New-York tribune., 1881-10-02
MRS. PENNY'S MISTAKES.
A STORY.

stone wall behind which two solemn, slum0rouS
yrws kept sleepy watch their theological
brothers in the churchyard; and behind the yewss,
also solidly built of the gray stone with ITS null
honed windows, was Elmholt House, the resdence
of no less a parsonage than Mrs Penny' VINO nov
sits with a sort of blue wOOllen antlmacassaI over
her plentiful frowsy lron-gray iinmeCs' uecPiN
immersed in political pampnigGv fnrnisbeG So An
old-fashoued grand piano. OF when the legs anu
rather rich carvings had at one time been glll,
occupies corner of the rom; In another stahus
n harp whose better days belonged TO the years
when George the Third was king; ana other artlces
Of furniture bear the same in press of faded gen,
tilitv Mixed with these are hon ely. uncushloned
Windsor chairs; plain deal table. scantlly covered
by a threadbare con mon cloth; and other furniture
not quite too far gone to be rejected IRON Ille
kitchen of a house where the eXchequer Is very
lin tied. ....4o, J.. - Io,,,
but not unkindly voice outside. ~
sPut il down, tell Zee. i won't haze thee do It,
With a snort, Mrs. Penny tossed down her poll
Let the boy alone, Penny said she, i won't
have You interfere with HIM -
i tell 'ee' said Mr.. Penny for it was he, he
GodamoIghty's birds
Mr.. Penny was hale-looking old man, rather
ford. with wiry-gray beard and mustache ana
somewhat bowed III figure. lie wore CATERS, cor
duroy breeches. and drab coat with brass buttons
which looked though it had formed part OF some
The how who was the subject of the threatened
alteration stood irresolute with the stone IN his
hand and his eye on the bush where the lenny-
wren had disappeared. Just in the nick of time a
blackbird started out, and, that the stone might
not be wasted. he hurled 1t at the golden Oiued
lover of cherries. and then ran of laughing.
Ay ay.' said Mr. Penny. Dang the blackbirds
Hull at they if thee likes 49,,
Mrs. Penny pushed her blue antiluacassar little
more on one 81 e, htched up her dress in nautical
fashion, and retired to pursue the interrupted CON
sideration of womans rights. 49,,
She was lady OF good birth, respectaDle educa,
gifts of which Sir Hugh Evans had so high an APP
probation. She had been left an orphan before she
was out of her teens and having always very
strong opinions as TO woman ability tG do any
thing that men could do-and do 1t better, too
with marked partiality for country lie and Tor
independence il was not long after she became her
own mistress that she took into her own hands the
farm on which Elmholt House stood and began to
manage it on strictly original principles, although
she condescended to dip into Virgil and Columella
The neghbors occasionally made merry at her
expense when she committed more gorgeous
mistake than usual. but she bore such Jests as
reached her ear with imperturbable good-humoT
for, without having any OF his morbid sensitive
tempt for criticism. =. -.
nature however which led her at times to contem-
plate the necessity of considering her ways
Penny occupied the nominal position of steward
ou the farm but Miss Gurteen was too much of an
autocra TO admit of this position being more than
normal. His advice she bv no means felt bound to
follow, though she did not prohibit it. He had, on
one occasion urged the necessity OF having more
sheen on the farm, and rs the suggestion seemed
to her reasonable, she purchased small bat bean
tlful flock on what she thought to be 1avoraDie
We'll. Penny. what do you think of thb sheep
she asked after he had returned from inspecting
them. ,
Penny whose face was unusually red and rigid
in the lines of it. opened his lips to repP. ana
loud laugh which no had been at much pains TO
suppress, took the opportunity to escape b.,
Have you lost your senses man. sald MISS
Gurteen angrily, that you behave in that way
Il beg pardon, miss he said, recovering his
gravity with an effort that nearly choked him,
Penny, you're great baby, said his mistress;
that's what you are. And now about the sheep
'Why, lor' bless you. miss
He stopped suddenly, grew purple in the face,
resolutely compressed his mouth, turned his head,
and burst into an uncomfortable roar of laughter.
Miss Gurteen looked on with amazement When
the parOXysn over, she said severely:
Penny, you've been taking too much cider
Il haven had drop o. zider sin'-eyer so long,
said he, substituting indefinite phrase. as 1t
flashed upon him that lie had just refreshed him
self with a cup in the kitchen. But they sheep
Some time after this, Miss Gurteen, who had been
mcditating much, said
Penny. Pve been thinking about those sheep
] shalt always be making mistakes
Like enough, miss said he with all the gravity
he could command.
L can only see one way to keep clear of them'
she went on. j shall have to marry YOU
Penny grnned from ear to ear.
=, Oh, man, she SAID petqlantly, don't efln IKE
that 1t makes me sick What do yOu say TO ItT
Well mss said he, il you be wlllln' be-
Aud with that brief woOng Miss Gurteen became
Scarcely i; altered She remains autocrat, STILL and
he, good easy man, still steward, with but little
increased responsibility He was placid and Obe-
course of time son and heir was born-the young
malignant whom we founG casting stones at the
jenny-wrens, then about fourteen years of age. a
plump we-gTOwn, afiectonate boy.
Mrs Penny had from hls birth destined him for
the church, the living Of Elmhot beng in her gift,
and tue lad, with placidity which would have
done discredit TO his father, acquiesced in the
destiny. Not that he felt any special vocation for
that sacred office of which he would even the
young scapegrace y with considerable hun0r mako
fun when he made his way into the kitchen, and
extenpOrized pulpit with couple of chairs, and
q surplus with tablecloth, TO the infinite merri
The procvity of the boy for finding companion
ship in the kitchen was Mrs. Pennys greatest
trouble. She had been at infinite pains to make him
understand that he was gentleman. and must
avoid low company such Esa as that aorded BY the
prefer TO sit in the kitchen, smoking his pipe and
chatting with the laborers after his days work,
was natural and right; he belonged TO that class
of people but ner son was expected to keep state
with her in the porlOr, in dIgnified promenade
up and down the filbert walk. Gus opposed to this
@aesd Oh w Ms band
collar be made no complaint, took his book or his |
pencil. listened to his lecture, and rendered obe
the moment he was released from that stern gaze,
he slipped back with unimpaired cheerfuness. and |
with much perseverance, as a moth puTsues its |
own shadow on the ceiling, evidently regarding |
the parlor existence as merely parenthetical.
lie will grow out of it, sand Mrs. Penny. when |
she cautioned her steward not TO encourage him |
In the practice.
But he did not grow out Of IL. Even after his
experiences at a genteel boarding school, he |
would come back TO shudder away from the |
dull decorum of the gentiefolks quarter of his |
home TO the cosiness. warmth, freedom and fun of
the common folks. Gradually. too there grew up i'm |
his mind painful sense of his fathers position 1t
did not come TO him early, for from his babyhood
his father had been always quiet, good -humored
cipher, and the perception OF strangeness in cond-
tions rendered familiar TO us comes slowly and
comes late. In him it came surely, and while be
grew studiously polite with his mother he grew
more and more afeciionate with his father. He
loved to walk round the fields with him, pick up
g. nf and