The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1878-04-13
MR.. PERKINS.

wi anu ills' iltI, L tItSIluc
junior, and Miss Grace Paret sat at break
fast in their pleasant dining room overlook
ing the garden, the avenue the base ball
ground, and straight across the river to the
steeples and high chimneys that doomed
through the mist hanging over the great
busy metropolis. 1t had been Mrs. Paret's
boast that she had the finest view from
her front windows of any house in River
view, and that not one uuseemly blot rested
upon the landscape. So that it became a
sore thing to her when her husband leased
big lot in the direction of the water to a
man by the name of Perkins, who got lot
of old boards together and reared a kind of
work shop there, from which he emerged
at various times in the day, sometimes in
his shirt sleeves and again in leather
apron and queer cap: if the weather was
Indictment. perhaps he wore wooden jacket,
and at this season of the year his panta-
looms were generally thrust in his boots.
The man, as Mrs. Paret Justly observed,
evidently belonged to the working class,
and she had no objection to Mr. Paret hir-
ing him to superintend the various repairs
necessary that Spring in their household,
but she did strongly object to the peculiar
manner of the man; it was not so much
that he had dared to use his own Judgment
about the wall paper but he had actually
appealed to Grace, to her daughter, to sup
port him in his choice and Grace, in her
ht1n l,n1 Il,
hall talking with this man Perkns-talk-
ing, smiling, blushing. Why, Grace could
not have shown more attention to the Grand
I Duke himself than she had to this paper
hanger.
"The impudence, the unparalleled i'm
pertinence," said Mrs. Paret, "of paper
hanger, an ordinary paper hanger, daring
to intrude his choice of material, and actu-
ally using pale gray ground instead of
the shade l ordered"'
"But, mamma" said Grace, "you said
yourself that it was the prettiest, after it
/ was on the wall
THAT has nothing to do with it, said
Mrs. Paret, waving her hand and majesti-
cally disposing of her daughters. plea
"nothng whatever to do with it. It's the
principle Of the thing, Grace; the idea of
| an ordinary paper hanger -
! " l don't think he's altogether ordinary,
mamma said Grace. ''1ou must allow
yourself that he's a little extraordinary.
he's a kind of Admiral Crichton. Pm
sure | never saw such skill in my life in
! hanging the curtains; and hung they would
never have been if our people had been left
to manage them. He Just climbed the lad
der, Peregrine,' added Grace, turning to
her brother, land took the great clumsy
things in his arms, gave a twist or two
here, tack or two there, push up and
push down, and the whole thing was
| lovely
Hum said Peregrine junior, Juggling
at the few wisps of hair he called nous
tache-'' hum-a-yes-n doubt: but there
is such thing as fellows being too con.
foundedly brisk, you know. Fellow S good
enough, no doubt, in his way-capital me-
chanic, all that sort of thing; but hang it,
you know, fellow must keep in his own
groove. Watkins says to me yesterday,
See fellow over there saving board?'
! And | says, Yes And says Watkins,
Fellow wants to join our boat club. =
MOP says i. Fact says Watkins -
| Case of blackball,' says |. And it was:
club couldn't stand that sort of thing, you
know-kill it quicker'n lightnng.'
| "That's the reason you lose every race"
said Grace. 50 Mr.. Perk ms is better oars
man than any one in the club
Possible drawled Peregrine. 'Plenty
clubs glad to get him. no doubt, but we
decline the honor. If precedent is stab
lished that sort, no knowing what'l be the
consequence"
| "Peregrine is right" said Mrs. Paret.
GA place for every body, and everybody in
his place, is my motto; and one thing is
very certain, that ramshackle old barn over
there is running our property. l told you,
! Mr.. Paret, what would be the result when
you leased him the land"
Mr.. Paret said nothing; his half-shut but
keen eyes had at first rested upon the face
| of his daughter, and an expression of eager
anxiety, which was very rare with him,
had now given way to the usual GRIM COM
posture of his features. He was a very
quiet man, and would sit for a whole even
ing with his head up against the wall,
never once nazarding remark of his own,
but contenting himself apparently with the
! hot nh
extreme reticence had gained for him
certain reverence when he did happen to
speak. 4 more voluble man might be al
lowed to run on unnoticed, or he might
be contradicted or differed with, but Mr..
Paret's words, like every thing rare, were
held in consideration.
On this pleasant morning of which |
speak he said nothing. For brief mo-
ment a keen glance, almost haggard i'll
anxiety had rested on the sweet face of his
daughter: but he did not reply to his wife.
Two or three days later Oh he, however,
made a remark which caused considerable
confusion in the little circle about him.
This time it was the evening meal, and
| the SUBJECT was again MIR. Perkins. Spring
had come, the bitterness of the frost had
melted in the ardor of the sun, and the
consequence was-mud! The peculiar vel.
low clay that formed the upper strata in the
geological classification of Riverview be-
came very noticeable that night in the
PAret household. The heavy boots of Mr..
Paret were clogged with it, the CATERS of
Peregrine junior were licked here and
there, and the natty, arched, high heeled
shoes of Miss Grace, as they Struggled un-
der the dining table, showed very plainly
the amorous designs of this sordid clay.
"Hum-a-" drawled Peregrine, "what
is all this about fellow with board Wat
kins home to day, and says days of chivalry
coming back again. Certain lovely ladys
progress impeded by mud-along comes
knight with board on shoulder-throws it
I Il l,,I, l. IL.