The Portland daily press., 1877-03-24

"YOur knowledge OF horses! "
Sand advising him to apply to me for the
next hunters he wanted
sTo Mr.. Foster! The Master OF fox
houndsp'
"Even So"
':John. Poor John"
CAV, poor John. I don't think any of
your experiences will beat that, my little
Elizabeth"
'sNo, indeed. But how did you bear it?
Did you not suffocate"
sob dear, no! l took a mouthful of sherry
and bore up very WELL"
'.But is it not Dreadful"
John shrugged his shoulders.
"It is her way, Lizzie, everybody has some
popularity"
ga popularity need not be Offensive
very true. Do not be offended by it,
John, shall take lesson from you.
You are the best John, the most pate MT
John, the most wonderful John that ever was
made. II had heard that said to Mr.. Fos-
ter shonld have jumped up and screamed.
Oh! you know what mean. OF course you
never set up for being judge, and to a man
who does. What do you suppose he
thought ?'
Elizabeth was so taken up with her hus-
bands wrongs that she almost forgot her
own.
So matters went on.
Lady Adelaide, having no children of her
own, took maternal interest in her nephew
and all who belonged to him.
At least four days in the week the bay
horses trotted through the Cottage gate, and
the kind soul, full of smiles and presents,
sailed into the drawing-room. The excite
ment did her all the good iu the world; but,
unfortunately, as it raised her spirits and
stirred up her gentle, sluggish nature it served
also more prominently to display its defects.
"My dear, do tell me about your servants.
Are they comforts to you? don't mean in
the way of understanding their duties and
keeping things properly-that, we can all see,
is satisfactory; but are they comfortsP So
much depends upon that in household; in
deed it does. So told John when we set
about engaging them. We did our best to be
sure; but it is such a lottery. Old attached
servants are the only ones of any value"
"Very true, Aunt Adelaide" gravely.
"And you really are pretty well off? You
will excuse my asking know, my dear; for
it was such responsibility. And so little ex-
perience as you have had it would have been
cruel to have inflicted bad servants on you."
''They promise very well, thank you. I
know" continued Elizabeth, with a little
twinge of conscience, that you took a great
deal of trouble"
'No trouble in the world, my love. 1
would gladly be of any use. And as to the
house-a new house you know. quite untest-
ed; no smoky chimneys? Bells ringing prop
erly? That's well. Sir Walter and were
talking about the chimneys last night 1
know; for of conrse it would be Sir Walters
place to put them in order. So mind you
tell us; no reserves, my dear"
"And then your calls ?" proceeded Lady
Adelaide, starting afresh. "You keep book !?
you are returning them all in order?''
'.Not book. Indeed can get on without
that"
s'Ah, you are so thoughtful, SO clever.
But indeed book is great help, an abso-
Lutte necessity. When was bride could
never have got on without my visiting book. %
"You lived in London, Aunt Adelaide?"
eyes, my dear. for many years. Sir Wal
ter was in the Guards you know. We had
an immense circle of acquaintance"
"And We" said Elizabeth, Shave half a
Dozen"
''Half dozen! More than that surely,
Certainly we manage to do without book.
somehow, at the Priory. I did not think of
that. only recollected my own experience
when was first married."
By-and-by it was, "Your tradespeople are
attentive? Send proper joints? Never have
loins of mutton. my dear-the most wasteful
dish there is. And as for ribs of beef, nv
housekeeper tells me that there is no under
cut in them. Positively no under-cut.
Little hints of that kind are invaluable to re-
ceive. I never order ribs of beef now"
This passed. Elizabeth, neither knowing
nor caring anything about the merits of
under cuts, was still Eliminating mischievous-
ly on the droll idea of establishing visiting
book wherein to detail in order the names Of
the residents in small and remarkably quiet
neighborhood, when her monitress departed,
"We are to keep book, John, of all our
engagements, and l am to enter in it nv
visitors as they call, in succession. first OF
all came Mr.. and Mrs. Foster, then the rec
tor and Mrs. Reeves, Lord Burchell, and Mrs.
and Miss Page-Gore. am am afraid it will
be Mr.. and Mrs. Foster, Mr.. and Mrs. Reeves,
Lord Burchell, and Mrs. aud Miss Page-Gore
over and over again, unless I am to insert
Lady Adelaide herself here and there by way
of variety. And, John, be sure you only en-
gage old and valued servants, it is so import
ant that they should be attached to youI'
"Lizziew
Elizabeth hung her head.
The next day she had cold.
Down came Lady Adelaide kinder than
ever. Black currant tea, lozenges-the best
were the pates de guimaures, quite inyalua-
BILE, had cures Sir Walter repeatedly: and
jelly, little jelly, so soothing and refreshing.
were all by turns prescribed. The Jelly
should be sent down from the priory at once,
aud the lozengers she would order on her
way back through the village. Oh, it was
mere nothing, a mile or two round-the
drive would do her good. Was Elizabeth's
throat blistered? had she headache? Fe-
verish?
Yes, all three: and she would have given
the world to be let alone besides.
John came to the rescue.
"She is not to talk, and this room is too
warm for you, Aunt Adelaide; come and
take turn round the garden.'
"And is poor dear Elizabeth to be left by
herself?'
Even so. Hard.hearted John kept his yisi.
tor out of doors during the whole OF her stsy.
and saw her safely off in the barouche ere he
returned to his Wite's room for the remainder
of the day.
"My lady's compliments, ma'am, to know
how you are this morning?''
Before nine O'Clock Elizabeth's abigail
brought this message as she arranged her
mistress's tea-tray by the bedside.
Elizabeth was no better.
MY lady's compliments, ma am, to know
how you are this afterDoon?'
Worse.
a groom rOde over IN the evening. His
master and mistress were going to Brighton
on the following day, but would put off their
departure if Mrs. Tresham was no better,
By no means. Mr.. Tresham would not
hear of such thing. The doctor had lust
left and there was nothing to be in the least
alarmed about.
Accordingly dainty note was lett at the
Cottage on the following day when the car
riage returned from the station.
''MY dear, do take care of yourself. / feel
quite cruel, quite avicked, running off in this
way. But Sir Walter thinks we must; and
dear John, too, so like himself to insist upon
1t. A few lines, post card, sent to B.
Square will let us know how you are. Pray.
my dear Elizabeth, do not think of writing
yourself. John or you maid will, know.
kindly take the trouble. In haste,
your affectionate
AUNT ADELAIDE.
p. $50 much to do.
p; S.IHaye you tried Porous Plaster
on the chestp'
Sick as she was, Elizabeth laughing aloud.
John, your aunt is perfect. She is
unique. Where did yor get such an aunt?
Pray, John, get me porous plaster to put
on my chest, because my throat is sore
And John, go at once to the post.offce and
get postal card, or, better still, send tele-
gram. Oh dear! 1 am very naughty and
very wretched. Even my ears seem to ache
and my head, eyes, everything. When will
the doctor come? ''
NhnI "a r.