Rensselaer Union, Volume 7, Number 1, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 September 1874 — JOSIAH TODD. [ARTICLE]

JOSIAH TODD.

BY MRS. A. M. FREEMAN.

It was a liappy day for the Todds. It would ho doubt have been a happy day for any one of us had we been so lucky as to have had the Todds’ fortune. An hundred thousand dollars isn’t a small item, especially when .it is successor to so many cents. Josiah Todd had made an investment. Bailie’s fortune had been let down in a shaft leading to a well of pure coal oil, and now it had come up magnanimously, having added to itself a thousand fold. Josiah Todd came into the house, his round, red face all aglow, his little eyes shining happily. “Bailie!” he cried, excitedly, “I’ve been offered a hundred thousand for my share in the well !” “A hundred thousand! oh! Josiah, I hope you have taken it.” “ No, Sallie; it is worth as much to me as to any one. I’ve never been rich. I want to learn how it will seem. It must be mighty tine to be the biggest man in the place. There’s old Plum isn’t a bit finer fellow than I am; he’s wonderfully looked up to. as for Mrs. Plum, she’s only a shadow to you, Sallie; and their Matilda isn’t near so hearty a lookin’ girl as our Polly.” Josiah Todd was a small man—that is, measuring only his length—but if one attempted to consider his breadth he might be counted as a modern Brobdignag. In faet he was a staunch old Knickerbocker, a genuine descendant of the worthy Aldermen who, Washington Irving tells us, cut their garments into strips to measure the boundaries of their land. Josiah Todd could have encompassed a respectable section. Josiah went out into the street. He threw his head back, placed his thumbs in his pocket, tipped his hat a little to one side, and prepared himself thoroughly to do justiee to his new importance. But however much he had felt elated he was scarcely prepared for the extra condescension with which he was greeted. A little way from his own door he met Lawyer Snibbs. Now Bnibbs had often met Todd and had always passed him indifferently, sometimes with a little nod, just the slightest, in fact; then again lie would walk by quickly, paying no more attention to Josiah t ham as though he had not been directly in his way. You see, Todd lived in a little wood-colored frame building —Snibbs lived in a stone front. “How do you do, Mr.'Todd?" said Snibbs, warmly, pulling off his black kid and reaching forth his white hand. “Quite well, I thank you,” said Todd, delighted, and extending his little short, brown hand. “ We must be neighborly, Todd,” said Snibbs. “ I’ve often wondered that your family didn't call. lam sure our young people would be delighted with each other.” “ Why,” said Todd, stammeringly, quite unprepared for this speech, and, in his ignorant simplicity, unable to detect its insincerity, “ I am sure we have been waiting for you. Of cohrse Sallie would be that glad to drink a cup of tea with Mrs. Snibbs, and as for Polly, the child has wished so many times that shexould be near enough to your stylish daughter so that she might "learn exactly how to arrange her back hair. You see, the rats will show.” “ Well, come in, Todd. Come in.. Let us be friendly.” So saying the lawyer passed on. “ Not so bad a fellow, after all,” reflected Todd, “A very pleasant-spoken man. Quite generous .of him to invite us in. I must speak to Sallie. No doubt it is our own fault that we haven’t had friends.” A little further down the street Todd met the doctor of the place. “ How are you, Todd?” said Dr. Beck, grasping Todd’s hand and shaking it as warmly as though Todd had been the grand Mogul himself. “ I -hope you are |

well. Is Mrs. Todd thriving? All of the little Todds lively?” “ Quite well,” answered Todd, rubbing his little fat. fingers together in ecstacy. “That’s a blessing, Todd. When a man can point to so perfect a family as yours—can pronounce them physically healthy, and morally whole—it is a positive proof that he himself has been an honest man in his life, as his fathers be fore him. That’s aristocracy, sir! That’s blood! That’s our nobility!” “ I didn’t know,” said Todd, reflectively, looking after the doctor, “ that Beck was so good natured a fellow. I thought' him short and gruff, a little kind of stuck up, as though lie was better than common folks. A pity that we ain’t any of us sick, so that we could call him in. But Sallie is so healthy, and the young ones are like knots. But here comes Plum. I declare, if he isn’t lifting his hat and bowing —smiling even.” “ I was just thinking of you, Todd. The very man I wanted to see. It was only this morning that my wife gave me instructions to invit«xyourself and family to the excursion. Only the first families of the place are going. We’ve chartered a boat, and intend to have a tiptop time. Do join us, and prevail upon your amiable lady to make one of the party. Nothing will delight the young people so much as to have your son ana daughter of the number.” “Thank you! thank you!” replied Josiah, throwing back his head a little further and stepping prouder as he walked away. When Todd went home that noon it was with the firm determination to render his family worthy of their illustrious head. He carried with him the last guide to etiquette, several fashion'magazines, engaged a dress-maker, rented a brown stone front, gave it over into the hands of the upholsterer, and made speedy preparations for immediate exodus. Sallie begged to be excused from joining the excursion, but as Plum had sent, the invitation Josiah could not permit it to be declined. When the day came he superintended the arrangements himself, feeling assured that getting the feminine portion of his home oft' in style was the most particular part of the whole affair. Josiah, junior, had been dressed by the draper. Ilia coat was black and shining, ’liis hat a silk fur, his vest white, his watch-chain immense, his pants a perfect fit—so pertect, in fact, that the last words from the senior Todd were that he should be careful about making any sudden plunge, or indulging in any of his usually exuberant spirits, for fear of the direful consequences to that perfect fit. Miss Polly was dressed in a gorgeous rainbow silk with a wonderful train and an immense Elizabethan ruff. Josiah himself had donned a blue coat with brass buttons, upon which the American eagle made a wide-spread display. Hiß shirt collar came up high under his ears, three immense studs glistened from his shirt front. His vest was orange, his necktie a delicate salmon.

Through all these arruugements Josiah had felt that Sallie’st was the most trying form to decorate. Sallie was stupendous. The fashionable modiste pulled at corset strings, at buttons, hooks and eyes, until she was fairly black in the face. But Sallie’s form was genuine; flesh, bone and blood were more irrepressible than cotton. With the united efforts of the family poor Sallie was got into a new silk gown. Then came the bonnet, a little crownless thing, half hat, with wide strings tied back of the ears, brought forward under the chin. Sallie sighed in the plebeian depths of her heart for the comforts of her old Sunday dress, but with the firmness of a martyr she endured her torture. Josiah’s happiness had always been more to her tljan her own comfort, and she did think that Josiah was just splendid in the blue coat and brass buttons, though she must say that salmon was a little too red for his complexion. When it came to Sallie’s gloves there was a failure. No amount of puffing and blowing, of pinching and pulling, would work them on. The gloves were kids and Sallie’s hands were flesh. The hands had the best of it, and, do their utmost, the dainty gloves could not get on the outside of them. “Put one thumb in, so,” said Todd, illustrating. “Mrs. Plum always wears hers in that manner, and of course Mrs. Plum is correct.”

“Happy to see you,” said Mr. Plum, as they came on the boat.-“ Mrs. Plum, here is Mrs. Todd and daughter. Here, Sophronia, take charge of Mrs. Tpdd. A fine young man, that son of yours, Todd. Going into the professions? Intellect — there. what we need. Men of the people—those are the only men of principle.” Josiah looked over to his son rather doubtfully. He. had never considered him remarkably bright, in fact had regarded him as rather slow, and perhaps a little stupid. But, of course, if Mr. Plum said that lie was' bright and talented, Mr. Plum knew. He, Josiah Todd, would never dispute that sagacious man’s opinion. Everybody went hv what Plum said. At-tliis stage of his reflections Josiah became alarmed at Sallie’s loquacity. Sallie was the most industrious woman living, and, quite unknowdto Josiah, had managed to smuggle along her knittingwork, and thus she sat in her broadbackcd chair, her 4 feet planted firmly, against the railing, forming, with the bright steel needles glancing in and out, the '.immense proportions of Polly’s stockings. Josiah felt the drops of perspiration breaking out all over him as he paused, listening to Sallie’s uninterrupted flow’ of talk—a recapitulation, heard by hint for at least- the hundredth time. Recipes for all sorts of colds, coughs, catarrhs and influenzas, wonderful stories of ghosts and goblins, little anecdotes of Josiah, junior, and Polly when they were children, etc,.,’etc. Mr. Todd noticed too that the young people were laughing behind Sallie’s broad back. Something must be wrong. He did wish Sallie wasn’t so difficult a subject to dress fashionably. It was with considerable misgiving that Josiah gained a position where he could view Sallie from the rear. What was the poor man’s consternation to find that Sallie’s

chignon had been forgotten, that the little knot of gray hair, not so large as one of the buttons on Mrs. Plum’s redingote, was all there was to fill the empty back.' The front of Sallie’s head was covered with frizzes, the back was as bald and bare as was Josiah’s own. Of course this was a catastrophe, but not more trying than the incident which occurred immediately after. Dinner was announced, and when they came to the table Josiah, junior, seated himself at the head in the Captain’s chair, from which the waiter politely ejected him. In vain did Mr. Plum scowl at his family; the Misses Plum laughed broadly. Poor Josiah blushed scarlet, and in his helpless embarrassment awkwardly destroyed with a spoonful of hot soup the immaculate whiteness of his shirt. Following the book of etiquette was a difficulty to which the Todd family, from pater familias down, were unequal. Knives would go into mouths, bits of meat would fly away from under folks, tea would empty itself into saucers, napkins would slip off to the floor. Josiah thanked his stars devotedly when the day was ended. It was quite out of the question, he saw, that Sallie should ever be equal to polite society. She was as she was, and they must make the best of her. But Polly must be sent to boarding school where she could be properly finished, and Josiah should have a tutor. Hadn’t Plum praised his son and noticed with compliment his -daughter?- Plum wanted to see him about the election. Plum was talking of running for representative, and had said just the day before that lie considered himself as good as elected if he secured his—Todd’s—influence. All of the working men would go with Todd. They knew that he was no fraud. He was no railroad speculator, no bloated bondholder, no thieving monopolist.

At Mr. Plum’s a most cordial welcome awaited him when he called on the following afternoon. Mr. Plum was absent, but Mrs. Plum and her daughter Sophronia, though they were dressed for a grand dinner party at Col. Purseproud’s, the richest and most aristocratic family in town, greeted him with great affability. And Miss Sophronia, dear, artless girl! advanced to meet him, and placing her outstretched hands in his inquired sweetly after the health of Josiah, Jr., and her lovely friend Polly, and that dear, good-hearted woman, Mrs. Todd. Josiah was quite overcome by such kindness. He did not stay long, for Mr. Plum was out of town, and our plain Josiah could not long sustain conversation in ladies’ society,hut departed, after being warmly urged by the ladies to be sure and come again qn the following day, when’ Mr. Plum would-be at home, and would be so glad to see him. The next day Josiah went. .Poor, unsuspecting Josiah! Why did not some kindly fate check thy steps, even on the marble threshold of that dwelling, and preserve thy faith in human nature intact? The kindly fates were all busy elsewhere, doubtless, and ft was a very 111-condiiioned sprite that led him up tlio steps and guided his hand as it rang the bell of Plum’s door.

The servant showed him in. Plum was expecting him—had given orders that he was at liOme to no one but Todd. “ Mr. Todd!” announced the servant, throwing open the door of the family sitting-room, not noticing that Todd had left the waiting-room and was just behind. Josiah stepped to one side. ‘‘That vulgar Todd!” said Mrs. Plum. “ How can you abide such people? If that creature in his yellow vest and salmon necktie isn’t the most ridiculous specimen of shoddy I ever saw.” “ Hush! hush!” cried Plum, alarmed. “ I left him in the waiting-room,” said the servant. “ I am sure that I had just as soon he would hear as not. The idea that you should insist upon Sophronia, the dear, particular child, associating with those vulgar Todds. The very name is enough. It is a shame, Plum, that you insist upon our countenancing them.” “Todd has influence, my dear. His gold is as patrician in its ring as that of the Mayor. Todd will work for our party, which means that he will work for me. After election it will be easy enough to throw him off This is done every day. Such men are used only as a means. After the end is attained the means are laid aside. 1 w T ill dispense with Todd when I am representative. Show the man in.” Todd had heard enough. He walked out of Plum’s house, shaking the dust from his feet, went home and repeated the conversation to Sallie. “ And I didn’t wait,” said he, in Conclusion', “ until the servant came back. 1 have made up my mind, Sallie, to iive for our own comfort, to leave Polly to act like the sensible girl that she is, to let Josiah go on and finish learning his trade, for no doubt he will make a better mechanic than gentleman. As for you, Sallie, you newte’t wear the frizzes and the chignon, and the rug, and the bustlq, and the train; but may just take to your old plain ways again. As for me, Plum shan’t be representative.” Nor was he. Josiah laid aside his yellow vest and buff necktie, and when Plum met him on the street so- attirfed he felt that he had a formidable antagonist, one who was too sensible to run the risk of being snubbed after election. Josiah’s fortune was no bubble. Ilis luck had been genuine. In all of the country there is not a more hospitable house or politer family—a hospitality and politeness born of innate goodness rather than of wealth. —Our Fireside Friend. —The tobacco-growers of Connecticut arc fast recovering from the dejection caused by the inferiority of their product last year and the dullness of the trade for several months past. The prospects for this year’s crop are excellent in nearly all parts of the State as regards both quantity and quality, and the harvesting has begun in good earnest. The failure of the crops in many parts of the South and West enhances the hope of selling this year’s yield to advantage. —There is not in all the State of Texas a single Universalist church edifice or church organization.