Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1858-06-26

In the course of the day had my toes trodden
on, was Knocked about by my own furniture,
the SIX men in baize aprons dropped all sorts
OF small articles over me in going up aud down
stairs; but Mrs. Badgery escaped unscathed.
Every time thought she had been turned ou t
Oh the house, she proved, on the contrary to be
groaning close behind me. She wept over Mr..
Badgery.s memory in every room, perfectly
undisturbed to the last, by the chaotic confu
sion OF moving in. L am not sure, but think
she brought tin box of sandwiches with her
and celebrated fearful picnic of her own i'm
the groves of my front garden. L say l am
not sure Of this; but am positively certain
That never entirely got rid Of her all day !;
anu L know to my cost that she insisted on
making Inc as well acquainted MIR. Badgery's
favorite notions and habits rs L am with my
own. 1t may interest the reader if L report
that my taste in carpets is not equal TO
MIR. Badgery's; that my ideas on the subject of
servants wages are not so generous as Mr.
Badgery's; and that ignorantly persisted in
placing sofa in the position which Mr.. Bad
gerry, IN his time, considered to be particularly
htted for an armchair. l could go nowhere,
look now here, do nothing, say nothing, all that
day, without bringing the widowed incubus in
the Grape garments down upon me immediate
ly ! tried civil remonstrance, tried rude
speeches, tried sulky silence-nothiDg had
the least effect on her. The memory OF Mr..
she warded off my fercest attacks. Not until
the last article of furniture had been moved
In, did lose sight of her; and even then she
had not really left the house One of my six
men In green baize aprons routed her out of
the back garden area, where she was telling
my servants, with floods Of tears of Mr.. Bad
gerys virtuous strictncss with his housemaid
In the matter of followers. My admirable man
IN green baize courageousIy saw her ou II and
smut the garden door after her. / gave him
half crown on the spot and if anything hap
pens to him, L am ready to make the future
prosperity Of his fatherless family my own pc
culiar care
The next day was Sunday. 1 attended
morning service at my new parish church. A
popular preacher had been announced, and the
building was crowded. 1 advanced a little
way up the nave, and looked to my right, and
saw no room. Before could turn to my left.
felt hand laid persuasively on my arm. /
turned rOund-and there was Mrs Badgery,
with her pew door open, solemnIy beckoning
me in. The crowd had closed up behind NE
the eyes of dozen members of the congrega-
ton, at least were fixed on me- | had no
cholce but to save appearances and accept the
dreadful Invitation. There was vacant place
next to the door of the pew. L tried to drop
INTO 1T, but Mrs. Badgery stopped me. CHS
seat, she whispered, and signed To me to
place myself on the other side of her Ii is
unnecessary to say that had to climb over a
hassOck, and that / knocked down all Mrs.
Badgery' s devotional books before succeeded
In passing between her and the front of the
pew She cried uninterruptedly through she
service; composed herself when it was over
and began to tell me what Mr.. Badgery's
opinions had been in points Of abstract the
oiogy. Fortunately there was great confusion
aud crowding at the door Of the church and
escaped, at the hazard Of my life by running
a haek tft he. I \ Al
interval between the services alone in The
fields, icing deferred from going home by the
lear that Mrs. Badgery might have got there
before me.
Monday came. positively ordered my SER
wants to let no lady in deep mourning pass in
side the garden-d door, without first consulting
me- After that, feeling tolerably secure, [
occupied myself IN arranging my books and
prints L had not pursued this employ ment
much more than an hour, when one Of tie SER
wants burst excitabiy into the room. and in
formed me that lady in deep mourning had
been taken faint. just outside ny door, and
arrived just in time to see it violently pushed
open by an oficlous and sympa;hizing crowd.
lhey drew away on either side as they saw
me There she was, leaning on the grocer s
shoulder, with the butchers boy liz attendance
carrying her camp-stool Leaving my servants
to do what they liked with her, L ran back and
locked myself up IN my bedroom. When she
evacuated the premises, some hours afteI-
wards, l received a message in apu gy, in-
forming me that this particular Monday was
the sad anniversary of her wedding day, and
that she had been taken faint in cons uence,
at the sight of her lost husband house
Tuesday forenoon passed away happily,
without any new invasion. After lunch
thought would 90 out and take walk My
Ssrden-dOor has 4 sort of peep-hole In it, COW
cred with wire grating. As got close to the
grating, L thought / saw something mystcri-
ously dark on the outer side of it, 1 bent my
head down to look through, and instantly found
myself face to face with the Grape veil. ''Sweet,
sweet spot" said the mufilcd voice, speaking
straight into my eyes through the grating
The usual groans followed. and the name 0f
Mr.. Badgcry vas plaint vey pronounced be-
fore L could recover myself sufficiently to re-
treat to the house.
Wednesday is the day on which am writing
this narrative. 1t is not twelve O'Clock yet,
and there is every probability that some new
form OF sentimental persecution is in store for
me before the evening. Thus far these lines
contain perfectly true statement of Mrs Bad
gerry conduct towards Inc since [ entered on
the possession of my house and her shrine =?
What am l to do that is the point wish to
insist on-what am to do How am to get
away from the memory Of Mr.. Badgery, and
the unappeasable grief Of his disconsolatc
hhy oIheT spcCies vi INVASION III Is
possible to resist but how is a man placed in
my unhappy and unparalleled circumstances
to defend himself? L can't keep n dog ready
to fly at Mrs. Badgery. L can't charge her at
police court with being oppressively fond of
the house in which her husband died l can't
setmantraps for woman, or prosecute weep
ing widow as trespasser and u nuisance. l
am helplessly involved in the unrelaxiDg folds
of Mrs. Badgery's Grape veil. Surely there
was no exaggcration in my language when
said that l was a sufferer under a perfectly
new grievance! Can nybody advise me ? Has
any body even the faintest and remotest expe-
rience Of the peculiar form Of persecution un-
der which [ am now suffering? If nobody
has, is there any legal gentleman in the united
kingdom who can answer the all-important
question which appears at the head of this
narrative? l began by asking that question
because it was uppermOst in my mind. 1t is
uppermost in my mind STILL and therefore
beg leave to conclude appropriately by asking
it again: .,-...., .....
Is there any law in England which will pro-
tect me from Mrs. Badgery?
DLACK LACE SHAWLS AND SILK MAN