The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1863-05-14

about Wich folks like you and me, Harper
= know 50 little. | met him, years ago, at
watering place, and he is very polite, as yor
, saw, but we have never got beyond the pre-
liminaries of acquaintanceship." ..i
r Little did we think, while thus talking O
Mr.. Richard Staunton, that he had come t.
offer me the very preferment among Others
q that | should have selected, had | had my
choice in all England but 50 it proved. Ever
$ before we had arrived at my door, he had in.
quired out my humble cottage and sat in my
4 ~parlour. And when he assured me that | was
no stranger to him by report-that he sought
me out as a special tutor to his nephew, Sil
Frederick Staunton, | was SO taken by sur
prise that the room seemed to whirl round
and round before my eyes, and [ was doubt
$ less guilty Of some extravagant conduct.
'Oakleigh Parva,'' said Mr.. Staunton, 'has
recently been vacated by Mr.. Trump, who
has accepted a colonial bishopric. Thehouse
is pleasant, the garden fine, and the stipend,
with the Easter-offerings, may be worth five
or six hundred a year, Besides this l
propose to offer you two hundred and fifty
pounds additional as a special tutor to the
young heir, whom | desire that you shall
watch over, read with him, and direct his
studies. SIN two years" continued Mr.. Rich
ard, your pupil will arrive at mans estate.
And if yon please him he will owe you and
your lady a debt of gratitude which he will
doubtless be anxious to pay. The rectory OF
Burlington viii doubtless be one of the first
vacancies in his gift. You know Burlington
rectory, | believe p
Know the spot! I should think 1 did, for
my poor father had been vicar of a ~neighbor-
ing parish and, as a child and schooI-boy,
IoJ Ian, ,,gaJ m appci1or tho ,.a1+O. of Phil
ingdon, with his glebe, his handsome house,
almost hidden by rhododendrons, and flower
ing shrubs, with the smoothest of lawns, the
mellowest Of peach walls, and the Suggest
of stables, as a prince of the church. The
great and small tithes, taken together, made
up a fat and comfortable income, equal to that
OF most deans. This living had long been
enjoyed by the Hon. and Rev. Cecil DOGGY,
d. D., and | knew that the old gentleman was
above eighty years Of age.
"But there is one stipulation would name
in behalf Of Sir Frederick continued Mr.,
Stanton. Oakleigh, though healthy, is bleak,
and my nephew is accustomed to a more shell
tered abode-his room, if you please, mast
have a south aspect, and be airy and large,
with a good fireplace"
OF course myself and Mrs. Harper made no
objection. If Mr.. Staunton had stipulated
that we should camp, gypsy fashion, in the
woods about the yicarage, | believe Clara ard
lwouldhaveagreed so eager Wereto getaway
to this new land Of promise. could not but
feel that the salary offered for my care OF the
young barOnet was q liberal one, and | had
not much doubt that [ was a sufficiently good
scholar to be his tutor, though [ felt rather
awkward as | mentioned, that Of modern
tongues | was almost wholly Ignorant. Ny
wife, too, was a little nervous at the idea of
the responsibility we We're about to incur, but
the benificent visitor gently ridiCuIed our
s~cruples.
s.Sir Frederick" said he, '.has been for
years abroad, with his mother, and is well
uersed in modern languages, but his classical
education has been comparatively neglected.
His studies in history, too, are probably some
what backward but it was the dying wish Of
my poor sister-inlaw-a most excellent VOL
man-that he should enter parliament, and
assume the position which belongs to the
head of the Stauntons. And | am sure that
Mrs. Harper, in spite Of her youth, is the best
of nurses in sickness-at least such is the re-
port / have had of her. But Cooking at his
watch,) with your kind permission, | must
now leave. We shall soon meet again, Mr.,
Harper, and meantime my solicitor, MIR. Stokes
will call Oh you to adjust all necdful formali-
ties"
In due time time l was presented and III
Quoted by the bishop, on production OF my
testimonials, without any demur, as vicar Of
Oakleigh Parva and as soon as "a curate could
be found to supply my place, we took leave
Of our friends and Twistley, and joyfully re-
moved to our new abode. The parsonage was
a pretty house, in good repair, standing on a
rising ground, that overlooked the matched
roofs and farmstead Of the hamlet of Oakleigh
Parva. The parish was wide, but the popu-
lation small, and the church a thoroughly rus
tic one. There was no resident squire, but
most of the land belonged to the Stauntons,
whose ancestral residence, however, Stauntoa
Dene, was nearly ten miles off, and was sew
cred by other properties from the outlying
estate. Oakleigh Parva had been a portion
Of the contiscated possessions of the church,
and had belonged to the great monastery
which stood at Twistley ages before a factory
chimney arose III the place. The ruins of tie
succursal cell, called the "NIonk's House"
were still distinctly visible in an orchard with
in rifle shot Of the parsonage. The gray stones
lay in shapeless heaps among the gnarled ap-
pie trees. AS for our new dwelling, it was
very snug, though built in the reign Of james
the First; and the ch rem screamed with de-
light when they saw It's high pitched roof,
quaint porch, matted with sweetbrier and
woodbine, the trim lawn and strawberries, the
huge old sun-dial, that had told of the suns
march for centuries, the big old 1.-THE barn,
and the paddock starry with daisies.
The rooms were for the most part small,
but very comfortable, with theiroak wainscotS,
and the Rev. Mr.. Thrunp's furniture was bet
ter than any that we had had the use Of dur
ing our married life. Anything so heartfelt
as the happiness Of Clara and the children,
on settling, | never beheld. There was no
great hurry, fot it was yet carly spring, and
our important pupil was not to come to us till
the summer, but still we thought it best to
assign his room at once.
1T a@at be the green room, my dear, . said
Clara, making an inroad into the study
how little | had dreamed, two months earlier,
of such learned retirement where | sat pen
ming the first sermon | was to preach in the lit
tie pulpit of Oakleigh Parva-'it must be
the green. room, my dear No other Wild
at all
was called back from the Lamentationg of
jeremiah by this address, and smiled as | told
Clara l would 'leave it to her.
.Butdo come, Philip-ah but you must, to
please me, . coaxed Clara, for no other room
in the house will do for St Frederick, and this
is $pcb a nice one. Do come"
So | did what any sensible man would have
done under the circumstances l laid down
my pen, and obeyed.
The chamber alluded to was a veryniceroom
indeed it was on the first floor; it was large
and airy, considering the antiquity Of the
house; and it had three windows, half hidden
by the Ivy without, but on which the yellow
sunbeams fell pleasantly.
y south aspect, Philip, said Clara, magis-
~terially-'you know Mr.. Richard Staunton
was so rery particular about a south aspect for
his nephew's apartment.
where the birds were singing their spring
hymns already, and whence in due season, the
sweet scent al fall the Droflsiou of old fashioned