The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-08-20
CURRENT TOPICS.

sites! Ah! when we come to point on which
| think there should be some better understanding
between the "up-stairs and down." When l was
student at the Royal Academy with moderate
allowance from the parental purse, fused to spend
INV Easter week at friends house in the country,
where an establishment was kept on rather large
scale. Ny railway journey there and back, CAP
fares and other little incidental expenses, cost me
on those occasions perhaps somewhat moro tnah
was justified in spending on such an excursion
But on leaving the house tax awaited mo "nlch
really could not afford to pay, and yet from wnlcn
| no young gentleman with any sense OF dignlty
could escape. My friend had solemn butier-out
ofliyery OF course-with q bald head and an air OF
such tremendous Importance that one lnstinctiVe-
" felt lat least did) how delicate task 1t was TO
offer him any gratuity at all, and how utterly I'M
| possible it would have been to OTTER MN
ANYTHING less than gold without positively
insultinr him. The samo argument applied
with equal reason to the housekeeper, q
demure-looking parsonage, who had break
fast served in her own room, and whom
the other servants addressed as ssmum." Then
there was my friends valent. who condescended
to bring me my shaving water in the morning and
laid out my dress coat before dinner. There was
another gentleman in livery who, during the re-
past, came frequently to with offers OF little
sherry little 'ock, sir" and 30 forth. Finally,
there were the groom who brought round our
horses to the door, the gardner who had always
some triaes to offer in the shape OF fruit or Vege
tables as I was leaving (no doubt they thought,
or pretended to think, that I had house and
cuisine OF nv own in town, whereas | lived IN
Bloomsbury lodgings, and my usual dinner con-
sisted Of couple Of chops), and the lodgekeeper'
who touched his hat whenever 1 entered or le1t
the grounds. All these functionaries had, IN turn
to be feed and by the time their walls had been
duly dispensed was generally minus the best half
Of NV last f5 note. Now it seems to me that this
system OF servant-ipping requires revision. IL
falls rather hard on our young friends and poor
relations guests whose purses are slender-Whose
wallets are not amply stored.
A POPULAR ENGLISH magazine has an article on
the servants of our period, from which we taKe
the following gossip regarding footmen: But trus-
ty JOHN THOMAS and profusely- powdered CHAw1Es
only hide their spleen, their indignation and con-
tempt in the presence of their betters. In the
buffers pantry, at the ale-house round the corner
across the hammer-cloths of their respective
chariots-sentiments are expressed which neither
YOU nor I, dear Paterfamiias, could listen to un-
moved. I know an old gentleman-an irascible
old gentleman-who, standing by chance one af-
ternoon inconveniently near the top OF the kitchen
stairs, after sumnoning his brougham for the
second time that day, heard fayorite footman eS-
claim to the confidential valet: "Pm blest If that
Internal old noosance amt ordered out the car
riage againl" Now you know that was by no means
pleasant remark to reach ones ears in the de-
cline Of ife uttered by paid lackey, the buttons
Of whose very coat were adorned with the family
crest: but am not at all sure that the old gentle
man to whom refer was justified in the severe
retaliation which he adopted. The wretched
jenkins (let us call him) was dismissed on the
SPOT, and had nothing but months wages to
console him in his adversely. The consequence
was, no doubt, that he repaired to the Black Lion
that evening, and entertained his hveried friends
with very disrespectful if not perverted, ac-
count Of the affair. dare say his late master be-
came laus hing stock Of the bar-parlor, that his
wig and wien face, his gout and CATERS, his pep
perry disposition and general pecularites were dis
cussed in manner which was anything but pleas
ant. Suppose, instead Of taking so summary re-
venge, he had retired to his study, swallowed
glass Of MADEIRA, Just to steady his nerves, rung
the BELL and told Jenkins not to talk so loud down
stairs if he wished to keep his place. Can't you
imagine how crestfallen the poor minion would
have beenp what an old trump the man he served
must thenceforth be considered in his eyes and
with how much zeal he might have continued his
service? But, "who can be wise, amazed, tenn
perate, and furious" as the Thane Of Cawdor once
Justly asked, ''n moment2" No man. And upon
my word, when one comes to think of it, the pro-
vocation was very great
LONDON SOCIETY HAS an essay on DINNER In
the City" in which An the course Of description
of IzANfs chop house, the following picture OF its
head waiter is presented: HE is great man,
that head waiter, and except that all the attend
ants at IzARr's wear clean white blouses, would
remind one equally Of what the head Of Govern
ment should be, and of q rurai dean. On rehec-
tion the latter resemblance is most lasting in our
fancy. He might be dean, say taking walk
with his gardening coat on; and he has self-re-
liant and yet psnsive air Of intoning the bill OF
fare which is infinitely impressive. The way in
boiled pork, hashed mutton, Irish stew, boiled
fowls, roast goose haricot is inexpressiby touch
ing and the tone Of his voice indicates repose;
dignfied calm in which we trace the presiding in
Huence Of the place affecting oil those who look
to him as an example. There is no hurry, there
is even almost an affectation Of leisure which en-
hances the prompsitude, without which lzANTs
would soon becomes byword and reproach.
No little Of this influence, however, may
be attributed to the venerable proprietor himself,
or to his son, fresh, healthy looking gentleman,
who might well have ridden across country before
the days business began. Either father or son
are on daily duty from the stewards cabin to the
door, quick OF eye but slow and sparing ofspeech,
and with q courteous word ready to make the
reckoning, and to take the customary penny
(there are no waters fees and we should be sorry
to offer any such liberty to our ecclesiastical
friend) Of each departing guest. Out OF the hum
dreds to whom KANT's means q daily dinner con-
sisting Of cut from any one OF three or four we'll
cooked wholesome joints, fresh vegetables, and a
liberal allowance Of bread, there must be scores
to whom every shilling is an object. When to the
dinner we have mentioned is added slice OF
cheese and glass Of beer. there is change out OF
that shilling, and surely no more need be said. OF
one Of the principal, though not the only one, OF
those establishments which represents dining in
the city. For ourselves, We found that OF the
three and sixpence already mentioned there re-
NAMED bright fat form with which to spend the
evening. ,.., ,......
BIAcKBAND IRON ORE was supposed, till lately,
to belong only tocertain localities in Great Britain.
1t is in the top slate of some seams Of bitumnous
Goals, and it's discovery came from the accidental
firing Of pile Of slate, from which it cannot be
distinguished till fire turns its color. The great
value of blackband is not so much 10 the quality
of the iron as in the cheapness of mining and smet-
ing-being in the top slate Of the coal vein, it
is extracted at the same time with the coal. The
anthracite coal OF Pennsylvania has always been