The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1859-01-05
MISCELLANEOUS.
An Affair of Honor,

For fve-and-forty years I have borne
the name of Peter Smith. Though you
have never heard of me l aatter myself
that my family name will be familiar to
you. I am quiet in my habits, and, be-
lieve, not disposed to interfere with the
rights Of other men yet even this did not
avail to save me some ten years since from
becoming involved in an affair of honor.
Let me tell you how it happened.
At the time of which l speak | was an
inmate of Mrs, Jones's family. I use the
work inmate advisedly, since it was we'll
known that Mrs. Jones never took board
ers. In fact she expressly gave me to un-
derstand that her only inducement in
taking me was the pleasure she expected
to derive from my society-that she was
far above mercenary considerations. or
course felt hattered by the compliment
thus insinuated, though l confess I was
somewhat surprised, since all mercenary
considerations were diselaimed, to be
charged higher rate for board than I
had ever before paid. Still did not de.
mur, feeling certain that I had at length
found home.
Let me describe Mrs. Jones' my hostess.
Physically speaking, should say that she
came of great family, her proportions
being most aristocratic. In her demeanor
toward me she was always very gracious
and condescending for which I felt prop.
erly grateful. She always came to the
table arrayed in stiff satin, the very
rustic of which betrayed her consequence,
and impressed me with sense of my com.
parative insignifcance.
Mrs. Jones had daughter, by name
Sophronia. In external appearance she
was unlike her parent, being exceedingly
tall and slender, while the latter was short
and dumpy. In a copy of verses which
she was kind enough to show me some
enthusiastic young men had the temerily
to call her sylph. do not know much
about sylphs, never having seen one to my
knowledge; but l question very much
whether sylphs have red hair or noses with
an upward tendency. have my doubts
also as to whether sylphs squint. Still
am far from denying that Miss Sophrona
Jones was a sylph, since that belief evi.
dently afforded her satisfaction.
Mrs. Jon SIS table was admirably adap-
ted for valetudinarian There he would
find no dishes of unwholesome richness
nothing indeed, that was calculated to in
duce excess in eating. If, as some ply
sicians have declared. health is best pre-
served by always rising from the table
with an appetite, | was never in fairer
way to secure its blessings than when en-.
joying the gentoel lnsuficiency of Mrs,
ooHeS - H0sp'tdltJ'
About a month after my arrival, con.
versation turned, at the dinner.table
upon concert which was to be given the
same evening by Signora Falfalini.
have poor memory for italian names
but that is the name to the best ef nv
recollection.
Il wish l could GO, ma" said the fail
Sopbronia,
so you could, my doar," replied Mrs
Jones, " if you had a gentleman protector.
Thereupon she began to declaim agains
the customs of society which preclude
lady's attending a place of amusemen
without a gentleman, lamenting that So
phronia had, on this account, been NOR
than once debarred from gratifying he
exquisite taste in music.
OF course l could not, in politeues,
refrain from offering my escort, althoug
/ should thereby he prevented from al
tending the weekly meeting of the club {
which am a member.
Sophronio, in great confusion, said sh
could not think of troubling me.
] began to hope that she wopld nj,