The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1901-02-28
ABOUT An
FAMILY TREE
Showing How the Coomers
Came by Theirs.

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None of the Coomers of the second
generation was to blame in the least
and or course the third generation, con-
sisting of Edith, Annabel and Tom.
were equally innocent. On the whole.
perhaps, nobody was to blame at all.
Moreover. the Coomers were pleasant
people, and it was only the envious
among their acquaintance who said
that they were pulled up with family
pride. We may have family pride and
not be pulled up with ii, even though
we have heirlooms and a family tree
Illuminated on vellum and framed and
hung up in our library. 1t does not fol
low that few dim and dark ancestors
of the colonial period in oil. rapier
and some embroidered waistcoats, and
irons from the old homestead hearth,
tower musket and one or two minia-
lures on ivory will inspire their DOS
SCISSOR with sentiments of exaggerated
self esteem and corresponding con
tempt for the common herd who have
been so careless as to lose track of
their forbears.
Coomer was about as unassuming a
man as could be found anywhere. He
was sure of his position by virtue of
the family tree and other things afore-
said, and it did not seem to him neces-
sary to try to impress society at large
with his noble birth. He had a beau
tiful coat of arms-a lion PEASANT re-
gardant in bend gules between two
acorns azure within as many cotises
ermines-and his crest was a cubit arm
erect grasping an oak branch, all prop
er, but neither crest ner coat was bla-
zoned on the panel of the family
brougham-nothipg but a monogram.
Mrs. Coomer felt differently about it
and would have had the arms on the
baby cart If she could have had her
way. She put the crest on the coach
mans buttons and on a seal ring
which she gave to Tom on his eight
zenith birthday, and if any of her visit
ors expressed any curiosity concern
ing the rapier or the dingy pictures or
the tower musket she was always will
ing to tell all she knew about them.
The two girls were proud OF their blue
blood In the same degree or even a
little more so. Tom took it as a matter
of course, just as his father did
One reason that Mrs. Coomer and the
girls detested Crazy was that he was
always making sighting remarks
about the family pedigree and escutch-
con. He didn't mean any harm by
1t, but he had reputation for ocular
ity and had to sustain 1t. Noticing
that Mrs Coomer WINGED one day
when he spoke disrespectfully of one
of the pictures, he thereafter prodded
the tender spot on all possible occa-
sions. If anybody was in the library
for the first time and noticed the tree
and the coat Crazy would get up and
look at them through his eyeglasses as
If he had never seen them before
what kind of a beast is that rubber
necking on the shield?' he would ask.
That's a lion"
well, well! Who'd "a thought it!
What has he got his off front paw
stretched out that way for2 Looks as
If he had cramp in 1t and was trying
to restore the circulation"
"Well, that shows his position-pas-
SAINT He Is also regardant, having his
neck twisted in the manner you de-
scribe"
"You are sure that you have got the
animal sized up right? l don't see ex-
actly what lion would be doing with
acorns. If they were cocoanuts, 1t
might be all right, but as 1t is there
seems to be a discrepancy, as it were.
The arm with the stick and the acorns
would suggest hog as the appropriate
geological specimen"
Maybe 1t should be hog" Coomer
would say. with an indulgent smile,
"but it's an old misprint anyway. for
the Coomers of Salem have always had
1t that way. That old fellow up there"
pointing to the lean faced ancestor
in the wig-"had the lion on his family
coach so my father told me. never
paid much attention to those things"
Couldn't even conjugate the coatT
mot properly, I'm afraid. You see
those andirons there? Father brought
them from the old Coomer mansion be-
! lure IL was pulled dOWH. NJudIult
aren't they2 There is a lot of that old
! plumber around the house. Yes, that
/ is a family picture-my grandmother.
The one over the bookcase is her
mother. l guess that is the real, origi-
nal empire gown. Mary. where have
you got those miniatures slowed
awayY"
HAS that old gun any history?" asks
The guest.
"Well, hardly history" says Coon
er. 81 believe that my great-great-grand-
father carried that in the Revolution
airy war. Yes, you may take it down.
It's what they called "A tower musket.
You can see the English government
stamp ON the lock and barrel. 1t looks
odd In these days of repeating rifles,
but those old fellows made them do
the work"
I've got one like 1t at home" re-
marks Crary, "only mine has the
Springfield mark. George Washington
wanted to make my ancestor, Putnam
Crary, a major general, but he said
that he would waive his gentility and
shoulder a musket In the ranks with
the rest OF the boys"
Even Coomer is annoyed by this dig,
and he Pushes little angrily, but the
1T -