Staunton vindicator and general advertiser. (Staunton, Augusta County, Va.) 1858-1860, 1859-11-18

lterposed Mrs. Beddington' Let me nave
! plain answer. Which Of you did Dir.
Headlong propose to 7"
! uMe. mamma p s.Me, mammal ex
claimed Matilda and Charlotte with one
voice.
*.What !" cried Mrs. Beddington, in as
tonishment, while Miss Beddington raised
her eyes from letter she was reading
which bore the ssCcres" postmark, and for
the first time showed symptoms Of interest.
1T was in the tent ROOM" said Char
lotte, breathlessly.
ut was on the tigers back" gasped Ma
tilda.
1.-THE power Of uaiting on main points
and sinking trisNn s~IHerences." improvlsed
Mr.. Beddington from the passage before
him, '.exists but imperfectly, when it is
supplied by ministry threatening to re-
sign, or by an official declaration that IN
less it's proposals are carried it will give up
the whole plan, then the minor party are
abandoned, and combination is produced ;
bu: it is the result Of an external influence.
not Of conviction from within"
II wish to God, Mr.. Beddington. :
screamed his helpmate, ''you would pay
some attention to the convictions at our own
breakfast table Here has this Mr.. Head
long, whom you must needs ask to dinner
without anybody knowing why or where
fore, been proposing to two Of our girls at
the same timer
ssGod bless me" said Mr.. Beddington,
lowering the Times till his full-orbed spec
tacles were seen cleaning like two pale
moons above it, you don't say SOL"
Eyes, do say so-and Matty says 80,
and Lolita says SC" .
'sPm sure he couldn't -"I'm certain
he didn't" sobbed both the young ladies
in chorus. '.He asked me to have him
lust before Flinders brought the tray in, :,
| sit was after / mixed him some whiskey
and water" HE proposed to me first"
l"He asked me last" Thus ran the duet
between the enraged sisters, growing more
and more spiteful toward each other ashley
proceeded, and thinking less Of wrong than
Of rivalry. At this juncture they both
burst into tears and buried their faces in
their pocket handkcrchiefs, while Mr.. Bed
Idington safe mute with surprise, and his
wife grew purple with rage The elder
sister, who had preserved her equanimity
Throughout, then spoke.
/ L think he must be mad. mamma-he
proposed to me, too. My refusal very like
! ~ excited him. It's always the way mad
,ncn 90 aud do things
The pensive Emily here made her ap-
pearance with the red book, her slender fin
ger shut in at the page she had beer seek
Ing
s.Give me tho book, child" said hea
mamma. eagerly snatching it. why
what's this? Where have you been look
ing? This is tue aImanacp'
| Its Saint Polycarp's day, mamma,
replied the little Puseyitite Il thought
I'd just sec how long it is before Rogations
for Pascaps fete-
''Stuff and nonsense. interrupted Mrs
Beddington You're all Of you enough
to drive me wild Let me look-he mus
be Lord Of the Treasury at least to &C.
|count for his impudence'
Whats the matter e. whispered Emily
to Miss Beddington. "What are Matty
and Lolita crying for y
"rhat Mr. Headlong proposed to US all
three last night that's all, = replied Isabel.
la, calmly.
..Lor well-I never! What wicked
man! Well, then, I'll tell you what he
said to me when | went to show him the
picture of St. Ignatius in the second libra.
Try. He said he could turn Jesuit for my
sake, only that the order were forbidden t.
marry. didn't at all know what he meant
at the time, because as I'm engaged to Pas
zeal, never fancied for moment--bu now
I'm sure Of it, for | recollect he squeezed
my hand as he spoke. nd-and-the door
began to creak, and Flinders put his head
in and we came away"
What might have happened if Flinders
had not accidentally come to the rescue
Emily never said; and even if she had in.
tended to say more, her explanation was
cut short by Mrs. Beddington dashing the
red book on the table in passion.
s'Upon my word and honor, Mr.. Bed
dington," she said, as if Le were the Of
Tending persen, this rs too bad Why he'i
nothing but junior clerk--eighth sfron
the top. John Boggles,' Peter Drowsy,
and she hastily ran over some more names
-" augustus Headlong, - that's the per
son how dare Charles ask a Junior clerk
to dine in this house How you could be
so silly. Mr.. Beddington, as to admit him
passes my comprehension p
! That gentleman was now fully awakened
to the state Of affairs in his family, and per.
ceived that it was incumbent upon him te
say or do something. His first idea was
protocol, his second blockade; but as
neither Of these diplomatic cxpedients were
applicable 70 tho case in question, he folded
uD the Times, put it in his pocket, and RI
sing from the table, said he should 20 te
his study and ssturn the matter over in his
iown mind.
When he had disappeared, and the con.
clave became altogether feminine, violent
hubbub arose; but after the vituperative
vocabulary had been quite exhausted some.
thing like purpose began to manifest it
self in the sentiments Of its members. -
Their first rush Of indignant feeling calmec
the two principals, Matilda and Charlotte
= after magnanimously and not at all vim
dictively Offering the prize to each other
Joined with the rest in devising plan Q
revenge. Many schemes were suggested
but it was long time before they entirel.
agreed at last it was settled, instead 0
sending .sJohn Prettyman," or ''Brothe
Charles y to call the delinquent out-as hat
been urged though Isabella could not b.
brought to listen to the idea as REGARDED
i the first, nor mamma or any Of the othe