The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1900-04-04
An IDEAL SHATTERED
Plning For Country Comforts, Mich
olson Tried Them. He Came
Back to the City q DIFF
ferent Man.

A'".v...v' ".".",'Vl...'y'....y'.... IN
Nicholson took his feet down from
the radiator, threw away the butt OF
his cigar aud said to his partner:
| Il think I'll take run over TO Mich.
igan tomorrow, Smith, | haven't Wis.
tied the old folk In winter for ten
years, and I've been thinking of them
all day. Strange this beastly cold
weather always turns my thoughts to
the old flreside, where on such day as
this we all used to snuggle around the
| big coal stove in the sitting room and
eat apples, drink cider, spin yarns,
| yawn, loll around as we pleased aud
go to bed before 10 o'clock.
"Ah, Smith. we haven't anything like
that old flreslde in this big, artificial
city. Here everything is done for you.
You get your fat ready heated, all the
hot water you need, groceries deliver
ed by speaking tube, sidewalks shovel
ed by the jantor and yourself carried
down almost to your office door by
street car Artlilciallty everywhere.
1t ls life that tends to make us lazy,
to relax our muscles, to breed dyspep.
sla and liver complaint. Give me tho
good old days when we had to hustle
TO be comfortable. That was when we
enjoyed our little luxuries, because we
knew we had earned them. Now, as
| picture the old folk beside that big
stove, l have an overweening desire to
step In and share Its comforts with
them, If only for day. l guess you
can get along without me?"
Certainly" said Smith. Stay lon
ger, II you wish. | should say that
such n prospect would make you long
TO spend mt least Il week ut home.
can get along for that time. And
may say ! envy you the pleasure you
are TO have. Alas, l have always lived
In this city, and l know nothing but
the artificial comforts of a steam heat
ed fiat. | wish l We're going with you.
Take week. old man, and tell me all
about It when you get back"
Thanks, old fellow" said Nlchol-
son, rising brlskly. III you can stand
It, | guess I'll stay away for n week
from Sunday. See, this is Saturday. |
ed home carly tbs evening s and u s she
prise the old folk while mother is set
ting up her batter cakes for tomor-
rows breakfast. Ever eat any of those
homemade batter cakes? Haven't
Well, my dear fellow, you haven't liy-
ed more than three -eighths of your life.
Now I'm off. See you in a week. You
know my address should | be wanted
sooner"
Sunday the thermometer dropped
away below zero, and Smith found no
trouble in following his inclination to
remain I'm his coZy, heated fiat read
Ing, smoking. DOING and playing with
the children. He had nothing else to
do, for the janltor kept the steam at
proper pressure. There was no coal to
carry In, no klndllng to split, no early
fires TO build-nothlng, In short, to do
but rest, or, rather, as he called II, loaf
lie pictured Nicholson In fancy, and
the picture actually made him env1ous.
A dozen times during the day he wish
ed he had been born on a farm or In d
small country village, so he could have
enjoyed the old freside, the roaring
logs In the crate, the cider and apples
and the strenuous life which all this
implied. TO have everything done for
ones comfort, and by some one else,
was not in keeping with his ideas of
proper enjoyment. Nlcholson's graphic
picture had made him a trlhe discon-
tented.
Sunday night tile mercury took
drop a few degrees lower, but there
was no snow, and the janltor did his
duty nobly. Monday morning was col
loquially termed "corker," but as
Smith had only block to go to his
Train he suffered no Inconvenience and
reached his Office with but q vague Inn
preston that It was cold day.
At 3 o'clock that afternoon Nicholson
walked In, dropped bis grip in cor
ner, kicked the cat over the transom.
lighted n small gas heater and sat OH It..
Smith was so surprised at first he
could do nothing but stare at his part
ner. Then gradually he found his
tongue. whats the matter, Nick?
Didn't find anything wrong with the
old folks, did you? Cider run out?
Old Preside covered with lciclesW
Look here, Smith"-and there was a
world of patbos In Nlcholson's voice
u wouldn't tell you word about that
trip IL was not convinced 1t Is my du-
ty. l may have set your fancy going
with my description of the time was
to have. may have made you dlscon-
tented with your hard and barren lot In
this city. | want 10 be square and hon
est even at my own expense. am the
originator Of that expression I'D rath-
err be right than be president 1 want
you to listen TO me while | relieve my
mind and incidentally rend one Of the
biggest myths on earth"
"Then you didn't find things as you
fancied thcmr began Smith, but Mich
olson waved him to silence.
"You just listen to my plain, unvar-
nlshed tale and draw your own conclu-
sIons. No schoolboy ever started out
On bis long vacation with lighter heart