The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-11-04
The Story of a Bible.
From Cornhill Magazine. In -Four Parts.)
PART I.

F-rom Cornhin Magazine. In -Four Parts.)
PART l.
1t was hot in Barker's buildings. AS a
matter of fact, it was hot everywhere, but
In Bankers Buildings one was fairly broil-
ed Altogether, what with the heat, and
the mangle, and the noise next door, where
MIR. and Mrs. Flinders were having few
words-which meant a good many-Mrs.
Wicks found herself taking decidedly
pessimistic View of things in general and
Bankers Buildings in particular.
'Lor', what it'd seem Ike TO be down
in the country agen, Sich a fool as I were
ever to leave il. But then we're most on
US fools once N our lives, an its no use
cryin' over split milk; best think you can
do is to take a cloth an wipe it up. But
often and often I've arst myself whatever
l see IN Wicks to leave the village and
'ome an friends an relaShuns, jests
though they was a lot of old lumber, an
come up TO this yere great, grimy, ard
'arted, overgrowed wilderness o bricks an
mortar, and there's no finding your way
outer once you set foot in it. Lawks-a
daisy me-" w.ping the perspiration from
her forehead, what I'd give to see them
parts agen where 1 was born an brought
up, with the medders, an orchids an
where you could grow your bits of vege-
tubbles an pick the currints an goose
berries off yer own bushes, with a nose
gay to stick in a mug on the winder-siIL
Her eye roved for an instant towards
the window, upon which the sun was con-
centrating its rays with such apparent
singleness Of purpose that one almost ex-
pected 10 see the rusty Grape Horticultural
decorations of Mrs. Wick's headgear put
forth fresh buds and leaves, and the man
gle blossom like the rose.
Between the blind and the curtain was
a space through which she could catch a
glimpse of the only view which Barker's
Buildings provided for its inmates. II con-
sisted Of a large asphalt square, surround
ed by tall, d.ngy, h:deoUs brick erections,
pierced with many windows. Three or
four portable zinc dustbins slightly re-
neved the monotony, the human interest,"
being supplied by a slatternly woman sift-
ing cinders, the while her voice was up
raised in materna aGmonit:on toward
some member of her home circle:
''You, 'Lizabeth Ham, wait till I gets
old on yer, an if 1 don't break every bone
in yer body"
mo, faint like the country" admitted
Mrs. WIcks with a sigh. The row them
two do keep up next door, too. s 'nough
to deafen any one. Seems Ike wooden
legged man when the drinks in inns
worsen the ordinary"
The door opened TO admit prim-looking
young woman with bundle under each
arm.
That you, Em'ly?"
This being the sort Of salutatlon that
seemed to require no reply, Emily (other-
wise Miss Wick) made none, but put
down her bundles, and taking off her hat
hung it on its own particular peg beside
her mothers best black bonnet-her second
best, as she had already intimated, graced
Mrs. Wick's head; indeed, as a rule, she
only took off her bonnet TO put on her
night cap.
A smash, as of crockery, followed by the
upsettng of a chair, and accompanied by
a torrent of vituperat:on in a high treble.
caused Miss Weeks to elevate her eyebrows
at her mother.
He don't centrally break out so early
in the week, seeing today's only VEINS
d'y," observed Mrs Wicks depreca tingly
Pore Mrs. Flinders do ave a deal to put
up with
daughter. What's the good of us work
Ing our selves to the bona 20 try and keep
respectable, when the neighbors carries on
in SIGH style? Either the 'usban's bangs
their wives or the wives bangs their chill
dren. There was Mrs. Priggins, in No. 4,
pitchin' into that gal of 'er's something
shocking not two minutes ago. 'Lizabeth
Hams no angel, but lifting of 'er over the
cad with a shovel amt the way to better
'er as fairs 1 can see. I'm sick of Bark
er's Buildings, that / ann
mo s:cker'n 1 am, comes to that an
swered her mother. "only what's the good?
We must live somewheres.''
Mss Wicks shrugged her shoulders i'm
patiently, and, unp!nning the bundles, pro- !
ceeded TO count over the contents.
A thud followed by a scream and the |
noise of something heavy rolling over the |
floor, seemed TO indicate that a climax had !
been reached in the Flanders menage |
Then came the banging of a door, and the |
sound of wooden leg, somewhat the |
worse for drink, zigzagging along the |
stone passage.
"I'lll be getting the tea now" sad Mrs. |
Wicks with a sigh of relief; ''p'raps Wen /
be able to ave it in peace and cuietness."
She wiped her streaming face with her |
apron. 81 don't believe I got so much as |
a dry thread on me. That there ,nangle's |
'nough to give a body the happyplexy,
with the sun a-pouring in at the winder
like we was sorter patent fuel as ne was
bound to set light to some'ow."
She was a little, bent old woman. with /
scanty gray wh:sps of hair grabbed back
tight and fixed into a hard ball with one
time-worn hairpIn. Any one who watched I
her as she trotted round, setting out two |
cracked cups and saucers and a battered
small round table covered with American
cloth, would, on his own responsibility have
added al least another ten years or so TO
the half century which was all she could
lay claim to.
bleater with my tea she added, as she
made kettle-holder OF a back number of
The parish magazine. They're two for
three ha' pence at the shop at the corner.
an finer you couldn't wish TO see, only |
what with one thing an mother
Gimme the money" Interrupted her
laughter; "it won't take ne above min
nit. and feel as though I could relish one
myself"
Her mother produced tire amount from
some stronghold in her petticosts. and
Emily, sticking on her nat at a rak.sh
angle. departed.
Mrs. Weeks had just set the teapot on the
,-t, W. +ra~a ~a-~a I