The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-09-17
NEW BOOKS.
,sss A. Co, and Mrs. wallace.

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Oh "o Oironis characters as we'll as homely,
~ e", :, suspect on reflection that Mr.. ogilvy
NV wv grocer and Mrs. Wallace the widow
, ,n we're not altogether simple. Mrs,
Wallace was aunt to Jess, and Jess was
w. VI ia az Davie Jess and her husband,
nho was a carpenter by trade and fori-
,,lturist by all the promptings OF his SOUL
.,ade ,,p the firm OF Jess Il Co. The reader
=, ,be story will find this to have been a
,,ery interesting partnership.
loss WAS Young and we are sure she was
,,ottv though the story does not explicitly
rav az She was thinking that Davie W ould
r"oka more money II he paid less attention
~ the flowers in the garden and more to
tho carpentering business, when that very
sansible and rather sarcastic lady, her
Aunt Wallace, dropped in on her. Mrs
wallace lived In a cottage about mile
a,ong the shore, to which she had retired,
an a small annuity, on the death OF her
husband, some ten years ago But she was
Glasgow born and bred. and had never
roa,,v got into sympathy with the Kin
iochan natives and their ways" which
ware WAYS OF extra ordinary procrastination
and laziness.
Dayie was as lazy as any Of them, but he
had his redeeming virtues. or this Mrs.
wallace was aware 1t was during her visits
70 her aunt in Kinlochan that Jess, who
was also from Glasgow, had come to
know David Houston, and although the old
lady was fond OF holding up the mans OBJ
yio,,s faults to the girl she had never actually
attempted to interfere with the course OF
true love 'Efter a, he's dacent lad, she
would say to herself, an maybe jess II
make a man O him. There's naethin
peelvwally ABBOTT him, onywey." We can
only guess at the meaning Of peelywally,
hut we like the word in spite OF our igno-
rance.
Mira Wallace remarked without timidity
rnon her nieces taste in parlor arrange
ments we're the yin fur folderals," she
said with a critical stare round the room.
we're like yer mther wi yer ee fur useless
things an yer fine wey O. speakin' That's the
worst O. a lassie takin' a mans job In an
office, an gaun' DOT at NIGHT to classes.
Uphm But every lass nooadays is a yung
leddv. an over fine fur the things that wis
guild enough fur her fayther an mither.
Deed, We sud haze mairrit yin O thon fancy
chaps that dae naethin' but pu' doom their
cuffs an dance ABBOTT the fure o the big
drapers in Glesca Yin a thon chaps wud
shairly please we better nor plain Jlner
In our own speech, Jess should have
married a Glasgow foorwalker; but Mrs.
Wallace did not meant it. The young woma n
laughed and left the room to prepare tea
As she returned with neatly spread tray
the critical Mrs. Wallace resumed. Il sup
nose We ca this efternune teal she said. with
a sniff. I'm extremely vexed didna bring
ma veesitin' cards wi me, yer ladyship
But ! left them in ma carriage. jess
poured out the tea calmly. You can send
the footman up afterward," she said. From
which 1t will be seen that Jess also had
humor, and that she did not use the YER
nacular.
Mrs. Wallace was a genius in all the ways
OF housekeeping, and she was wonderful
at darning stockings. MA guidman usec
to say he preferred the darns to the rest o
the sock" she said to Jess She added
that tho late Mr.. Wallace was distinguished
for two things. namely. paying comph-
ments and making complaints. He was
good at both His complainin' MIGHT
haze been waur an his compliments cuolna
haze been better. Ye see. he aye peyed q
compliment list afore he made a com
plant, so wis aye ready fur the complaint
an list never heedit. There's naethins
cures a man g complaints quicker nor peyin
nae attention to them. Yer uncle never
complained twice ABBOTT the same thing
He aye had something new. an that KEEP
him frae gettin' tiresome"
Mrs Wallace went on to say that she hao
found it effective now and then to give q
soft answer to Mr. Wallaces complainings
Il mind yinst he slep in i the mornin', cr
cam in late to his breakfast she said
whit KEEP yer says l. oh says he
smilin' that sweetlike, I coudna help
turnn over an ha'ein' anither wee bit
dream about ye, ma dear Thet wis the
compliment, Jess, an kent fine there wis
mair to come. This hams hauf cauld, he
saws, mkin' at me across the table. That
wis the complaint, we see! Weel, says
wioot lossin' ma temper, II we dinna eat
it quick it'll be quite cauld.' He never
spoke ABBOTT ham again. An, as | wis
sayin' a saft answers worth tryin' moo an
then"
Davie was In trouble owing to his laziness
and the clever and energetic Jess got him
out of it. Mr.. Ogilvy, the grocer, was In
trouble owing to his state OF bachelorhood
and the difficulty Of getting hot things and
good things for his meals, and he saw clearly
and even ardently, that Mrs. Wallace was
just the woman to get him out OF It, II only
she would. There is fine supper OF ham
ana eggs IN the story, winch MITE. Wallace
provided and at which Mr.. Ogilvy was an
enraptured guest. Mr.. Ogilvy was mos'
difident man in the presence OF Mrs. Wal
lace, but he said quite boldly at the end OF
the repast: Il never tastit ham near as
nicely cookit Mistress Wallace. As full
yer scenes, I'm no exaggeratin' when
tell we they're the finest ever encountered
in a ma born days." Mrs. Wallace was nc
encourager OF sentimental conversation
In response to his compliments she called
Mr.. Ogilvy an "unco blether,' which shut
him up effectually and perhaps disturbed
his digestion.
That Mrs. Wallace was capable on oc
casion Of something more than mere sar.
casm was discovered by ME. Dobbie, a
young merchant of Glasgow, who came
down to Kinlochan one day under the sur.
prising delusion that he could recommend
himself sentimentally to the heroine Of thil
story, Jess had just sent him about hi
business in her own not too ruthless way
when Mrs. Wallace appeared upon the
scene -ConfoiInd this lock-" said Mr.