Eaton weekly Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1866-1875, 1871-03-09
VOL. ~. NO. Sc.

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servants all treat him with great respect
and he, in return, is condescending anC
polite to them. With me, when they
are in the room, he assumes an authori
tative air, and all the time he is very
| grave, and looks as if the cares of hii
position were too much for him. He
smiles once, when we are alone, as
hand him Jelly; and then, his muscles
being relaxed, his old fit of laughing
suddenly broke out again. He cannot
laugh loud, but laughs inwardly, and
shakes so tremendously that the jelly
rolls and trembles to an alarming de
gree and Il is only by the means OF
promptly taking it under my own pro
lection, that / save it from being shaken
on the the floor. -.s
go LoI' to think of you being here" "
he mutters and the next instant is gra-
vity itself, as Mrs. Domville's voice is
heard on the stairs.
She ris1a rniddle7aged lady, and speaks
in friendly manner to Crumms, and is
particular in his Inquiries after his wife
and children. He points me out as a
Young friend of his, who has come to
help him; and Mrs. Domville seems
quite satisfied, and goes up stairs again
to the drawing4room. 81" a'H -'e.7.2
-Four o'cLock.-The dinner is ready and
all the guests have arrived. Crumms
stations me behind the door, and goes
himself to the head of the table, and l
watch the people as they come into the
room and take their places.
They are mostly middle-aged, like
their host and hostess, and evidently
old friends; for several nod to Crumms,
and one gentleman is quite heartyin in his
greeting, and says it would not seem
like Christmas dinner without him.
Mr.. Domville laughs, and asks after
Mrs. Crumms but Crumms refuses to be
thawed, and replies in a tone as if such
trifling questions interfered with the
responsibility. .s...l
So far everything has gone right. Then
comes a slight mishap. Just as every
body is seated and silent, and Mr.. Dom
vile going to say grace, Crumms gives
me signal, and [ step forward quietly
to close the door. The movement at
tracts the attention of a young lady,
who is sitting with her back to me, and
she turns round. She evidently has not
noticed me, before, and her laughing
gray eyes scan me with surprise. My
face is a new one to her among the many
well-known faces round the table. /
suppose she thinks l am a guest who
has arrived late and just come into the
room, and, seeing me standing there and
no one taking any notice ofsme, she
says, court eously
"Isn't there chair for you ?''-Fhen
turning round to Mrs. Domville, go,
aunt1 here is a gentleman left outside
in theacOld." ,
Mr.. Domville, instead of saying grace,
loolks-1p, stares, and half rises from his
chair, while the company all turn toward
me. It is certainly an embarrassing
moment; but Mrs. Domville comes to
the rescue, andssays quietly, " 1t is quite
right, Helen" The young lady looks a
little confused, and Crumms, in his
nervousness, spoils everything by rush
ing upst6 her and calling out:
IEHeis comeabo help me wait, Miss
My fair champion thereupon bushes
very deeply, and begs my pardon seve-
raj of the guests have simultaneous
twitchings of the mouth Crumms looks
half angry, half apologetically, at me-;
and at last Mr. Domville, in a husky
voice, says grace, while. Miss Linton
bends her head-Very low and hides her
face. The next minute Crumms, serious
and imperturbable as ever, removes the
cover off the soup, and dinner begins.
believe acquitted myself creditably.
Crumms declared that did wonderfully
well, and is inclined to think, 1 believe,
that l have wasted natural talent by not
being waiter. AT any rate, don't spill
over any body's dress, or knock
on the head. 4 carefully watch
Crumms fer his-signals, and, thanks to
having been at a dinner before, though
not in the capacity of a waiter, i have
some idea of what ought to be done, and
so remove the right covers, and hand
round such dishes as ought to be handed
at the proper time. The difficulty have
IS to keep my countenance, particularly
when u hand anything to Miss Linton.
fun 10 see the sparkle in her eyes, and
the way they drop if they meet mine,
and a. little repressed smile steal over
her lips, that it taxes my powers to the
utmost to keep from laughing. l feel
HAT should very much like to change
places with the young fellow sitting by
ler side. He does not seem to have
much to say for himself, and he exam
mes every dish, as it is handed to him,
through an eye-glass. His inspection is
20 long, and his nose is so close, that /
nave a growing inclination each time to
bob the dish up in his face. For more
han half the dinner he is silent, then
ne talks a little politics -staunch Con-
,ervatism-and Miss Linton Immediately
the strongest radical princi- |
pies, upholds woman's suffrage, and |
their having seats in Parliament. This !
seems to. overwhelm him, and he retires |
from the contest with a sigh.
Later on, he tries again, when the |
are being handed round.
VIII you have happy month p he |
asks, with a faint smile, which disturbs |
his eye-glass and brings it down in his /
lap. He readjusts it slowly, and not |
trusting himself to repeat the joke, |
asks her to have some mince-pie.
No, thank you; l never eat them" |
she replies.
Have you never tasted them p he
says, frowning as if he were. barrister
cross examining q witness, but probably
because his glass give a premonitory
slip. -.
go, yes; I have tasted them, but 1
don't care about them," she answered.
He has no comment to make upon
her reply, so he helps himself in si-
lence.
iSir Crumms and solemnly
put on the wine and the glasses, put the
dessert dishes little one way or the
other, and leave the room.
"Bravo ~ whispers Crumms when we
are in the hall. Bravo, sir ! With
waiter. And Miss Linton mistaking
you for gentleman, too! What
Joke! At least,n he adds, as if he sud-
denly feels that he had made rather a
himself, "of course, that is
what you are, and a gent is always a
gent, L say. But you understand, sir.