The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1868-02-29

on a heap OF something and "Semper fdelis"
underneath. His misfortune, however, was
IN a ialr way of being forgotten, but for what
occurred last summer, Barnley had never had
so great an influx of company as then. Our
hotel was filed to overflow; two OF our riding
donkeys died from exhaustion, a third edition
was called for of the guide book, and the bath
ing machines were entirely reserved for the
ladies' use.
1t was not this last circumstance, for Peony
Flush never bathed, but the first which inter-
lefed with our good eurate's comfort The
inn being full, its landlady sent her respects
to Mr.. Flush, and would he afford her the
temporary loan OF a spare room in his house
Tor widow and her daughter who had writ
ten for apartments the day before, and were
coming On that evening in the expectation of
finding them? To refuse to perform a kind
ness never entered into the good fellows
feeling heart, but this request vexed him
nightly. The information that the ladies
were ola sumptuous character, and Travelled
with two riding horses. as well as their own
carriage, affected him nothing. II they had
been pedestrians, and were aoout to appear
in walking grove Of bandboxes, they would
have alarmed him quite as much. lie was
not sure il it would not be lndeiicate Tor him
to put his boots outside the door at night, and
he gave orders that his linen should be re-
moyed-haif dry-from the lines in the back
u.
III would reside in the house during the stay
OF the two visitors; and, at all events, must
dine with him the first evening, which /
agreed to do. The curate's dinners were
rather neat; his hOusekeeper-wh perfectly
understood him, and was not altogether with
out hope, | think, of Turing him down from
respect to matrimony-had way of ahoint-
ing duck with lemon, which before feasted
at the Dovecot, had met with only in books.
| i1rAs oir l.
the afternoon in search of an appetite There
was good one to be got generally on the bri-
die road by the seacoast, which cuts through
| the sheep and cattle pastures, and | chose
| that way. 1t is much intersected with small
| White gates, which mark the boundaries of
| the fields, and one of these it puzzled me
| good deal. The day was hot and my horse
| was fdgety, so that knew better than to get
| off and risk not getting on again; but l could
not undo the spring bolt any how. While /
| was wheeling and reaching, and changing
from red to white heat, and had got from
| dear me- and 'botheration'' to "confound
| the thmgW L was startled by a rather shrill-
lsh voice from the other side of the gate, and
up came lady upon snowy bay at a hard
sallop, with "By your leave, sir, for a mo-
| ment"-and the snowy bay and his feminine
| burthen dashed over the five-barred together,
like monst1ous Bird st shaving my head,
as should think, by about quarter of AN
men. Secondly, came gloom with another
bay; and, thirdly, a huge mastiff dog fwho
made snap at me in the air) with another
bay; and in moment was left alone in
| cloud of dust.
took The remainder of my ride in peace !:
and having accomplished my object, returned
to Barnley My appetite was OF that nicely
that i've minutes either way would have
deteriorated it materially; but, / we'll knew
that Mrs Sottbeart was puncchal to the in
slant. As trod her well known staircase
felt as confident of all things being well, as a
human being can feel. The odor of the
stuffing seemed to salute my nostrils. had
decided on wing and slice of the breast.
Alas! the cloth was not even laid upon the
dining-tabe, but there was little folded
note addressed to me instead:
Dear friend :-Adieu forever. By the
time you read this l shall be far away. 1t
seems like fatality; but while have life
will resist it. L. is in the house; L. and her
mother-and the abominable-"
A low growl here arrested my attention.
The mastiff dog was at the door who had
snapped at me in the afternoon without eff
feet. He said as plainly as he could speak,
that he was determined to make up for his
disappointment or the present occasion. l
was resolving to sell my life dearly, when the
rather shrillish voice again came up the stairs
and in at the window, and down the Chin
ney, as it seemed to me, at once "Tow Tow,
Tow, Tow, Tow! Good little dog! Come to
Lu LuW The creature obeyed. l suppose
there was some other dinner awaiting him
below, and stole softly away in safety
Never again did L visit that snug parlor.
Never again was Peonv Flush beheld by the
Barnley eye. L recognized him, think, how.
ever in the naval intelligence column of the
Times newspaper, as the Reverend P. Flush,
%anpinted chaplain TO the ship Virgo, bound
God o n1s5 Nano where mastff pups are fricas-
they attain maturity.-HGsses- = Home fl9o 'ei'