The aegis & intelligencer., 1907-09-06
THE SUMMER BOARDER.

Probably, after the good housewife,
none so miss the old-time slave cook and
the little army which frequently sur
rounded her as do the city aunts and
cousins who long for the country breezes
during the dog days of August. Many
OF US can still remember how some of our
country neighbors, whose houses and
hearts were bigger than their purses,
were wont to keep open homes every
month in the year; but during the sum-
mer months visiting relatives and friends
came in such goodly numbers that any
and every part of the house was pressed
into service as a sleeping apartment.
What did parlor count for when the
fresh air, filled with the aroma from
myriads of flowers, the blue sky ladened
with roses for the cheeks, the green trees
shutting out the monday sun, and the
star-lit heavens thursting their nocturnal
doggers into cupid's soul could be had
without the asking!
And so when Aunt Rachel and Uncle
Reuben came up from the city with their
six children to spend August, they insist
ed that any place would do for them to
sleep in, but it was soon evident that
they had their own standard of what
they liked to eat. Country cows were
not expected to give anything but cream,
country chicks were expected to use their
yellow legs only to travel towards the
frying pan, while Old Chloe in the kitchen
was not good enough to be roasted un-
less she could send in the watf1es, the hot
buns and the mullins faster than dozen
hungry mouths could put them out of
sight.
And we can remember, too, how the
old homestead often shriveled up under
this strain of hospitable entertaining
until the taxgatherer or the trustee closed
out the estate, and the warm-hearted
host and his wife found that their city
friends lasted only so long as the old
homestead did.
Such cases occurred by the dozen in the
Hartford of forty years ago, and the old
people passed beneath the sod in such
humble poverty that there were none so
poor to do them reverence"
But a reaction followed from this one
sided hospitality and country people
came to think that if they had air and
sky and woods and water which dwellers
in cities wanted they would sell to the
city man just as they have to buy ofhim.
Thus, in the evolution of time, came
about the country boarding house, which
furnishes our city friend twice what he
gets at the sea-shore for half the money
Possibly no place in Hartford has wor
such well-deserved name as has Maple
wood, the residence of Mr.. and Mrs
Harry W. Whistler.
After a drive of something over two
miles of splendid road behind as spanking
pair of horses as any driver holds tht
ribbons over, our city friends reacl
Maplewood. Passing between pair o
massive stone posts which guard th
entrance they enter the lawn with IT
velvet covering dotted here and ther
with handsome trees which have give1
the homestead its name. Alarge mansion
5 house surrounded with spacious porche
invites the travellers to its restful shade
, while all around the growing crops, tn
: big barns, the cackling fowls, the brows
ing herd, the luxurious garden and tn
r open landscape bespeak land of mil
: and honey which is mellowing to the cit
e mans "organ," and makes him sure {
r his moneys worth, even before he ha
had time to prove it. So well pleased
:, he with his restful surroundings that o
e Monday morning he is wont to cross I'll
floor to the telephone and tell Baltimor
l. how to get along without him fc
another week.