The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1868-07-04
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After dinner, a note was handed q
him. He hastily skinned it, and at
once rose, and said: Ladies' and
gentlemen, at an ordinary dinner
party, speeches are detestable, and
the drinking of healths o thing of
by-gone days., and yet I must make
the one and propose the other. Lady
Clayton and I had asked our new
neighbors, Mr.. and Mrs. Templeton,
to dine here to-day. We had not
met, on the occasion of our calling,
but I had had Mr.. Templeton point
ed out to me in the street. When
Mr.. and Mrs. Temple were intro
duced, I naturally concluded they
were Mr.. and Mrs. Templeton, espe-
cially as my butler mumbled the
name, though / confess Mr.. Temple
hardly appeared to be the same per-
son who had been pointed out to me
in the street as Mr.. Templeton.
However, persons look different by
candle.light and daylight. When
Mr.. and Mrs. Templeton were after
wards ushered into the drawing
room, I was astonished. at once
recognized Mr.. Templeton as the
gentleman who had been pointed out
to me under that name. The ques-
tion, OF course, at once arose, who
can Mr.. Temple be-? He must be an
impostor. We adjourned to my
library. and o discussion took place
between us, which, on my part, was
certainly more animated than polite.
1t ended in my being quite satisfied
that Mr.. Temple was o gentleman,
though how he came to my house I
cannot exactly understand. I wrote
hurried line to Mr.. Chilmark just
before dinner, and L have now got on
answer, to the effect that Mr.. Temple
was to have dined with him to-day,
but that he is glad to learn that, by
accident, he is enjoying what Mr..
Chilmark is pleased to call the supe-
rior hospitalities of Clayton Castle.
AS to the superior hospitalities, all I
can say is, that L most sincerely hope
Mr.. Temple will kindly forgive my
inhospitable treatment of him before
dinner. I will make him the most
ample apology he likes for my un-
courteous suspicion; and, let me add
for his information, for the rest of
you have heard the story, that my
uncourteous suspicious arose from
the fact of we'll got-up, gentleman
ly clergyman calling here few days
ago with his wife at luncheon time.
He represented himself as being the
Secretary for the Society for
showed me his receipt-book, and
talked glibly Of matters and persons
connected with the society. The
end of the affair was, that he and his
wife lunched here. I paid him a
check for $500, being legacy lately
left by my friend, Mr.. to the
society. Unfortunately for me, I
happened to be Mr.. -'s execu-
tor. I also paid him my annual
subscription to the society. He and
his wife made o good lunch, pocket
ed my silver spoons and forks, and
their coachman stole some things
from the stable and the servants
hall. So you see, Mr.. Temple, am
just now more than usually suspicious
of gentlemanly parsons.
A good-natured laugh, ut the ex-
pense of Lord Clayton and myself,
ran round the table. It appeared,
on inquiry, that Mr.. Ambrose, who
was dining with Lord Clayton,
drove o pair of greys and close
carriage, as likewise did Mr.. Single
ton, the rural dean, who was dining
with Mr.. Chilmark. The turnpike
woman had mistaken one carriage
for the other, and, owing to the mis-
I had followed the wrong
carriage. Hence my fix, at the bot
tom of which, you will observe, was
a woman. However, all's we'll that
ends well. Lord Clayton took very
kindly to me. 1 was q constant visi-
tor at Clayton Castle; and, when
the living I now hold became vacant,
Lord Clayton used his influence sue
cessfully with the late Lord Chancel-
lcr to get me appointed as the new
vicar.