The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1919-09-26

son DOuleVarO, anu mere, at the juno
ture of the new boulevard and the
avenue, Major Anderson reserved
four acres for himself and built his
new house-the ANDERSON mansion, of
course.
This house was the pride Of the
town. Faced with stone as far back
as the dining-room windows, it was a
house of arches and turrets and CIR
ding stone porches: it had the first
porte cochere seen in that town.
There was central "front hall" with
q great black-walnut stairway, and
open to a green glass skylight called
the "dOme," three stories above the
ground floor. A ballroom occupied
most Of the third story. and at one
end of 1t was carved walnut gallery
for the musicians. Citizens told stran-
gers that the cost of all this black
walnut and wood carving was sixty
thousand dollars. "Sixty thousand
dollars for the woodwork alone! Yes,
sir, and hardwood floors all over the
house,! Turkish rugs and no carpets
at all, except Brussels carpet in the
front parlor-I hear they call it the
reception room Hot and cold water
upstairs and down., and stationary
washstands in every bedroom in the
place! Their sideboard's built right
into the house and goes all the way
across one end of the dining room. 1t
isn't walnut, it's solid mahogany !!
Not veneering-solid mahogany! Well,
sir, / presume the president of the
United States would be tickled to
swap the White House for the new
Anderson mansion, if the Major'd
give him the chance-but by the Al
mighty Dollar, you bet your sweet
life the Major wouldn't!"
The visitor to the town was certain
to receive further enlightenment, for
there was one form of entertainment
never omitted: he was always patri,
otically taken for ga little drive round
our city," even if his host had to hire
a hack, and the climax of the display
was the Anderson mansion. "Look
at that greenhouse they've put up
there in the side yard" the escort
would continue. "And look at that
brick stable! Most folks would think
that stable plenty big enough and
good enough to live in; it's got run
ming water and four rooms upstairs
for two hired men and one of 'emts
family to live in. They keep one hired
man loafin' in the house, and they got
married hired man out in the stable,
and his wife does the washing. This
town never did see SO much style as
Ambersons are putting on these days;
and I guess it's going to be expensive,
because lot Of other folks'H try to
keep up with 'em. The Majors wife
and the daughters been to Europe,
and my wife tells me since they got
back they make tea there every after
noon about five o'clock and drink it.
Seems to me it would go against q
persons stomach, just before supper
like that, and anyway tea isn't fit for
much-not unless you're sick or some
thing. Looks to me like some people
in this city'd be willing to go crazy
If they thought that would help 'em to
be as heightened as AmbersonS. Old
Aleck Minafer-he's about the closest
old codger we got-he come in my of
fee the other day, and he pretty near
had a stroke tellin' me about his
daughter Fanny. Seems Miss Isabel
Amberson's got some kind of dog
| they call it st. Bernard-and Fanny
was bound to have one, too. Well,
old Aleck told her he didn't like dogs
except rat terriers, because rat ter
rier cleans up the mice, but she kept
on at him, and finally he said all right
she could have one. Then, by George
she says Amberson's bought their
dog, and you don't get one without
paying for it: they cost from fifty to
a hundred dollars up! Old Aleck
wanted to know if I ever heard of
anybody's buyin' a dog before, be-
cause, even Newfoundland or set
ter, you can usually get somebody to
give you one. He says he saw some
sense in payin' a niger a dime, or
even a quarter, to drown a dog for
you, but to pay out fifty dollars and
maybe more-well, sir, he like to
choked himself to death, right there
in my office! OF course everybody
realizes that Major Anderson is fine
business man, but what with THROWN
money around for dogs, and every
which and what, some think all this
styles bound to break him up, if his
family don't quit r.
One citizen, having thus discoursed
to visitor, came to thoughtful
pause, and then added, docs seem
pretty much like squandering, yet
when you see that dog out walking
with this Miss Isabel, he seems worth
the money"
"What's she look like?"
swell, sir" said the citizen, "she's
not more than just about eighteen or
maybe nineteen years old, and don't
know as I know just how to put it
but she's kind Of delightful lookin'
Young ladVl"