Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1868-12-04
TIE SERVICE OF PLATE

lave been in one situation forty years,
aud. ikea squirrel in a cage. have progress-
e. ay .Hing the same round every day. vet
have h4dmy little ambitions, which, however,
never interiere3 with the due digestion Of
mrei-hto'cl3ck breakfast and six clock sup
-.r. indeed. mv life ran on in a calm. IN
H.l stream, devoid Of principles and anita
-rl-..- rlc5- In fact, IT could not be called
a -.le4I-ilE stream. | married az iyc-and
twenty, as my dear parents said that the
proper age had arrived for me to setlle.
haIviu. my timiditv and UuU0rldiness. they
..s ur.a themselves the onus of the court
slip. BY their foresight they secured me
rr.e iu tLc mild daughter OF remarkably
lilj parents, who were wlll-to-do, and had
alt t.at one treasure; thus tie current OF
mr true love was a smooth contradiction to
t.e old adage. These few lines give an ex-
a.t ilea of NV whole life, 10 write more
would De repetition, until, alas I became
unfortunately fortunate; but before | pro-
.,al, ] must Just mention that our union was
A'a-t with three girls really had nearly
fI--lucn them. bless them they We're 50
quiet
One morning. tremhle es I write it--a
letter was handed to me. ] borrowed my
eldest girls scissors to snip roani the seal,
for I ana ton mcthodical u tear anything
reld Good heavens, ny face flushed and
my hands shook, my wife and da44l Jcre
crowded around mc. alarmed ut my unwuut-
cl agitation. road il aloud, and they par
TOD, ot uv excitement. 1t was 10 inform mc
that .' public charity, % which had been
Llnluhly secretary lll many years. prurle-
ci. as they were pleased 70 say, to present
mo- fur INV honor. rrsiI-E and f-Htu 're--
win % S.fff. o. p.f.'-
"HI A'e A''il7 l'Io,'''i 'oIAA-tN1i'-ly. '...
" Att was 90 service oi Ii4is ouch was
my confusion llai believe was two and
Hili minutes 'el 'iI ill -.me 40 ne once
and found our old porter locking out ior ne
NJ me ehI 'l t.'e street l'r me uIl4 hniy
.eile'el 'iat ! must l''e l-''' N''A f'n.
dreadful af'iIei-. / was '."i-'eFel' ana ma
mItteIel a7 ! N'n'. " service oi plate
Our desires hitherto hac been -atisled with
iae spoons aHl ladies 'i our deceased parents
ana never i'I a. moment entertained the most
distan5 ll'a ol adding u tAe sloek- 80 that
we were perfectly innocent oi what service
o- plate consisted oi.
we soon hht" "uat it was Il7' over
the lnier'cnlhe aaN- between lie letter ana
the pfesent2l'n' The agony ana tne disturb
anee OF my system on tAe DAY thereof, and
the -peeeAe- oi q. chairman ana committee
and my reply Inc secretary lut s9'nethine
down DO tae minutes Iufportng t' ue iaith-
ful reFert of that TIT If eloqucnce, but as g.
my having -r.ken 1t J have not even to JhL.
day been weak enough to believe ramem-
Der nothing distinctly until iGunl myself
rolling home ln carriage. bali filled with
packages -'' The service OF plate
pom nay arrival az home, my VILE and
t11sA Aters s'aa brought % hight the magnIi-
cent present, trst-a saiyer as large as tea
tray upon which was inscribed. as nearly as
giald recoliect. the substance OF the CHAIR
H-n speech. attIhutlng O. me all the Viz
,.s under the sun l1ere my wife and dauEh-
toys kissed me, c'laentiy artonisAel al pos
-e--rs such q lather and husoand)' next the
teapot went ne rouhl 'i 'ol,lf'.tl'h' iHeh a
c'ace-p3t' n'iE-.os, sugar ''Sln anu 'e4-
spoons, deilshiiu-ly Hta't royal pattern h1-
4e head anu handles 'i7 / ail "''l'9 learn
a-aln ana again. were ''aille" ana eu ;
a1t we were n'L alone Do our aalAifati d. 'gr'
looking through 'he lar-9r WIhao" ag l--
-.'erins treasure were l"9ar three as ill-.Ili'-
ing lclloW- as ever terrified qDlet lamly-
drew the window curtains IN la1-r iace'
md they -neakei NJ but tAey had seen lHe
service ui plate, ANA our peace oi nint was
gone A knock came al tue do5r one '
the rascila wanted 70 know whether Nj
Thompson lived there; at The same time a
large brass plate with my name thereon star
ei hm ln me iaee- An we were marked
down To Doe robbed
W bat shouId we do " ny, lock IL up n
various closets. divide It IN way to distract
tue most experienced burglar at least 10y
that s,ratagcm We shouid Rot lose all at once
Tho serFaHts had luckily hee1 kept IN iEno-
rance of our acquisition, and, consequently
Il not gossip in the neighb5rhood-
IN' NOT thmk that / my WIFE or caught
er- slept a wink that night. The service oi
Ia.s 8as alloTing through our brains to lhe
utter destruction OF our usual calm repose-
Tie next morning arrived, and all was
safe 81 tie morning paper. when, guess
my horror tle first thing that caught my eye
was D." Presentation OF Plate. Inere was
my name at full length even my residence
was nos iors1tten, So that no one might be
mistaken m the fortunate individual or where
this lump oi silver was depJs ted. 1t was a
positive initiation faEer-post, one might
-ay-to burglars; nothing lees than ' this Is
.Ic way g. tc service 90 plate
saw my own horror reflected in the faces
Of my family. 1 went 90 town an anxious,
miserable man; the front gate and the front
door were locked after me. and On my way to
Town called on tie carpenter to - lmmcdl-
al, ana secure The back d'1r and shutters
WIN gAI'" DOLE, etc.
AZ uei'o7i'e1 'he "iHee ledgers IN the iron