Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1860-04-04
WILD M MR. WILL.
A STORY THAT WAS HUsHED UP.

was housekeeper to my Lord Millamant
The story am telling you has to do with th
winter of that same year. A bitter winter I
was. Frosts three weeks long, and deluas
of mud whenever there was thaw. CoalE
bred, and meat frightfully dear. The pod
crying out fit to make your heart break, ans
the taxes as heavy as hard dumplings. O'i
taxes were paid for us, thank goodness, eve
to that on the hair powder with which th|
footmen plastered their heads. We were al
well fed and we'll cared for, for my Lord Mills
mant was for too proud and rich noblemaI
to put US on board wages when he went ou
of town, and always said that he liked to SCI
his servants plump and rosy. 1t didn't matte
to him how much the butchers and baker
bills came to. He had immense estates il
Darkshire, and two or three comfortable thing
they used to call sinecures in those days; bd
Sides wasn't there his wife, the late Miss 'Ia !.
hires rich Indian fortune?
Ny Lord Millamant had been away from
London during hanting season. He had
pack hounds at Cartfi.:l Hall. fth, fa,nil|
name was CaFtfoitJ DarEshire, and had beet
entertaining all the gentry of the country sid |
with many of the nobility from London, IL
the true style Of old English hospitality. All
the grand furniture in the mansion on HaE
Hill had been covered up since Septembe
when his lordship and her ladyship went o, {
of town. The carpets in the grand saloon
we're rolled up; the chandeliers wrapped il
yellow gauze; the pictures the same-drcad
full grim old pictures there were, Of noblemeE
in curly wigs, and ladies in hoop petticoatE
and shockingly low dresses-and the ricE
silver and parcel gilt plate of which my Lor
Milamant, being so great nobleman, had
vast quantity, was safe aud sound, in fou
chests elamped with iron at Messrs. DoubloE
and Moy doris the bankers in Fleet street; I
was good plan 10 send ones silver to thE
bankers, for there we're plenty of housebreal8
ers about in those days, and no police, exceE
the wbeezy old constables, and the Bow-stre$5
red waiscoats.
1t was on the 2lst Of Dece mber, 1919, thsss
your humble servant received a post letteB 3
ranked by Mr.. Tubwell, one of the count
members for Darkshire, for my Lord Milf
mant was always too generous with his frankN
and never had any to spare for himself. THI
letter was from his lordship, and, in his usu|
kind style, though to my very great surpris
told me that he and the countess were comir 81
up to spend Christmas in London. All tlN
time had been in their service, then foFS
years come that Chritmas day, they had ke#
it at Cartfoil Hall. However, there was
mistaking my Lords directions. He alwa Il
gave them himself, for her Ladyship, savir n
her memory, was On, of the LATEST creatur S
living, and n,v,r did anything much beyol u
lying on sofa, and talking to her grey aI
her green psrlot. was to have the carp&
laid down, the furniture thoroughly busted,
all the J eds well aiel; for my Lord was to
bring company with him from Darkshire, and
was to get the plate ir,m The bankers, and
have it all well cleaned for grand banquet
M Lord intended to give on Christmas day.
Eavloscd IN the let;e, was a slip of paper con.
tanning o,d,r to the bankers to deliver the
plate to me, or to Nr. Be, swing, the butler;
and which, rs far as can recollect ran thus
CARrrorL HALL, December 18th, 1919.
Messrs Eoablon aid Moydor,
Please deliver the four boxes marked a, B,
G, d, containing the plate left in your care,
to MIS-. -, or Samuel Beeswing, my
servants, bearers Of this. (signed)
MILLAMANT.
There was his Lordship's signature, Ger
tainly; but somehow the name seemed writ.
tenin larger and moe trcmulous hand
than usual. The is weren't dotted, nor the
is crossed in his Lordships general style, but
still the remain !cr of the letter was like
enough to him, and the cover bore the Cart,
foil postmark. shovel it t. Mr.. Beeswing,
who laughed at my doubts, could swear the
handwriting was my Lords throughout, and
said it was very likely that there had been
II. erry doings ut Cartfoil Hall during the
week, that my Lord had taken t'other bottle
overnight, and that bis hand was rather shaky
the next morning.
"And you MAJ be sure," added Beeswing,
"that his lordship punished the small beer,
if he did have ,'o,her bottle" The quality
drank small beer then, the morning after.
Soda.water was invented, but was thought
bad for the stomach, and wasn't at all the
fashion.