New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-01-31
A QUESTION OF VISITS.
TOWN MOUSE AND COUNTRY MOUSE.

TOWN MOUSE AND COUNTRY MOUSE.
The snapper-up Unconsldered Trhes sat In the
car behind the Qulct Man and the Pretty Country
woman and halfdrpamily heard their talk mingnng
with the rattle Of the wheels. i DECLARE SAID inc
Pretty Countrywoman to the Quiet Man. con-
tlnulng what apparently n long conversation
~if | wasn't clean tired ont and ready to stay
I'm bed for whole week. | don't see why city
people always come to make visit right in the midst OF
the busy season. instead Of in the fall or winter, when
,c'd have more time to spend with them. There we
were right In the midst Of haying, with lot Of extra
help TO cook and do for. The Lord knows. thought
! had enough 10 do. and when | saw carriage
stop. and Cousin Joseph and family get out
and come trooping IN without moments warning !
must say felt just like -ittin down and havin'
good cry II they'd only Jet rs know they was coming
so',t We could have scurricd around and got N girl
10 holp me with ~, work, 1t II been much easier
Tor me- and | could have made their visit p!ea>antcr
FOR them maybe. Land sakcs. II them children wasn't
terr1r, OF all the COINS sou ever saw or heard
tell or Their father and mother would just stand and
laugh. and say. 'Dd you ever They seemed To
think their cnrryin's awful cute. They hadn't
been round three hours afore they in the house
with nice boAay FOR mamma, they said. hap
pcucd 10 be in the r0om and would you believe 1T
they'd been down in the garden and picked a great
handful OF blossoms from the beans and cucumber and
tomato vines for IA bokny. so afraid John
would sec them and scoM them for 1t didn't know
what to do but finally managed b. get hold Of them
when they wasn't looking and threw them In the
kitchen stove.
Tho next DAY heard awful racket down In the
hen house and hurried there 10 see what was the
matter ard Of all things They had the old Shanghai
rooster on tho nest with big basket turned over
him with stone on IL 30 he couldn't get awayl
asked them what they doing. and they said they
wanted the hen to lay a nice fresh egg for them
Tho idea | couldn't help laughing In spite OF myself
When told Of 1t the dinner table thought every
body would die the way they took on.
That's tho way they went on hardly minute
but what they were I'm some hind Of mischief. And
then they seemed to think we could drop everything
and run here and there with them viSn' and ridin
around The country. II may be well enough for city
folk, to spend their time that but We have some
thing else 10 do tell you was glad when they said
they guessed they'd over and see has sister for a
few days The next time they come hope t'ey VIII
have sense enough to let rs know Of Il beforehand
ard come when VIC have more time to visit with them.
and the Pretty Countrywoman settled n hairpln and
drew long slch-ln anticipation, perhaps. OF next
sumner, campaign with the city cousins
The Quiet Man agreed with her mildly and said It
had often occurred 10 him that city cousins were taken
with sudden access Of affection for their rural rela
lives about the first OF July. Nevertheless, he
thought there were two sides to tho que~-
ton You remember Miranda" said he. that
j
several years ago Ny large circle OF country cousins
all assured me that they would be delighted to make me
visit as soon they conveniently could after was
well settled In nv home II would give thcm
they told me such excellent opportunity to have a
look around the city, Of which they had heard many
marvellous stories but had never visted-becausc
they were not acquainted with any ono whom they
could stop with and the idea OF stopping Mt hotel was
not to bc thought OF account " the expense.
Almost b. had become comfortably settled In our
new surroundings these country cousins of mine began
To arrive They by twos and thrccs until our
limited city quarters filed TO Overlooking. You
know Pm of those unfortunacs compelled by the
cxigcncics OF business to work night; and often
when | reached homo between the hours Of 2 and 4
O'Clock in the morning would find all the beds oc-
cuplcd with several accOnatc relatives sleeping on the
lounge Early the next forenoon before had gotten half
OF my usual allowance Of sleep would be called to
escort my relatives to points Of Interest about the city
ar 70 hunt up the various stores where they had busi
ness 10 transact or cOusc paid all the expenses.
bore all this goodnaturcdly, and when my wife would
enter gentle rcmonStrance to the effect that would
make my sick by being broken OF rest would
soothe her by pctuHng 10 her the good times we would
have the next summer in returning the visits during
my vacation. We would have nice long rides behind
nv cousins horses and would have "a jolly time gen
orally
The Pretty Countrywoman smilcd-perhaps she was
thinking of Cousin Joseph but the Quiet Man went
When my vacation came the next summer | set out
with INV family 10 return OF these visits. We
went first to Cousin Johns where anticipated having
many good spin behind his team Of bays. day or
Two atcr my arrival noticing that the horses
Idle that day gently insnuated my desire to take my
wife and children out for drive. John was very
sorry but one the horses did not well and tho
other had shoe therefore II would be impossible
ID accommodate supervising my disappointment
and tile memory OF the pains I'd taken have Johns
family enIoy their visit to the city the before
hired n ncighbOr day two after % drive family
and myself to Cousin jacobs Jacobs family had paid
Us a long visit shortly before and had done our best
lea had not forgotten and would be able In return
70 crafty my taste for driving The day after our
arrival | frankly confessed desire for n drive 10
Jacob He said no guessed he could spare the team
that afternoon II wished 10 Use them. Delighted at
ready offer hur led through my dinner. telling
my wife have the children ready the barn
with Jacob TO get the team before the carriage We
spent delightful afternoon In driving around among
familiar old country scenes utcTing blessings upon
Jacobs head the pleasure he was afforiing us |
After we reached home expressed my appreciation OF
the afternoons enjoyment and casually asked how
much | was indebted to him for the use Of the team |
Of course expected that Jacob would hasten 10 assrrc
that | heartily welcome Imagine my
prise and disgust when he drawled:
well | guess | won't charge You but 2B for the |
team this afternoon. The livery man would charge |
YOU IS for n team for half day but S3 will make IL |
all night 49,, .,,e ,, .,
reinctiOn from the 'livcrymans prices ana handed
him - bill which he readily accepted. That night |
my wife and | came to the conclusion that we would
cut short visits 10 our country cousins. But ut |
the same tim resolved that would get square, with
John and Jacob.
"Ealy the next autump John came to make visit |