The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-01-15

party Of people out OF the front door and
ushering new lot into the parlor, while
my sense Of smell was greeted by an odor
of scorched mutton chops. When the last
guests had taken their departure and there
was momentary hiatus of arrivals. re-
ceived fearful embrace from Elizabeth
"Indeed dear, couldn't help it," she
walled. 81 had just got everything on the
range for a cosy little meal, when the bell
rang and half dozen people filed in, and
and they're all burnt to crisp"
would not wound her feelings further
by calling her attention to the very am
bguous character OF her last remark, but
offered consolation in the form Of re-
hinder that there was a neat looking
restaurant around the corner, and !
thought on the whole it would be wise TO
arrange to take portion OF our meals there
until the rush subsidized.
For of course the rush would subside.
Tom, who ran in several times day dur
ing the first few weeks, in n state OF high
citation at the success of his experiment,
assured us that OF course in the nature OF
things, II could never be kept up. By and
| by everybody's curiosity would be satisfied,
and we would be left to ourselves, save for
an occasional visitor from away, Just
enough to keep Elizabeth from feeling
lonesome. ..I r...
But it did keep up. Week after week
and month after month the stream OF WISH
tons TO the pozzuolans house flowed on
without cessation. From the mansion on
Mob hill, from the byways and lanes of
Tar Flat, from the pastoral abodes of the
mission, from the crowded down town car
avansaries, fashionable Pincstrcet boarding
houses outlying suburban homes, the
modest elegance Of the Western Addition,
the conservative homes OF North beach,
and even the unsayory precincts of Bar
barry coast, the tide OF sightscers surged on
with undated zeal 10 the pozzuoana
house. Along with n goodly number OF
people moved by legitimate purposes came
n vast tribe who never had house OF
their own in their lives andnever expected
10 have, along with regiment of women
who took in the place as a regular feature
OF forenoon shopping expeditions, and
repeated their visits in the company OF
friends with the same amazing persistcncy
displayed in their patronage .of the me
chanics fair or bench show and in their
wake followed pack of Young people
going 10 and from school, who slipped in
on every possible occasion. They came at
all hours and seasons, and We were FIRE.
! qucntly kept up long beyond our ordinary
bedtime to exhibit the house and discuss
its structure with some country gentleman
or eastern tourist who was compelled To
leave on an early train in the morning;
| while the working classes evnccd a singu-
lar unanimity in selecting the early morn
ing rs the season for their visits.
Many OF our guests proved vcritlbc
Cloths and Nandals, and pocketed numcr.
Gus small articles of bric-a-brac, Clipped
the door and window-framcs, and
even cut the corners Of our VIII
ton rugs, presumably to exhibit in
triumph TO their friends as memcntos
Of their visits TO the pozztiolana house. De-
casionally some impudent aristocrat would
offer my wife or me piece of silver, rs II
we were on par with walters ut res
taurant or ushers at a play.
As the winter advanced and Elizabeth
felt the need OF more rest and retirement,
we hired a sunny-iaced young German
girl, llulda 10y name, and my wife secluded
herself in our large room ON the northwest
corner Of the lawn, which was consequcntly
denied visitors. llulda and had several
exciting encounters with ill-brcd strangers
10 prevent their entering the room by
force; for the idea was ut once conceived
that some secret connected with the struct-
urc OF the house led 10 the sealing Of this
apartment. More than one aggressive in
dividual shook his fist nj the closed door
and denounced me as n cheat and fraud.
Many insisted that there was some defect
in the material which had commenced 10
display itself in that quarter. while n few
suspected that for some mysterious reason
they were denied view Of the choicest
portion Of the house.
About the middle of January | held q
confidential talk with llolbrookc, and he
readily assentcd TO my proposition To close
the honsc for period OF six weeks from
that time II il needless 10 say that the
public and the pncss took this act n n YER
ifcation OF the truth Of their suspicious,
and great hue and cry was raised that
the pOzzuolana house wns q failure that
the material had been Unable 10 Withstand
the celebrated atmospheric influences
Of the San Francisco climate, aud that the
building was already uninhabitablc.
Our answer came In form that the
public least expected. II was an iniants
feeble wall. Rarely has u baby's inilu-
ence been 80 powerful or ~ quickly mani
fest The press and the public graciously
conceded their defeat Our baby, 90 us IN
| ~
have brcathed her name toa stranger.
I was heralded throughout the land ~ the
, iirst baby born in pozzuolana house In
America.
It's needless 10 say that with the re-
opening Of the house the list of March
came great rush of visitors, in which the
young female element OF the community
prcdominated; but upon one point Eliza
beth was firmly resolved. Our baby
: should play no part In the pageant. When.
ever the door bell rang the child was dis.
, PATCHED out of the way in the faithful
4 llulda's care Elizabeth received the Wis.
itors with u bland and smiling micn, and
/ conducted them through the rooms with
! uniailing courtesy, but to all sDlicitous In.
d quries after the baby's health she turned
2 a lofty and memorable face, nor observed
\ the curious smiles with which some Of tht
strange guests regarded her.
4. About this time Elizabeth and ! began
G 10 be somewhat troubled In respect "a
llulda. The girl was an innocent young
f, creature, whose Tcuionic parents lived
) on n ranch up country, and 10 them III,
; sent all but little of her earnings, after
4 the fashion Of dutiful daughter We
k felt IN a measure accountable 10 her a.
> thcr and mother for her conduct while IL
our employ, aud when We saw her bios
!. soming ont In gay ribbons aud SNOWY
. chains aud lockois Of rolled gold, We grew
, uneasy and feared something must u,
/ wrong with the girl. A pair oi astonish
@ ing patent leather boots with crimson vel
@ vet tops (lIulda wears No. q, T. width
Y tipped the balance.