and as nothing was said about moral restrictions, that worthy
friend of the thirsty and weary traveller kept it in the good
old-fashioned way of giving customers what they wanted and asking no
questions. He would much rather, Chapman said, have seen it put to a
less profane use, but as Bright was a responsible tenant, and could pay
more rent than any one else, the morality had to sink in the necessity.

A few months passed and the Chapmans were set up in New York, in a
spacious and well-furnished house on the east side of Bowling Green.
Chapman was soon busy looking after the affairs of the great firm of
Topman and Gusher, which I need scarcely tell the reader was a creation
of his. Mrs. Chapman soon had enough to do at pushing her way into
society. But the more she pushed the more did little social obstructions
seem to rise up and defeat her efforts. She would associate with
first-rate society, she said, or none; and Mattie should be introduced
and shine in the "upper circles."

Bowling Green stood on its dignity in those days. There were very nice
and very old families living there then, and they kept themselves rolled
up in their wealth and comfort, and looked coldly down on all new and
pretentious people. West Bowling Green, too, put on airs of superiority
over East Bowling Green, which it affected to designate with the term
"rather vulgar." They were quiet, well brought up people on the West
side, people who had made a family name and were proud of it, whose
superior enterprise and genius had raised them above ordinary people,
and who had acquired wealth by honorable means.

There was, indeed, a charm about these families, made more attractive by
the simplicity and gentleness of their manners, for they were refined,
and entertained their friends generously. In short, West Bowling Green
and a portion of the Battery had at that day a social empire of its
own, which had a flavor of rich old wine about it, and was as distinct
as distinguished in all its surroundings. It rode in its own carriage,
had orderly and well-dressed coachmen, wore an air of great
circumspection, dined at five o'clock, and lived like a well-bred
gentleman.

East Bowling Green had begun to lose cast, and, indeed, was under a
cloud socially. Its society was made up of new, fast, and somewhat showy
people, whose antecedents it was difficult to get at, (at least West
Bowling Green said so,) and who, for want of a family reputation, put on
the a