Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1873-04-29
Lady pugaa,e,s diamond.

Lady Dugdaie's Diamond.
"She was not My Lady then"
Thus Mr.. Thomas Walters, the rot
und, rubicund, good-tempered land
lord of that well-known village inn,
"The Dugdalc's Arms" which
hangs forth its sign, resplendent
with all the colors of the rainbow
and dazzling amount of gold en-
blazoning across the green, friend
OF stranger must pass by, if he
wish to reach Oakhill, Lord Dug
dale's ancestral seat.
She was not Ny Lady then, al
though we often called her my
lady, for she had married in order
to get as near having right to be
so addressed as an Honorable could
bring her; and name my story
"Lady Dugdale's Diamond" for that
reason.
There were plenty Of heirs he
tween her husband and the title
when we took up housekeeping at
Jonesborough, but they are all dead
and gone.
Mr.. Will, my old master, is now
Earl of Dugdale. ] have known
him hard up for guinea, and this
day he can hold his own with the
wealthiest in the land.
He is just the same az ever,
though-just the same careless
kindly gentleman we all loved sc
dearly.
There is much talk in these days
about servants caring for nothing
and no one, save their own Interests
and their own selves. For my part
! say there always will be SOM
masters and some mistresses no ser
want could like.
1 never served any one, eXcep
Mr.. VIII, and can honestly say
would have gone through fire ant
water fer him.
The Honorable William Patting
ham-that was his name and tile
Nv father CHANGED to be one of th,
tenants on the Oakhill estate, where
Mr.. VIII, an orphan, was brough
up by his uncle, the Earl anC
many a morning we Two little lad'
whipped the trout stream, or sur
priscd Puss at an early toilette, ol
started the partridgcs among tht
stubble.
All! that was q rare life
would not get up now at two o'cloch
in the morning to land the finest
trout that ever swam-but, loob
you, | would give all that | am ever
like to be worth in this world tC
wish to cross the dewy meadows al
the first streak Of day, and feel my
heart bound with an indescribablt
10Y at sight of the fields whence the
grain had been carried, frightening
as the sun rose and climbed higher
and higher.
Well, it only comes to this-l
was young andI am old, and other
lads whip the trout streams and
flush the partridges and astonist
Madam Hare; ior the world is so.
ing aud coming, and [ ain going
and some one else is coming fast
after me, and there is somebody be-
hind him, and somebody else fol
lowing that one in turn.
Ay, it is queer road we trave
frona boyhood on, and ever on, a!
fast as ever our legs will carry Us
till we reach a point when we wan
to turn back for good, and never
be anything again but boys fol
evermorc.
You will wonder at a fat old fell
low like me-nothing but a village
inn-keeper-having such notions a:
these [; but if you had known Mr.
, VIII when ne was young man
you would not be surprised at hav'
! ing learned what has since passed
many lonely hour Of my life. ri
He was the most devil-me-car6
young gentleman / ever did see
always in debt, always falling IL
love-quite as often falling out O
tin one way the most reckless
restless, extravagant master "a mai
could have had, and yet in another
thoughtful, and occasionally ever
sad.
"Why did my uncle bring me NJ
to all this, Tom :" he would say
sometimes, pointing to the .useles:
and expensive articles he gathopoC
about him. "Why did he not pu
me to some honest calling! If h
Irad not living to spare, VIII,
could not he have made lawyero
me think, Tom, / might have
been Chief-Justice myself, issuing
urgent invitations to various poo
wretches to appear before his mes
gracious Majesty's pressing invita-
tions as best 4 can. 1t is enough tC
drive fellow mad. 1 have th'
tastes, habits, extravagances OF ter
thousand year, and / never haC
bat hare Ave hundred per nnnum