The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1869-01-23
selected story.
How we got up onr Charades at
Christmas.

guests assembled. / had met Mr.. and Mrs.
Hedworth in the later summer on the shores
OF remote Italian lake, and had greatly en-
loyed the close intimacy into which they had
admitted purposeless vaerant bachelor
Ihey asked me even then If | would come
down to them at Christmas, promising me,
inter ALA, that | should have abundance OF
shooting. gave conditional consent, of
very selfish kind, meaning thereby that l
would go unless got better invitation. l
hoped the earl, my godfather, would ask me;
but the earl, who was evidently in state OF
dotage, neglected to do so. / accordingly
Signitiedmy intention Of going to HaringhaIn
Castle, and, accidentally finding out en iaI
Harlingham Castle occupied placee, o. - l' y
own in tsTbe Beauties of England and Wales,
thought that, after all, pleasant iiies iniShI
beawalting me. ,-.,...
When GOT to the little roadside station,
lound myseIf an object of considerable vener-
alton as the solitary first class passenger, for
whom. moreover, do5-cart was waiting
from the castle with a man in livery. 1t was
almost dark, but 1 could see from the neat
lodges, the well kept paths, the thick timber,
and the expanse OF lawn, that the Harling-
ham domain was fine one, and well-looked
attep by its owner. The man told me that
there was still tower and the whole side of
a quadrangle of the ancient castle inhabited,
and OF the rest, part had fallen into pictur-
esque ruin, and part had been replaced by a
modern structure. When I arrived at the
castle, l passed through magnificent hall
hung round with pictures and densely orna-
mented with stays antlers, where was met
by m jestic majordomO; who conducted me
to my room Had l the least spark OF TO-
mance-whch have mott should have en-
loved my chamber in the wing of the old cas-
lie, with its window in an embrasure SIX feet
deep, with tho further advantages, as the man
,Iar o,,1 NF hnt srNf hn i'm.
mediate neighborhood of a subterraneous
passage and a dungeon. When got into the
drawing room was greeted by my host and
hostess with warmth and hospitality which
my little bit OF polite regeneration anent
their invitation hardly deserved. The dinner
hour was rather delayed by the circumstance
that some of the guests had been very late in
returning from their ride that afternoon
Suddenly bevy Of. damsels and knights sal
lied into the drawing-room, and there was
brilliant vision of snowyrobes, white bosoms,
flashing Jewels. Some rapid introductions
ensued, and presently 1 was conducting into
the dlning.room young lady OF whose name
L had caught nothing except the delicious
monosyllable of Kate.
L had a good deal of talk with the He'd
wo1ths, a good deal Of that "Don't you re-
member?" conversation which is always so
pleasant-the summer days by the lake-the
thunderstorm that overlook us on the water
the fright we were in on the night OF the
land-slip. On my right was severe-looking
lady, Miss Denison, a near kinswoman OF
my hostess, and the young lady on my lett
was another Miss Denison, called Kate, to
distinguish her from her stately aunt. The
aunt'S interest in our Italian talk was, |
thought, conventional and insincere, but
Hates fine eyes were eloquent with express
sion when anything was said that might de-
serve her interest. l was not able to have
much conversation with her, as there was
great deal to say to my host, and was not to
be deficient in attention to the aunt. J ar
rived, however, at the broad philosophical
generalization that a niece is, as a rule, a
much pleasanter object tor contemplation
than an aunt. Kate Denison told me good
deal about the company. The children OF the
house we've very young, and they would come
ia with the desert; beautiful children they
were, too. That old gentleman was Mr.. Den
ison's uncle and had been his guardian; the
suarGsman was her brother; with him was
his friend, a man from the Temple, just call
ed to the bar. That elderly man was the
great Queens counsel, Mr.. hwart, NJ. p, O.
o., M. A, +. K. s., etc., etc., etc. That ven
cradle old gentleman was the rector of the
parish; and was not that a sweet girl, his
daughter, Mary Scott? There were some
more people whom l was soon able to "spot"
with the help OF my pleasant companion
They were meditaIing getting UP some cha |
rades for Christmas. Did l like charades? |
Oh yes! Did ever act in them? little
That was very nice. They were going to
have consultation in the oriel-room tomor-
row after breakfast. Would l come? l
should be truly happy.
Breakfast was over next morning and we
all assembled in the orie-Ioom. This was SO
called from the fine oriel window which was
a remnant OF the ancient castle, and the mod
ern loom was curiously dove-tailed into a re-
cess of the old structure with its orel win
dow. The loom was thoroughly we'll lined
with books for the studious, and furnished
with billiard table, to consult tastes of an
other order. When l said that we all assem-
bled, mean the younger portion of the com
pany, to whom l belonged The uncle and
late guardian was away, discussing politics
with the old rector, who at this time OF the
year almost lived at the castle. The great
lawyer was busy in the library with volumi-
nous papers and correspondence. Mr.. and
Mrs. Hedworth, still young people, by dint of
an excessive amount of parentage, took part
with the seniors as well as with ourselves,
and fitted about, like angels, making every
body happy. We younger ones as yet were
not called upon either TO sow or reap, but
leaving the full provision of our wants to the
care of our seniors, contented ourselves
with being either handsome or beautiful, and
in either case, exceedingly we'll dressed. The
elderly Miss Denison was mounting guard
over her very pretty niece. Then there was
the good Mary, and tall sedate Laura, and
Fanny the pretty blonde, and the guardsman,
the law-student and myself who had just tri- |
umphanty taken my degree as wooden-spoon, |
and was wandering about the world to re-
cruit, after my tremendous intellectual exer-
tions at Cambridge.
"YOu must not fail to have charade," said |
Mr.. Hedworth.
Certainly not" echoed Mrs. Hedworth.
1t was characteristic of this charming la
dy that she always echoed her husband, and
never had thought, and scarcely an express
sion different from his,
"We have not missed charades for the last
six years"
"Not for six years. repeated Mrs. He'd
worth.
swell, but Lucy" said the guardsmau, eve
had George here last Christmas, anG lie was
an awful swell at this sort OF thing"
George, discovered, was the clever man of
the family, who had just gone Gut as attache
to one OF the European courts. We all has
tened to disayow all the dramatic ability
which belonged to the intensely clever
George.
"Me'll leave you to- your own Devices" said
Mr.. Hedworth, going off to speak to the Q. c.
Il have no doubt you will contrive something
very clever indeed"
81 am sure it will be very clever" echoed
good Mrs. Hedworth.
81 say, you fellows, we're in for it," said the
guardsman with groan, as the door closed
upon his married sister. 81 have about as
much notion of actin. as my terrier" And
here he gave the animal in question a kick OF
disgust which sent him bowling across the
room.
"Oh, you'll manage something" said Kate,
looking as clever as she was pretty.
"rve got an idea," said the law-student.
"By Jove, you don't say So" said his friend |
the guardsman. otis the first time I ever |
heard Of an accident of that kind happening |
to YOU"
otis an accident that Will never happen to |
you, old fellow. Whoever heard of guards |
man having an idea? sou would be turned out |
OF the regiment if such nonstrosity were to |
happen"
"Spit it out, whatever it is" said the lieu
tenant.
"What do you say to champagne for |
word?"
Not at all a bad rotion. I'll call you |
Champagne Charley in earnest now, and |
will sing the song to any extent tor you."
"The first word" said the lawyer, Twill be |
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