The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1869-10-16
Selected story.
BETSY'S BEAU.
[From Chamber's Journal

her small nerson and unimposlhg aspect, Ny
speaking very loudly, ana as II s1u nau IN
experience in servan int;-,a 1Tho tndlv Snna,-
80 nnr domestic affairs, and pays us long
visits III it bad been relative, or L had
been asked, 1 might not have objected; but /
must teg that nothing of the kind ever occur
again" said my wife in continuation of her
lecture.
'.But, please, m, he din not have nothing to
eat" said our handmaiden deprecatingy, but
with somewhat Of an injured tone.
Il was not abiding TO that, Elizabeth" said
Mrs. Scribe severely, but to the principle. L
do not go so far as to say | will not allow fol-
lowers; but if anything similar to last nights
affair takes place, l shall consider that you
have foifeited your situation. Now, clear
way the breakfast thinks"
Anything similar to last nights affair.""
said, repeating my wiie'S words, as soon as
Eli !abeth had Indignantly swept the table.
and then herself out of the loom. 81 suppose
anything similar means another life-guard or
grenadier"
"Now, don't be absurd, dear; of course we
can't nave SUCH gomgs on" was the reply.
"We?" said ].
"Well, there then, L cannot allow such 60
lngs on; and am sure you do not wish me to
go down into my own kitchen of night, to
be startled by great scarlet men,"
You neveI evnced aDy fear OF the great
scarlet lady, my dear" L yenturcd to observe,
and making what thought pungent allt-
sion 10 sundry leapings towards vertments
candles, incense and flowers, as displayed at
neighborng church.
GLOW witty!" was the caustic rejoinder:
when took refuge in the morning paper and
afterwards beat retreat city-ward.
By way of peace offering, came back that
evening bearing 1.-The neatest thing" l could
purchase in the shape OF umbrellas; but it
was not warmly received
Elizabeth has given warning this after
noon," said my wife,
Tit for tat" replied; 'for am sure you
gave her warnings enough this morning"
"And now think the best thing to be done
IS to let her 60; for the silly thing is quite in
fatuated with the great tall BOBBY found in
the kitchen last night, and has done nothing
but sob and cry. and go Oh ever SINCE"
Il trust there are no briLy pearls in this
soupp"
.'Of course not, made it myself" was the
reply
'How weak are women" remarked after
pause; and yet how hard upon each others
fai ings. None but the brave deserve the
fair says the proverb; and The fair think in
Consequence, that they have the only right 10
the brave"
"The brave! Such stuff! Why, believe if
you had your way, George, you would encour-
age the girl in her mad lit. A soldier, indeed,
Without penny to help himself, let alone to
keep wifel'
'But the manly beauty-the uniformw I
suggested.
MANLY nonsense!"
And besides, II does not seem fair that the
whole OF the military force should be monop-
olized by the nursemaids, leaving only Police
man X tor the cocks, audi
There J" exclaimed my wife; "look at that
Did you ever see such audacity?"
turning Immediately, could not refrain
from smile, for plainly shown upon the
wlndow-blind by the street lamp was the
shadow OF a huge life-guardsman, his we'll
padded chest, fierce moustache, and elegantly
balanced fofa9in9-c being displayed to great
advantage.
"InaCs the aame manw exclaimed nv
wife; and now, it you watch you will see
MIN pass the window and 90 down the area"
The soles are getting cold, my love-" said !;
land should infinitely prefer portion to
turning myself into vedette to watch the
enemy. Now, if your respected mamma had
happened to be here!'
Now, don't be unsenerous. Pm snre man.
ma never suggested anything that was not Tor
your good George"
Perhaps not, my love-" 1 said 'but it is
not always agreeable to take phi, sic, however
beneficial it may prove. Thanks! Now III
trouble you for the anchovy. No potatoes,
thank you. Shall ring for the other things?
Slow-moving Betsey will not Fave them up
before we have done with the fish,
III you please" was the very polite reply,
and turning my head found that the shad-
ow-pcture upon the blind Lad disappeared.
"Of course it has," sad nv wife. who had
OWNED my thoughts. "And he is now down
IN the Kitchen, feasting upon the tit-bits sup
Piled to him by that disgraceIul creature"
Lets ring and startle them, then" said |:
and leaving my chair, / gave lusty peal at
the bell
N Oe
EnZaDetn, very smart, and very rudy of
cheek-due, no doubt to the cooking-and
began to change the dishes.
Did L not hear some one down stairs
Elizabeth ?" said my diplomatic wife. >
Down stairs, mum. No, mum; not since
"Oh that was at four o'clock said INV wife
u mean just now.'
mo, mum, not as I've herd; the bell hasn't
been touched for good hour"
On J! SAID my wife, and then all was 81
lent, WINE the soup and fish were removed,
and the partridges Smith sent us were placed
upon the table; when the maid disappeared
riy sne admlres, or rather has her .estiny
7 lied by, Mars, Tor she is a capital cook"
sad, going on with the carving. "Daresay
sIe reads Zadkiel."
VI course" said my wife, "and Bow Bells,
and the London Journal, and Family Herald.
and all sorts of stuff"
Aud the Moonstone, and Birds of Prev. I
suppose, too," l observed; "but perhaps she
does not favor Mudie"
III you wish to send me up to nv bedroom
III tears, george, pray say SO. I'm sure don't
know what have done that''-sob-"thatn-
ob-pocket-bandkerchie and one tear right
in the bread sauce
But The next moment, plainly heard, there
was the buzz, buzz OF a manly voice, a giggle,
aslueak, and the scraping of chairSali
tn LIE
coming up, as it were, through the floor; for
the houses in New Park Crescent are very
sllshtly built SO slightly, indeed, that we have
started piano of our own, in consequence of
the abundance of musical sounds proceeding
from Nos. 4 and 9, right and left of us.
"A deceltful creature" exclaimed my wife, |
no longer fearful; sand cid she not declare to |
my lace ten minutes ago, that there was no |
one downstairs? king the bell, George"
moi TIL have finished my dinner in peace
my love-" said firmly, seven if there were
the whole of the Turkish Contingent down. |
stairs. After dinner, I'm at your service, but |
If am to engage Shaw, the life guardsman. / |
must have another glass or two of sherry
nrst. Who the deuce can that be?" 1 ex- |
CLAIMED, for cab had stopped at the gate, |
and there was loud ring at the front bell.
dnen came the soft patter of poor Eliza
PENS ieet the opening of the front door. a
snort, sharp alteration, as if cabman were
"'Ss"uAoASu WI Ill Ills Iafe, ana then wife
STARTED from her chair, exclaiming: "Wby. it's
msmmaW
"The devil -
"George!" exclaimed my wife; and the next |
moment the do0r opened: there was embra
eng ana had to leave the choicest, brown |
est tlt-blt OF partridge on my plate. to be kis.
sed and called "my dear boyw
"No" she would not have the soup IN
mamma would not. She was so sorry, but |
the train was late, or she would have been |
with us in time TO sit down to dinner. There |
was sole lett, was there? Then she would |
have that; it could not be so very cold.
Bring the fish back, Elizabeth" said nv
wife; and it was evident that for the present
Mars was completely out of her memory.
A lew minutes elapsed, during which ''dear
mamma" had glass of sherry, and then Eliza-
oeth came back holding in her hand the head
vi sole; the one, was ready to swear. T
na9 eit on my plate, for knew it by its gou.
ged-out eye oON
beth. ''S0' ms oA''''iieu EA~a-
".Mell, Elizabeth ?" said nv wife.
inat thefe cat, I'm, while was up answer 5
~ ny lhe door. There was nothing left but S
a anlS uere mead, mum, as was lust in time TO s
'ee ~ lump OF the table on the fioor.n {
LOU careless creature!" cried nv wife. "to
Rave Rave IL IKE that. There, bring a hot plate.
nave little partridge mamma, dear.n
directly after | saw some ones face cbanoo
ana very suspicious look was directed at he l
h11f hot L. l