Pencil Sketches; or, Outlines of Character and MannersLeslie, Eliza
General
Pencil Sketches; or, Outlines of Character and Manners
Leslie, Eliza
Humorous stories; Short stories, American; United States -- Social life and customs -- 19th century -- Fiction
"Atwood--Atwood," said Aunt Quimby, "I know the name very well. Is not
your father Charles Atwood, who used to keep a large wholesale store in
Front street?"
"I have the happiness of being that gentleman's daughter," replied the
young lady.
"And you live up Chestnut now, don't you--among the fashionables?"
"My father's house _is_ up Chestnut street."
"Your mother was a Ross, wasn't she?"
"Her maiden name _was_ Ross."
"I thought so," proceeded Mrs. Quimby; "I remember your father very
well. He was the son of Tommy Atwood, who kept an ironmonger's shop down
Second street by the New Market. Your grandfather was a very obliging
man, rather fat. I have often been in his store, when we lived down that
way. I remember once of buying a waffle-iron of him, and when I tried it
and found it did not make a pretty pattern on the waffles, I took it
back to him to change it: but having no other pattern, he returned me
the money as soon as I asked him. And another time, he had the kitchen
tongs mended for me without charging a cent, when I put him in mind that
I had bought them there; which was certainly very genteel of him. And no
wonder he made a fortune; as all people do that are obliging to their
customers, and properly thankful to them. Your grandfather had a
brother, Jemmy Atwood, who kept a china shop up Third street. He was
your great-uncle, and he married Sally Dickison, whose father, old Adam
Dickison, was in the shoemaking line, and died rich. I have heard Mr.
Quimby tell all about them. He knew all the family quite well, and he
once had a sort of notion of Sally Dickison himself, before he got
acquainted with me. Old Adam Dickison was a very good man, but he and
his wife were rather too fond of family names. He called one of his
daughters Sarah, after his mother, and another Sarah, after his wife;
for he said 'there couldn't be too many Sally Dickisons.' But they found
afterwards they could not get along without tacking Ann to one of the
Sarahs, and Jane to the other. Then they had a little girl whom they
called Debby, after some aunt Deborah. But little Debby died, and next
they had a boy; yet rather than the name should be lost, they christened
him Debbius. I wish I could remember whether Debbius was called after
the little Debby or the big one. Sometimes I think it was one and
sometimes t'other--I dare say Miss Atwood, you can tell, as you belong
to the family?"
"I am glad that I can set this question at rest," replied Miss Atwood,
smiling heroically; "I have heard the circumstance mentioned when my
father has spoken of his great-uncle Jemmy, the chinaman, and of the
shoemaker's family into which uncle Jemmy married, and in which were the
two Sallys. Debbius was called equally after his sister and his aunt."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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