Woman's Trials; Or, Tales and Sketches from the Life around Us — John Shaqi
Woman's Trials; Or, Tales and Sketches from the Life around UsArthur, T. S. (Timothy Shay)
General
Woman's Trials; Or, Tales and Sketches from the Life around Us
Arthur, T. S. (Timothy Shay)
Women -- Conduct of life -- Fiction; Women -- Fiction
IN due time, Mrs. Darlington removed to a house in Arch Street, the
annual rent of which was six hundred dollars, and there began her
experiment. The expense of a removal, and the cost of the additional
chamber furniture required, exhausted about two hundred dollars of the
widow's slender stock of money, and caused her, to feel a little
troubled when she noticed the diminution.
She began her new business with two boarders, a gentleman and his wife
by the name of Grimes, who had entered her house on the recommendation
of a friend. They were to pay her the sum of eight dollars a week. A
young man named Barling, clerk in a wholesale Market Street house, came
next; and he introduced, soon after, a friend of his, a clerk in the
same store, named Mason. They were room-mates, and paid three dollars
and a half each. Three or four weeks elapsed before any further
additions were made; then an advertisement brought several
applications. One was from a gentleman who wanted two rooms for himself
and wife, a nurse and four children. He wanted the second story front
and back chambers, furnished, and was not willing to pay over sixteen
dollars, although his oldest child was twelve and his youngest four
years of age--seven good eaters and two of the best rooms in the house
for sixteen dollars!
Mrs. Darlington demurred. The man said--
"Very well, ma'am," in a tone of indifference. "I can find plenty of
accommodations quite as good as yours for the price I offer. It's all I
pay now." Poor Mrs. Darlington sighed. She had but fifteen dollars yet
in the house--that is, boarders who paid this amount weekly--and the
rent alone amounted to twelve dollars. Sixteen dollars, she argued with
herself, as she sat with her eyes upon the floor, would make a great
difference in her income; would, in fact, meet all the expenses of the
house. Two good rooms would still remain, and all that she received for
these would be so much clear profit. Such was the hurried conclusion of
Mrs. Darlington's mind.
"I suppose I will have to take you," said she, lifting her eyes to the
man's hard features. "But those rooms ought to bring me twenty-four
dollars."
"Sixteen is the utmost I will pay," replied the man. In fact, I did
think of offering only fourteen dollars. "But the rooms are fine, and I
like them. Sixteen is a liberal price. Your terms are considerably
above the ordinary range."
The widow sighed again.
If the man heard this sound, it did not touch a single chord of feeling.
"Then it is understood that I am to have your rooms at sixteen
dollars?" said he.
"Yes, sir. I will take you for that."
"Very well. My name is Scragg. We will be ready to come in on Monday
next. You can have all prepared for us?"
"Yes, sir."
Scarcely had Mr. Scragg departed, when a gentleman called to know if
Mrs. Darlington had a vacant front room in the second story.
"I had this morning; but it is taken," replied the widow.
"Ah! I'm sorry for that."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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