Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1857-03-26

ton rooms, but more commonly In the great
chambers where he puts his guests. These
chambers are colossal, with huge carved
pillars bearing up armament of needle
work, and dressing-closets large enough for
dining rooms. Every person of note who
could or could not by possibility, or date, Or
circumstance, have slept therein, has had
the credit of passing night within Trema-
dyn House, from the Wandering Jew,
Shakespeare, Queen Elizabeth, down to
Charles the First, Peter the Great, and the
late Emperor Nicholas. There has been
more than one murder in the Red room, Sc
veral suicides in the Blue, and one ghost
still haunts those spots in expiation. Ire
madyns in lace cuffs and wigs; in scarlet and
ermine; in armor from top to toe, line both
the galleries-sold by the last Charles Sur
face of a dissolute race, for ten pounds ten
shillings a head.
1 One great Tremadyn dynasty has passed
away; Robert Chetwood, late banker in the
city of London, not so long ago bankers
clerk, now reigaeth in their stead. The
] lTremadyns came in at the time Of the siege
of Jerico or thereabouts, and the Chetwoods
about ten years before the siege Of Sebasto-
pol; but there the advantage ceases. There
is no man kinder to the poor, no man more
courteous to all men, no man, whatever his
quarterinIgs, in all Devonshire, with a bet
ter heart than Robert Chetwood Trema-
dyn House is open to the country, as it ever
was, and his old London friends are not for
gotten; hale and hearty gentleman, in
deed, he is, but he has many troubles; he
is as happy as any man bereaved Of children
can be, and it was the loss of them that made
him buy the house and give up his old haunts
and busy ways
He saw the nursery window wide open to the air,
But the faces of the children they were no longer
there,
and that, whenever it may be, is too sad a
sight to look upon.
But what wife the old man had, to make
up. as it seemed even to me, for all [ say
to me, for one of those lost children, mai
den of seventeen, was my betrothed bride.
the gentlest and most gracious creature eyes
lever looked upon: [ think if could write
ttaly Thoughts Of iar,I sheufd move thosete
tears who never saw her face, when they
read Gertrude died." She gave herself to
me: the old man could never have given her.
[ say no more.
This is why Tremadyn House has become
to me a home. It pleases Robert Chetwood
to have his friends son with him, above all,
because he was his daughters plighted hus-
band, and my fathers friend is trebly dear
to me as Gertrude's father When the
Christmas has dispersed, and the great house
is quite emptied of its score of guests, still
remain with the old couple over the new
year. They call me son, as though [ were
their son, and [ call them my parents. IF
Heaven had willed it so, dear Gertrude and
myself could have hoped for greater welded
happiness, more love between us, than is be-
tween those two. Perhaps" he says with
a smile [ never saw young man wear, s:per-
haps it is that my old eyes are getting dim
and untrustworthy, but Charlotte seems to
be the dearest and most pleasant looking in
all the world" And his wife makes an
swers that her sight is just as little to be
depended upon. To each Of them has come
the silver hair, and the reverence with it
that alone makes it beautiful and if their
steps are slower than inssyouth it is not be-
cause their hearts are heavier; they are in
deed of those, so rare ones. who make us in
love with life down to its close. They al
ways seemed to me as having climbed the hill
together their whole lives long, and never
was more astonished than upon this new
years eve, when, Mrs Chetwood being with
us two in after dinner talk, as custom was,
when all her guests were gone, her husband
told this history. He had always talked
quite openly to me,
A pair of friends, though I was young,
/ And Robert, seventy-two;
and then, at the end of another year of love
and confidence, could not resist inquiring
of them how long they had been one
''Well, on my word, George" said the
dear old lady, you should be more discreet
than to ask such questions"
But her husband answered readily:
''This thirty years. I've been married
man myself this half century,"
"Why you don't mean to say" said I.
eyes, [ do, he Interrupted. tsOf course
[ do. Charlotte has been my wife too long
[ hope to be jealous now Of either Kate or
Mary but I loved them each in turn al
most as dearly as love her. Charlotte, y
he added, turning towards her as she sat in
the greatarm chair, ''you don't mind George
being told about my other two wives, do you
Il don't mind your talking of Mary much -
she answered, "but get over that yonng
Kate's story as quick as you can, please
And really thought [ detected blush
come over her dear old face while she was
speaking.
1t is rather less than half century a.
CO." he began, since [ first set foot in this
beautiful Devon county. l came down on
short holiday from London, in the sum-
mer time, to fish, and brought with me,
besides my rod and basket, portmanteau
| full of clothes and about twenty-five pounds