Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1876-10-13

|
month" Warm weather agreed with hin
He thought it might last few days long
er-it was apt to in June.
! Mrs. Sheridan looked toward him as h
spoke, but it was to observe that his shir
collar was more pointed than Mr.. Sheri
dams.
'You have quiet time,'' said the mai
of leisure, with the children at school,"
Eyes, sir-very quiet time,'' said Mrs
Sheridan, falling into d reverie, as sh
thought how well it was adapted to cuttin.
out shirts.
MI. 1nklin went through the common
place matter of morning visitors, will
many a resting place between, until he re-
marked that the wind was rising" Mrs
Sheridan had observed it too, with a feel
ing Of dismay at the prospect of the COM
mingling or all her shirt elements.
The man of leisure staid an hour The
| liked a morning visit an hour long,, and
| then exclaiming, as the hand Of his watch
turned the expected point: "Bless my soul
past twelve O'clock made his bow, and
departed.
Mrs. Sheridan went to her chamber. The
wind Was whirling her neck, sleeve, and
flap gussets in unceremonious heaps; and
collars, wristbands, and facings were
dancing in eddies On the floor. In her agi-
tation she lost the important boundary pin,
and an error occurred in her calculations.
The shirts were made, but for eighteen
! months her husband never took one from
his drawer but with nervous shudder or
q suppressed execration.
The man Of leisure now visited the
counting-room of B-& Co., and social
ly seating himself on q barrel, hoped he
should not prevent the head clerk, who
was his acquaintance, from writing.
Mot at all, said the polite clerk, put
ting his pen behind his ear with a con-
strained air.
''Pray don't stop on my account" said
Mr.. Inklin, with a patronising smile.
The clerk returned to his accounts and
letters, while the man Of letters described,
with somewhat more animation than
usual, some herring he had eaten for
breakfast. The clerk made an error in
figure, which cost MesSrS. b oae week
to rectify; and one Of the correspondents
OF the firm was shortly after surprised
with the announcement by letter that a
hundred bales Of picked herrings would
shortly be forwarded to order.
"Please, sir,'' said the laundress, as she
l.: oh; al
and pocket handkerchiefs On Nh. Inklin's
dressing table, S'you are owing for three
months; and the soap and the starch and
the firing runs up a heap, and my good
man, that should be help, with a broken
shoulder, ard the landlord seeking the
rent, and me not able to tell what side to
look, and poor Patrick to be turned out OF
doors for no crime at all, il you please, sir. F"
ooh, really, yes, [ remainder hearing Of
Patrick fall. A very clever fellow that
husband of yours. Here are two dollars,
and l will give you the remaining trifle
next week.
"Trife!" said the laundress, counting
on her fingers the amount of twelve dollars
due, as she left the room, ''that's a trifle
to some as isn't to Others"
Two days after, while the man of leisure
was fastening q paste brooch in his smooth
ly folded shirt bosom poor Patrick was
borne to the workhouse for d shelter.
The man of leisure called on Miss Emma
Roberts, d pretty, blooming girl Of seven
teen. Emma was clear starching. Talk
Of the trials of men! What have they to
annoy them in comparison to the mys-
teries Of clear starching? alas how sell
dom clear! Emma was going on in the
full tide Of success, INDUCING in the buoy
ant thoughts Of her age; there was a soft
light about her eyes as she drew out the
edge of a .fchu, or clapped it with her
small hands, as if they felt the impulse Of
young hopes.
II am sure Harry Bertram looked at
this collar last Sunday; [ wonder if he
liked it,'' though she, and gentle sigh
rustled the folds of the morning robe on
her bosom. just then the door bell sound
sitting room, where Emma, with a nice
establishment of smoothing irons, ETC., had
| ensconced herself for the morning.
| "You won't mind friends looking in
| upon you,'' said Mr.. Inklin, with an at.
| home air.
Emma blushed, loosened the strings of
her apron, gave a glance at her starched
| fingers, and saying: "Take a seat, sir, d
/ did ha ~
natural politeness. In the meanwhile, the
starch grew cold, and the irons were over
heated. Emma was not loquacious and
the dead pauses were not few and far be-
| tween. Emma, rendered desperate, re-
neWed her operations, but with dimin ist-
ed ardor: her clapping was feeble as the
applause 10 an unpopular orator; she burnt
her fingers, her face became fiushed-and
by the tire the man Of leisure had sat out
his hour, a gray hue had settled over hel
muslins, and an indelible smutch dis
figured Harry Bertram's collar.
Mr.. InKlin soon called again, and met
Harry Bertram. 1t was no influenc of CO.
quetry-but Emma rallied her powers, and
talked more to Mr.. Inklin than to Harry
3 modest youth, thrown somewhat in the
shade by the veteran visitor, who outstaiG
him. Harry, who was hot a man of lei
sure, could not call for several days; wher
he Gid, Mr.. Imlllin, had dropped in" be-
fore him and WIS tWirling his watch key
with his cold, wandering eyes and ever
lasting ALTERNATIVES. Emma sewed indus
triously, and her dark lashes concealed hel
eyes. Her cheeks were beautifully flushed
but for whom? Mr.. Inklin toyed with he
workbox, without seeming to know that h,
was touching what Harry thought shrine