The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1885-03-21
IN PARENTHESIS.
A Conversation Incident to a Ger
tain Morning Call.

The scene is an elegant drawing room
in large city of the Northwest. Mrs.
Newrich is making a morning call upon
Mrs. Van Highton, who exclaims, in her
most gushing manner:
Il am delighted to see you in such
eXuberant health and spirits, my dear
Mrs. Newrich, How is your charming
family?"
80, sorter middlin'. Pretty well tired
out with Seratiny, who's gettin' ready
to be married, and is a-pcsterin' us to
pieces about her trosser. She don't
seem to think nothin' here is good
enough for her, and wants everything
from Paris Her par says if this we'd
ding don't land us in the poor-house he
shall bless his stars. Girls is awfully
expensive and unreasonable
''But you, with your millions, need
not mind few thousands lavished on
that lovely girl" (Aside-"What
shame to throw away fine clothes and
costly jewefry upon that tallow-hared,
freckled, dull-eyed, scrawny, stupid
creature! No man would think of mar
rying her if it were not for her fathers
mon6y.m
81 s'pose my husband is rich as Gre
osus, but that don't keep him from
groanin' over the money it takes to keep
up the style we live in. He wants il in
land and stocks, where it will be bringin'
CnDnotbi,,' Tho In h., IL
more he bankers AFTER"
''He knows that here in the North
west the dollar is almighty. Therefore
he wisely reaches out for it in all direc-
tions," replies Mrs. Van Highton,
suavely, with this mental commentary:
("He's a cold-blOoded, horrid, rascally
old Shylock, bound to have his pound
OF flesh; and everybody says so.')
'Uriah says that money is the one
thing needful in this world, y remarked
Mrs Newrich; ''that nobody can't be
nothin' without it,
"a very wise observation, returns
Mrs Van Highton adding, beneath her
breath, (''He certainly can not Won
der if he has forgotten the time when
he worked as day laborer on the rail
road and his wife boarded the hands
and did their washing?') Thinking it
well to change the subject, q sore one
to her just then, she said, sweetly: Il
hear that you have been investing some
what largely in paintings and statuary.
knowing your aesthetic tastes, | am
anxious to see these rare works of art. -
eyes, we have. When we was in
Yurrup last year we bought lots of
statutes and picturs works Of the old
marsters and q good many articles of
virtue, as Seraiiny calls EN-"
Mrs. Van Highton. aside--('A great
deal y0u know of the old masters! You
have no doubt been wofully taken in,
and it serves you right. y
. I'VE bought 'em in job lot, and of
art connoshers, who swore that they
were geniwin. They orter be, consid-
erin the money they COST
''Will you kindly name some of the
paintings?"
There's Madonny with heavenly
cheribubs by Rattle, sculptur piece by
Fra Dayolo, Venus arisin' from the
sea by Leonard Winchy, and lots of
other high-up things by old fellers with
outlandish names that | disremember,
and couldn't pronounce nohow. Sera-
Tiny begs me never to try. She can tell
We all about 'em. She reads the art
books and has the art lingo at her
tongues end. She says she wouldn't
give house-room to a picture painted in
Ameriky."
Il have heard that your daughter is
a most admirable art connoisseur."
('Pretentious mink! She doesn't know
the Greeks from the Romans. She can
not tell an old master from tea-store
chromonD was Mrs. Van Highton's
mental criticism; but she said, blandly;
How proud you must be of your
daughters accomplishments"
A smile Of gratilied maternal vanity
irradiated the broad, red face of Mrs.
Newrich. Yes, Seraiiny knows a
heap" she said; "but she has no idee
of the valew of money, and can't trust
her to buy things. promised to shop
with her this mornin', and | must be
a-goin', I've ten thousand other things
to do"
"With your large establishment and
extended visiting list your time must be
more than occupied"
"With housekeeper to see to things,
anu II corpse OF framed servants, L nave
nothing to do to home but to give
orders. But my outside duties is ire
menus just look at my program for
to-day"
Mrs. Van Highton glanced over her
friends tablet and read long list of
engagements-"Ca bord meetins;
fust anniversary of the Society for Indig-
nant Femails' etc.
CIndignantf emailsnD laughed Mrs.
Van Highton to herself; but she said,
sweetly:
you are marvel of industry and