The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-12-20
SOME MISDIRECTED LETTERS.
CHAPTER III.
THE CONDITIONS OF THE PROBLEM.

AoWiHS year tuat was passing low
days Of the Easter vacation in the neigh
borhood of my delightful quiet quarters
at the Castle. l understood that the
Earl and Countess had been spending
the winter in south of France, and had
gone on, like so many Others, to pass Eas-
ter at Rome. Otherwise l should very
gladly have rode over to take my lunch
and pay my respects to my former kind
hosts. As it was, thought | would 60
to Bullingford. There is a favorite
Latin proverb, "bis repetita placent." |
always like a revisit as well as a visit.
On the revisit you verify you past i'm
pressions, and consolidate your informa-
alton. Every English landscape is wor-
thy of, and indeed demands, repeated
study bfore you can thoroughly under
stand and appreciate it. If Bullingford
had been beautiful on my first visit, with
the scarlets of autumnal tints, it would
be none the less SO with the opening
greens and sweet odors of spring. l
could at least once more linger in those.
ground and gardens where l used to
smoke my morning cigar, chewing the
cud of harmless innocent fancies, or pace
the avenue of that park-like meadow,
where l had made my first acquaintance
with the doings of Bulingford.
My little programme was soon carried
out. / put up my horse at the Royal
Arms, so called from the reputation Of
having afforded hiding-place to King
Charles; and to the qualification Of mine
host, who recognized me at once, | drank
off a tankard of his home-brewed. Then
took my walks abroad, and revived my
old associations Finally l turned into
the old churchyard; for in every village
the church is the central monumental
feature, from and to which all local his
tory radiates. In the charchyard had
the good fortune to meet with the excel
lent Vicar, whose acquaintance had
first made at the Castle, and on whom l
had some thoughts of calling.
We walked up and down the avenue,
the broad avenue Of yews facing the old
Norman gateway of the church.
"For fifty years, Mr.. Majoribanks,
have l been vicar here. Ihad only been
ordained twelve-month pefore the last
losd but one gave me the living. 1t is
a very sweet spot; but to an ambitious
man, or to one fond of change, half a
century of rural life would be weari-
some."
"And you do not find it so?"
"Not in the least. Each fresh day
comes with the novelty of new exist
ence, and its sweet familiar surprise Of
light and music. And let me tell you,
my friend, that, although | dare say you
young fellows are far in advance of us
old fogies in the "savoir-vivre," l do not
myself think that this is the case. We
cd fellows know what to expect, and
also what not to expect"
Il suppose that is new form of the
old adage, that young people think old
people fools, but old people know that
young ones are"
"Not at all. | think nothing so i'll.
natured. delight in young people.
now love the young people whose grand
parents | knew as young people-once
upon time"
81 suppose you know all your parish
toner's well?"
~ should think I did. Whatever
curates l may have-and l have had
have had many good ones-I always
make point of taking the baptisms,
marriages, and funerals myself. II
keeps up my intimacy with all my dear
est people," ....
''Do you remember that day when we
had some conversation once in reference
to Lady Bullingford's tchef%"
The good Wears countenance fell
and an unmistakable shadow of chagrin
and regret passed over it.
~ remember him we'll. He married
the prettiest girl in the parish during my
fifty years here"
"What became of her?'
"She is married, and she is dead"
] was greatly grieved and shocked.
"No! Impossible! Do you really tell
me sop
eyes, Mr.. Majoribanks. She married
that foreign professional cook or artist
whateverhe chose to call himself-French
or Italian or English, also whichever he
chose to call himself"
81 believe that man was very bad
lot"
81 know it." said the Vicar.
"How could such nice girl as that
fling over worthy man like Wilson
and fancy such disreputable old black
guard, old enough to be her father?"
"Ah, my young friend, you ask me
more than am able to tell you. The
Older live, the more utterly inscrutable
does the mind of woman appear to me
Anyhow,she married him, and they stayed
in the village for FIVE or six weeks
and then they went away. By and by
we had some very unpleasant rumor
about them"
"Such as whatw
Zone rumor was that he ill-treatet
her. There was another rumor that hi
was married already; but, bless you, h'
was the sort of man who wanders abou
the world, and has got wife in half {
dozen different places. Then we heart
that he was kept prisoner in his homt
in Italy. Then came the news that sht
--oo LoaJ .