News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1883-02-15
ROYSHAM'S HORSES.
STORY OF HIGH LIFE ON THE HUDSON
BY GRUESONIE BRIGHT.

Roysham a little estate ut owned
Ridgeton, on the Hudson, and managed
a small produce and commission ware
house in New York. But ownership does
not always imply control, as all of Roy
sham's acquaintance came to under
stand, for although the head of the fam
lily paid the taxes on the property and
paid, also, the bills of butcher and gro
Ger, it was generally known that Mrs.
Roysham was sole manager of the family
and its home, and from the many blum
ders that ROysham committed in bust
ness it was believed that Mrs Roysham
had a great deal to say about the doings
of her nominal lord and master at the
Office in New York.
Whatever the cause may have been, it
was noticed that as Roysham gained
grace aud responsibilities he seemed to
lose worldly possessions. As his two
boys and four girls reached adult years
they became renowned for dressing In
worse taste and materials than any other
young people in the neighborhood. This
was no bar to their enjoyment of all So
ciety that was about them, but something
else was
New York overlooked in their direc-
ton, and in a single year several farms
on the edge of Ridgeton were cut up
into villa sites, and dotted with the very
obtrusive and unsightly structures in
which the New Yorker generally in
dulges when he makes his home in the
country. The city incursion had a sud
den and peculiar effect upon the Roy
shams. The sons and daughters, greatly
against their will, were entirely with
drawn from local society. The family
changed its pew in church from long
bench against the wall and well to the
rear, to two short seats III the main aisle
and not far from the chancel ROysham,
Senior, who for dozen years had been
compelled by his wife to refuse the oft
prOffered position of chUrchwarden, was
now forced into that dignity by Mrs.
Roysham, and, more important than
all else, in the eyes of the lady of the
house, the head of the family sold out
one Of his life insurance policies and
bought with the proceeds pair of spir-
tied horses and handsome carriage.
The meaning of all this was that Mrs
ROysham had determined that her
children should marry into some of the
city families who had arrived. In her
eyes any one who came from the city,
built a new house, wore handsome
clothes, drove good horses, and was III
business in Wall street was rich, and as
she had never ceased to regret that she
did not marry money, she was resolved
that her children should avoid her error
and profit by it. By appearing exclusive
she was sure her sons and daughter:
would attract the attention of the city
people, and she trusted to the family
prominence in church-the only churcl
in the village-and the horses anC
carriage to do whatever else was neces
sary.
ROysham and his children were restivC
under the new conditions in which they
found themselves. The boys were
justifably fond of many estimable young
women who had always lived in the
village, and the daughters were not
averse to attentions that they had been
in the habit of receiving from the
brothers of other girls. Roysham him
self complained that the horses ate their
heads off-a figure of speech that was
somewhat excusable in view of the fact
that the cost of oats and hay equalled
that of the family's supply of groceries,
while the man who took care of the
animals and sometimes acted as coach
man had to be paid three times as much
as the one family servant. Repairs to
carriage and harness required more
money than repairs to the family ward
robe.
But Mrs. ROysham remained firm;
she insisted that to drive ont every bright
afternoon, and TO take the head Of the
station every morning and to go for him
in the evening, just when the carriages
of all the city people were out, should be
diversion enough for any young people
of reasonable desires, for what else were
the sons and daughters of the new in
habitants ever seen to do? The Roy
sham girls suggested that the citypeople
did a little more, for they occasionally
played lawn tennis, so a net was set on
the open ground in front of the house,
and the grass that had previously yielded
a ton of hay every year was now cropped
short by a lawn mower every week. The
junior Royshams did not prove adopts
at lawn tennis, and they had sense enough
not to play when city people were pass
ing; besides, they did not think it I'M
alleged bliss to play only with one
another, and somehow they failed to Sc
cure assistance from that set that their
mother persisted in admiring-
As time went on, the horses continued
to impoverish the family. Mr.. Roysham
economical bravely in one way and an
other, until one winter it was remarked
by some observing neighbors, who had
always known them, that the daughters
went to church-they seldom went any
where else-withOut clOaks, and the
boys wore heavy reefng jackets, " in
stead Of overcoats, with business suits
under thea, And in all this time the