 | Life and sayings of Mrs. Partington and others
of the family |  |
MATTER OF FACT AND SENTIMENT.
Said Augustus, as he gazed from Mrs. Partington's
little window, his finger pensively resting upon a cracked
china teapot upon the sill, — “Here is a spot in which
to cultivate the flowers of poesy; here the imagination
may soar on unrestricted wing; here balmy zephyrs
rising from embowering roses waft ambrosial sweets” —
“Them is beans planted in the window,” said the old
lady, interrupting him. “What you say is very true;
there 's nothing better for a sore than balmy-gilead buds
in rum; and it 's so handy to have 'em in a temperance
neighborhood, too, where people are too good to keep
rum in the house themselves, but leave it all to be
borryed of the neighbors. How glad I am always to
have it for 'em! They are so kind, too, always advising
me to give up keeping it in the house; but, dear me,
what would the poor creturs do if I should? I may be
committing sin in keeping it; but a bad use of a thing
makes all the trouble after all.”
Augustus was moved; but there was so much of the
“earth earthy” in her remark that he was silent.
“I should like to know what he meant about embowelling
roses,” murmured she to herself; “peppermint
would be better if he has the colic.”
She looked at him earnestly, but there seemed no
token of pain, and she forbore to speak.
| Life and sayings of Mrs. Partington and others
of the family | |