She was, as I had supposed, a gentlewoman whom a change of
circumstances had brought down from her high estate.
--Did I know the Goldenrod family?--Of course I did.---Well, the Lady,
was first cousin to Mrs. Midas Goldenrod. She had been here in her
carriage to call upon her,--not very often.---Were her rich relations
kind and helpful to her?--Well, yes; at least they made her presents now
and then. Three or four years ago they sent her a silver waiter, and
every Christmas they sent her a boquet,--it must cost as much as five
dollars, the Landlady thought.
--And how did the Lady receive these valuable and useful gifts?
--Every Christmas she got out the silver waiter and borrowed a glass
tumbler and filled it with water, and put the boquet in it and set it on
the waiter. It smelt sweet enough and looked pretty for a day or two,
but the Landlady thought it wouldn't have hurt 'em if they'd sent a piece
of goods for a dress, or at least a pocket-handkercher or two, or
something or other that she could 'a' made some kind of use of; but
beggars must n't be choosers; not that she was a beggar, for she'd sooner
die than do that if she was in want of a meal of victuals. There was a
lady I remember, and she had a little boy and she was a widow, and after
she'd buried her husband she was dreadful poor, and she was ashamed to
let her little boy go out in his old shoes, and copper-toed shoes they
was too, because his poor little ten--toes--was a coming out of 'em; and
what do you think my husband's rich uncle,--well, there now, it was me
and my little Benjamin, as he was then, there's no use in hiding of
it,--and what do you think my husband's uncle sent me but a plaster of
Paris image of a young woman, that was,--well, her appearance wasn't
respectable, and I had to take and wrap her up in a towel and poke her
right into my closet, and there she stayed till she got her head broke
and served her right, for she was n't fit to show folks.
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