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The Descent of A Great House
Once upon a time, two brothers inherited a sprawling mansion from their parents. The brothers took great pride and care of their home.
It was humbly furnished, but everything worked perfectly and the furniture was crafted with care to last for a long time. Tom lived in the South Wing, and Dick lived the North Wing. They had everything they needed to live comfortably.
Over time, the family grew and prospered. When the brothers died in a hunting accident, a power struggle came into play, splitting the family into two.
Tom’s family, who wasn’t as familiar with the laws of inheritance as Dick’s family, lost claim to the inheritance. Henceforth, they went from being a family to being The Family (Dick’s) and The Cousins (Tom’s family).
The Cousins continued to live in the South Wing of the house and work at the family farm for a low wage.
The Family loved their things. Now that they were richer than they’d ever been, they weren’t happy with the sensible decor. Every week, they’d add new things to their home and give what they no longer wanted, or what no longer worked properly, to their poorer Cousins.
They saw it as an act of goodwill.
