look at the fall fashions"
said Miss Josepha.
"Well, while we're about it," sug-
gested Mrs. Horatio, "why don't
we make up 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, and the old man sat down,
with single sheet Of fibrous paper, a
muddy inkstand and a stumpy steel
pen tied on stick with thread, to
concoct a letter, in which he formally
notified "Hiram's folks" OF the pleas
ure which they might prepare them
selves to expect.
The document was brought just as
Hiram Biggs was getting into the
spirit of his mornings work in his
study, with Elizabeth dreaming at an
adjoining table, and the breath of a
vase of Niphetos roses perfuming the
room.
my DEAR" said he, looking aghast
at his wife, "what are we to do? All
the family are coming to visit us |!
With the proof-sheets of my last novel
coming in. and your etchings Of Wild
Rose only half completed p
1--WE must do the best we can,
Hiram," said Elizabeth, perplexedly
knitting her pretty brows together.
any darling child, there's no best
about it." groaned Hiram, tearing his
hair-which, being brown and curly,
looked none the less picturesque for
the operation. "You don't know the
peculiarities of the Biggs family as
do. You will be dragged up and
down Grand street, Eighth avenue
and the Bowery from morning until
night-you will have to visit every
show, theatre and picture gallery in
New York, and pay all the bills.
Your housekeeping will be picked to
pieces, your dress criticised, and ten to
one nv mother will offer to come here
and take charge of the baby, while
,Josepha will volunteer TO improve
YOUR most cherished drawings"
Mrs. Hiram Biggs glanced with ter
ror at the plump baby who. in charge
of its white-capped nurse, was being
carried up and down the pavement in
front of the house. Then she looked
piteously around the pretty Brussels
carpeted library, with its deep Grim
son-curtained bay-windows, its tall
Dracana plants in majolica vases, its
oil.paintipgs and japanese scrolls, its
cage Of green paroquets, and shelves
of china and bric-a-brac, and pictured
10 herself the whole Biggs family
spreading themselves over its
sacred precincts. She was only
-. a. Ahia vonnn wife