The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1865-08-07

1iSSurTIIVASOi1, III GA1o VI u0 oty ~ VI VIZ.
English hospitality All the grand
furniture in the mansion on Hay Hill
had, been covered up since September,
when his lordship and her ladyship
went out of town. The carpets in the
grand saloons were rolled up. the
chandeliers wrapped in yellow gauze;
the pictures the samedreadful grim
old pictures there were, Of noblemen
in curly wigs, and ladies' in hoop pet
ticeats and shockingly low dresses
and the rich silver and parcel gilt plate
of which my Lord Millamant, being so
great q nobleman, had a vast quantity,
was safe and sound in four oak chests,
clamped with lion, at Messrs. Doublon
& Moydor's, the bankers in Fleet
street; it was q good plan to send ones
silver to the bankers, for there were
plenty of housebreakers about in those
days, and no police except the wheezy
old constables, and the Bow street red
walstcOats.
ssIt was on the 21st of December,
1919, that your humble servant re-.
ceived post letter, franked by Mr..
Tubwel, one of the county members
for Darkshire, for my Lord N1illamant
was always too generous with his
franks, and never had any to.spare for
himself. The letter was from his lord
ship, and, in his usual kind style,
though tolmy very grcatsurprise, told
me that he and the countess were
coming up to spend Christmas in Lon
don. All the time I had been in their
service, then four years come that
Christmas day, they had kept it at
Cartfol Hall. However, there was no
mistalzing my lords directions. He
always gave them himself, for her
ladyship, saving her memory, wac one
of the LATEST creatures living. and
never did anything much beyond ly-
ing on sofa, and talking to her gray
and her green parrot. i. I was to have
the carpets laid down, the furniture
thoroughly busted, all the beds we'll
aired; for my lord WAS to bring COM
pany with him from Darkshire; and I
was to get the plate from the bankers,
and have it all we'll cleaned for q grand
banquet my lord intended to give on
Christmas day. Enclosed in the letter
was slip of paper, containing an or
der to the bankers to deliver the plate
to me, or to MIR. Beeswing, the butler;
and which, as fin. us 1 can recollect,
ran thus: =
| CARTFou HALL, Dec. 19, 1919
MEssRs. DoyBLoN IL MoYDoR: Please
deliver the four boxes marked A, B,
&, ID, containing the plate left in your
care, to Mrs. -, or Samuel Bees
wing, my servants, bearers of this.
(Signcd) MILLAMANT.
''Therc WAS his lortlship's signature,
certainly; but somehow the name
seemed written in ! larger and more
tremulous hand than usual. The is
weren't dotted, nor the ts crossed, in
his lordship's general style, but still
the remainder of the letter was like
enough to him, and the cover bore the
Cartfoal post-mark. I showed it to
MIR. Beeswing, who laughed at my
doubts, could swear the handwriting
was my lords throughout, and said it
was very likely that there had been
merry doings at C,,rtfoil Hall during
the week, that my lord had taken
t'other bottle overnight, and that his
hand was rather shalzy the next
morning
Auu you may De sure, ADDED
Beeswing, that his lordship punished
the small beer, if he did have t'other
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"
"However, Notwithstanding Bees
wing $ confidence in the letter, WASH t
quite satisfied. 4 darcsay it's very
nervous and silly Of me, Beeswing, I
said, but it behoovcs lis all to be care
full. I shall take this letter to Wild
Mr.. Will. He knows my lords hand
well enough, and I shall see what he
says to it,
"Now Wild Mr.. Will, as we SER
wants, many of whom had known him
since he was q baby in long clothes,