Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1885-10-16
CHAPTER II.
\ FAMILY or POSITION.

Be it remembered that Oakbury is not
Blacktown Many of its inhabitants ere
greatly ANNOYED when they hear it called
suburb Of Blaclltown. Oakbury is near the
large CITY, but not of it. Although the fact
cannot be ignored that the existence of tie
many charming country houses which Gdorn
Oakbury is as much due to its contiguity to
the dirty thriving town as to its natural
beauties-anl although certain proportion
Of those desirable residences has been pur-
chased bv Blac6town's successful traders, the
most aristosratic inhabitants of Oakbury look
with Indifference ON the good and evil for
tunes of the city. They. the aristocratic in
habitants, are useful to Blacktown, not
Blacktown to them They are out of its dis
sensions and struggles; better STILL beyond
the range of its taxation. They are Of the
county not the town. So they head their
letters "Oakbury, Nestshire; and, as a rule,
decline intimacy with any Blacktown trader
under the rank of banker or merchant prince.
Besides Lord kelston's well known country
seat, there must be in the parish of Oakbury
some 90 or - gentlemen's residences. They
cannot he called estates, as the ground at
tached to each varies respectively from three
to fifty acres, but not few of them might
lay claim to be described by that well-round-
ed phrase, dear to auctioneers and house
agents, - q country mansion, fit for the occu-
patton and requirements of a family Of posi-
ton" They are not new, speculative, jerry
built houses, but good, cld-fashioned, solid
affairs. No painted and gilt ratings surround
them; thick boundary walls and fine old trees
hide them from the gaze of inquisitive hoii-
day folks. As the country around is very
beautiful and richly timbered as the prevail
ing wind which blows across Oakbury comes
straight from the sea, pure and uncontam-
mated as two of the best packs of hounds
in England meet within an easy distance:
and, prejudice notwithstanding, as the cou-
veniences offered by large city are SO close
at hand-it is no wonder that the rector of
Oakbury numbers many families of position
among his parishioners. II mine were fam
lily Of position, it should most certainly oc-
cupy a pew III that fine, old square-towered
church
After this description it will be easily be-
lieved that the Oakbury people are somewhat
exclusively the Oakbury people are meant
the inhabitants of the aforesaid twenty
houses; the manner of the villagers and other
small fry who constitute the residue of the
population need not be taken into account
The Oakbury people proper are very particu-
lar as 10 with whom they associate, and the
most particular and exclusive Of all are two
gentlemen named TaIberI, the joint owners
and occrpiers Of Lakewood House
Their ult-a-excizsiveness WAS but tie ns-
ural outcome Of the position in which they
were placed The fact that their income was
derived from money made by their father in
timber, tobacco, so1p, .T,Sar, or some other
large industry q La ztomn-prcple Lave
already nearly forgotten which it Eas-n1ust
h reST.ozrsihla for tie care the TsIta-ts were
bound to exercise before they made . new
acquaintance.
Because, you see, in their opinion at least,
the faint OF trade still chung 10 them They
were but q generation removed from the
actual buying, selling and chafe-ing Meta
phoricaIly speaking, their own fathers hands
had been hardened by the timber, stained By
the tobacco, lathered by the soap, made
sticky by the sugar, according to the particu-
lar branch Of trade at which be had worked
70 such advantage So it was that upon at