Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-02-07
A HOUSE IN THE CHAPMAN ROAD.
IN TWO PARTS.
PARTI

PART /.
Inever was on speaking terms except
With one of my opposite neighbors, and,
strangely enough, ne lived further from
me by at least hve-and-twenty yards than
did any OF the others.
The Chaplain Road, where | once ten
Rnted for nearly three years the first
aoOr front Of a certain Mrs. Catch, is "A
wide and spacious thorOughfare, as Lon
don thOroughlaTes 90. The street itself
is broad, and there are good gardens in
front Of the houses on either side. Alto
gether, the distance intervening between
my domicile and that Of Mr.. Caleb Pill
grim, the cover The way" with whom |
am at present concerned, was SO great,
that / doubt whether l could have re-
garded him as an ''over the way' at all,
had / not been able to bring INN within
reasonable distance by the help of my
binocular.
Mir. Caleb Pilgrim, ike many subur-
ban dwelling citizens, was an enthusiastic
lover of flowers; and OF all his flowers his
hollyhocks were his peculiar delight and
pride. For a long time before / made
ais acquaintance l used to remark his
avenue Of towering plants, covered with
blooms OF all shades, from the palest
pink TO the deepest russell purple. 1t
happened that, one day, one OF my
nephews, who was, like Mr.. Pilgrim, a
devoted florist, sent me a basket Of lovely
towers. Among them were some holly
hooks, which seemed to me as good as, il
not better than, any had seen In Mr..
Pilgrims garden; and that same evening,
seeing my neighbor potterlng about
among his flower beds, walked over the
road with a bunch of hOllyhOcks in my
hand, and, having apolOgzed for my in
irusiOn, asked his opinion as to the
merits Of my specimens.
As DIR. Pilgrim turned over the piles of
blossoms there came into his eyes look
Of jealousy aud disappointment, which
told me that he recognized the superb
Ority of the flowers; but he did not say
so. He merely remarked that they were
very fine blooms, asked me to walk round
his little place, and finally said he would
like little of the seed OF the flowers 1
bad shown him just by way Of expert
ment.
wrote 20 my nephew for some seed,
and sent it over to Mr.. Pilgrim. His
next years hollYhOcks were finer than
ever, and l found l had gained friend
by my trifling act Of courtesy. 1t was
pleasant change 70 go over and nave a
chat with Mr.. Pilgrim now and then, and,
In the course of these chats, learned a
good deal about Mr.. Pilgrims antece-
dents and his present mode Of lie. He
had made his money in the colonies, and
had finally pitched his TENT IN the Clap
ham Road, being firmly convinced that
the air there was superior to that OF any
OF the English seaside places, or OF the
sO-called health resorts OF the Continent.
Mr.. Pilgrim would gladly have spent bis
life IN the Chaplain Road undlsturbed
over his flowers. He wanted no more
change than TO go from the front garden
to the back and vice versa; but this was
not Mrs. Pilgrims view. II she could
not 20 TO Scarborough, like Mrs. john
son; or to Folkestone. like Mrs. ThOmp-
son; or up the Rhine, like Mrs. Jackson,
she was determined 20 90 somewhere.
She did not much care where she went:
but she would not stop in town all through
August and September She had quite
made up her mind on that point.
So Pilgrim, by the way OF having fiow-
ers always about him, some three Years
before this had made compromise, and
taken a country cottage, furnished, for
the summer months, and often he re-
called me with accounts Of the troubles
which had befallen him Increment. To
Judge from hie experience II seemed that
II one wanted TO get into difficulties one
could not do better than take a fur
nished country house. One summer Mr..
Pilgrim hired the charming cottage
ornee Of Mrs. Col. BilkingtOn, on the
Surrey hills. Mrs. Bilkington was all
smiles and affability; such a delightful
person that Mr.. Pilgrim felt like a brute
as he handed her the agreement which
tied and bound her 20 do this and not TO
do that. Mrs. BilkingtOn was sure that
between Mr.. Pilgrim and herself no agree
ment was necessary; still, as a matter OF
form, she supposed IL must be done. II
was done and, when the end OF the ten.
ancy came, Mr.. Pilgrim found that he
was done likewise. for Mrs. Bilkington's
china and ornaments aud fragile ware
seemed TO have been constructed like
soniurOrs' properties, for they tell 10
pieces Of themselves In a most myster-
ious manner IN the latter DAYS OF Mr..
Pilgrims stay. and when Mrs. Burlington
came TO check the inventory-she did not
leave such work TO be done by deputy
almost everything seemed 10 be more or
less broken. Poor Mr.. Pilgrim, as be
paid the bill for breakages, did not lind
the laGy's manner so charming as Of
yore, and when he took his leave he
shook the dust OF Cintra Cottage off his
feet forever.
Then, the next year, he hired a pretty
tectory IN the Thames Valley. The rec
tor, the Rev. Theopbilus Bubble, was, as
far as outward seeming went. a jovial,
hearty priest, something Of the Friar Tuck
build. Az the first interview he declared
that he was prepared 20 leave the house
Just ne II was should he and Mr.. Pilgrim
rome 20 terms, so great was the conf
hence with which Mr. Pilgrims manner
aud appearance bad inspired him. There
was the plano, which would be left open.
There was q COW aud there we're the hens,
Who SHOULD furniah milk ana egee Tor the