| 1 | Author: | Mitchell
Donald Grant
1822-1908 | Add | | Title: | Fudge doings | | | Published: | 2003 | | | Subjects: | University of Virginia Library, Text collection | UVA-LIB-Text | University of Virginia Library, Early American Fiction, 1789-1875 | UVA-LIB-EarlyAmFict1789-1875 | | | Description: | I SHALL open this volume with a few observations
upon an individual, who may possibly
have important relations with the Fudge family:
I refer to Mr. Blimmer, of Blimmersville. Mr.
Blimmer has a very snug office, full of diagrams
of Blimmersville. Indeed, the plots, sites, buildings,
and accounts, of that prospective town
may be said to fill up the office. There is,
among other charts, a beautiful lithograph of
Blimmersville, very attractive, with a proposed
church, and a proposed clergyman's cottage; both
of them highly picturesque, highly Gothic, and
highly flattering to the proposed Christian feeling
of the township—much more flattering, indeed, than
such buildings are apt to be in earnest. “My Dear Washington:—I cannot pay longer
your frequent drafts upon me. My affairs are not
in so good case as at last writing. Practise economy,
and make arrangements to return speedily,
when I hope you will enter immediately upon some
sound business-calling. “My Dear Washy:—I have very much to tell
you. We are terribly disturbed; you have heard
of Mr. Bodgers' death, and how he left no will, as
any one can find. Your father was made administrator,
with Mr. Bivins, and things were going very
well, as we thought, and Kitty would have had a
handsome slice, which would have made her perhaps
to be considered as a match for you, my dear son,
although she is a cousin, when, on a sudden, Mr. Quid,
the father of the young gentleman you know, called
on Mr. Fudge, and, showing him some old papers
he has, which I suppose are testimonials, made a
claim for the whole of the property, and what it all
is, I don't know; and your father is anxious, besides
that; the bank is doing badly, and our expenses
with you and Wilhe are heavy. “My Dear Madam:—Duty compels me to inform
you that the claims of Mr. Quid upon the estate of
your deceased kinsman, Truman Bodgers, Esq., of
which I have already given you brief advisement,
are very strong. He has shown to me, in connection
with my legal adviser, papers which appear to
establish, beyond doubt, the rights of his son, as
heir at law. Deeply distressing as this event must
be to both branches of the Bodgers family, I see
no resource. I would advise you, therefore, to
limit your expenses accordingly, as the usual annuity,
which I believe you have been in the habit of
receiving through the generosity of Mr. Bodgers,
will now be cut off. I trust you will bear the
reverse with resolution. “My Dear Jemima:—I should be very ungrateful
for all your kindness if I forgot to write you, as
I promised I would, and to tell you all about my
country home, which I am so glad to welcome
again. “Letitia, ma Chère Letitia:—After our sudden
parting last summer, so very provoking as it was, I
5*
have been pining away in the Avenue. I am well
enough to be sure, and take a drive every day upon
Broadway with mamma; and the Count is civil and
attentive as usual, and the Spindles are as jealous
as ever (which is some comfort), yet somehow it
seems very dull. Papa has a terribly long face;
more than all, when I ask him for money. Mamma
says he is disturbed about his coal-stocks, and business,
and all that. What a horrid thing business
is! It made us come away from the Springs just
as a good set was forming about mamma; and
there's no hope, I fear, of getting it together again.
How is it, dear Letitia, that people will be very
kind, and chatty, and attentive at the Springs, and
then never come near you in town? I should love
to live at Saratoga, that is, provided the Count
and you, and the rest were there, and the set was
good. “Mr. Blimmer's compliments to Mr. Quid, and
begs to advise him that the instalments now due on
lots Numbers seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, twenty,
twenty-one, etc., in the town of Blimmersville, are
still unpaid: he also begs to advise Mr. Quid
(hoping he will not take offence) of his (Blimmer's)
natural reluctance to place in the hands of
so entire a stranger the original document intrusted
to him by a certain deceased party; he believes,
however, that the writing which he had the honor
to place in Mr. Quid's hands, was a true copy of the
same; and, in the event of pending negotiations
being happily matured, he (Blimmer) would have
no objection to add to it the original instrument. | | Similar Items: | Find |
|