Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1873-04-24
a most shocking story afoat about poor
Mr.. Methuselah and"

Mr.. Methuselah and"
Here all the heads on the ottoman
approached one another so closely that
collection of birds and foliage, with
a turban Or two, like nests, is formed,
and the remainder of the shocking sto-
ry is related in a whisper.
"Well, Inever!" "You don't say So"
'sThere is no fool like an old fool!'' are
the observations with which the news
ofMr. Methuselah's approaching "mar-
riage beneath him. is received.
81 have only known one case Of that
description ever turn out WE'LL" OBJ
serves voice which has hitherto been
unheard. Itproceeds from Miss Flut-
ter, country cousin of the hostess, a
lively dapper little woman, who may
be any age from thirty-five to fifty
'The exception only proves the rule,
you know" adds she, apologetically ;
"but [ have known an instance where
such match proved success"
The other ladies turn inquiringly
toward the hostess. Is her cousin
(whom they have understood to be but
poor relation) to be credited? One
of them shakes her head with an os-
trich feather on it) and smiles satiri-
cally, in token that she will not believe
such an outrage on common sense al
though the woman that should narrate
it had ten thousand year.
81 have often heard Cousin Jane tell
the story" says the hostess, prudently:
"and it is certainly very curious one. .
"I should like to hear it." says Lady
Stalkingham, the only titled person
present, and whose wish is law. Where
upon followed Cousin James story:
CAT Bath, where I used to live, good
servants were as hard to procure as
they are here in London. When you
did happen to get one you called her 6
perfect treasure and fouted her in
your friends faces as model of what
their servants ought to be, till in time
she grew to be your mistress, and ne
servant at all. When you got a bac
one you put up with her, for fear thai
in the exchange you might chance tc
get a worse. Ny own position was sin
gularly unfortunate in this respect
Isince most of my neighbors kept a foot
man and I had not even page boy
and you all know what an objection
young persons in service have to com
ing to a place where there is no gen
tleman's society. Under these unpleas
ant circumstances, [ once found mysel
for six weeks without parlor-maid
It is more difficult situation to gel
filled than my cousin here, with he1
butler and footman, has any idea of
for a young woman must have strength
to bring up the dinner-tray from tht
kitchen, and dexterity to lay the clotf
and wait, and good address when an
swering the door. I once lost my bes
china dinner service Gall but the but
er-boat) through slip on the stairs
and my best friend through slap OF
the face, which Matilda Jane, being il
liquor, administered to her in the hall
After which it was that the interreg
mum ofwhich [ have spoken took place
[ really didn't dare advertise for anoth
er parlor-maid lest [ should get tha
dreadful young Woman's counterpart
but made my want known to my &C
quaintances, and waited till | should
hear of some one eligible through them
And at last | did so. The husband o.
an old school friend of mine being ap.
pointed to colonial bishopric, she
wrote to me to say that their establish.
ment in England was to be broken up
and that one of the pieces was &'per,
feet treasure of a parlor-maid. She
had tried to prevail upon the girl tc
accompany her to the Caribbean Is.
lands, which were situated in her hus.
bands see; but Emily had heard some
foolish stories about cannibalism, and
preferred to remain in England, fol
which one could hardly blame her. i
have no fault whatever to find with
Emily Seton, wrote my friend, except
that she is absurdly afraid of being
like Hoods school-fellow, 'scraped t
death with oyster-shells among the
Caribbees.' My friends husband a0as
afterward killed and eaten alive, and
the whole family 'potted,' by-the-by
though that is neither here nor there
and | only mention it as an incidenta.
proof of Emily's sagacity.
'Let me attempt to describe to yor
that admirable young woman. She
had beautiful brown hair, always KEEP
in perfect order, but without the leas-
attempt to initiate her betters by the
addition Of frisettes or chignons; he1
eyes were brown, also, and very sof
and pleasing; her features, though fal
from regular, were we'll shaped, ant
her expression bright and intelligent
| Her dress, which would, of course
have been the index of her character
toldnothing, because she was in mourn
ing.
"'I am afraid you have been in trou
BILE, Emily Seton,' said I at my frs
meeting.
"'Yes, madam, I have had the mis-
fortune to lose FRIEND replied she.
] "And | asked no more questions a
bout it. By her making use of tn
: word friend | naturally understood
her to mean her lover, and, though
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