The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1881-09-02
ID AT MoRRIsroWN. n .. FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 2 1881

"Betty, said Miss Darkridge, ssbe SC
| good as to throw these rolls out Of the
window"
Betty stared.
DO you hear what tell you p said
Miss Darkridge, with emphasis.
And Betty flung the rolls among the
rosebushes, where they were speedily
deyoured by Cato, the Newfoundland
dog, and Rob and Roy, the two settlers.
But what am | to eat for breakfast?'' ~
bewailed Uncle Black.
1 Crackers, of course, said Joscelind.
sAnything is better than imperiling
/ ones digestion with such stuff as this
And, Betty, If you send up any more
fish in q month, you may consider your
self discharged-do you hear ?"
"But, my dear, I am rather fond of
fish, put in the old gentleman.
''One can't eat fish the sohole time, .
said Joscelind, imperiously. ssHere,
Betty this coffee isn't fit to drink !! and
the toast is burned and you must have
put the cooking butter on the table by
mistake Let these errors be rectifed
af once.''
Betty retired, with an ominous rustic
Of her stifiy -starched apron.
My dear" said Uncle Black, rather
apprehensiyely, "Betty is a very old
servant, and"
81 don't care if she is the age of
Methuselah," said Joscelind; nobody
can be expected to put up with such
Wretched cookery as this r.
~ ftT roo11x %h;nb che 80 .,o& 30 I,oI
| if--'
"Oh, pray don't apologize for her,
Uncle Black r said Joscelind. s'They
are all shiftless, lazy creatures, who
must be discharged promptly if they
don't do their duties" ("
Uncle Black began to look fright
ened. He had kept Betty, Sylvia and
old John for ten years. Was it possible
that he had scolded at them for ten
years, only to have Joscelind Darkridge
outscold him now?
ssI wouldn't be too short with 'em,
my dear, # / were you r he remonstra-
ted.
ssThen let them do their duty r. said
Joscelind, with the air of an empress.
We are all mortal" pleaded Uncle
Black.
81 expect every one around me to
live up to their conditions" said Josce-
lind.
Uncle Black ate the rest Of his break
fast with but little appetite. Sylvia, the
housemaid, was finishing dusting his
library as he entered it.
Not through yeti" growled Uncle
RIo0H Fra4xunv,Ix n = nc ~, M,
more coming into his brow.
"Sylvia, said Miss Darkridge, severe
ly, ssif this happens again, / shall dis
pense with your services Look at that
clock Is this the time of day to be
dawdliHg about the rooms with broom
and duster Remember that Mr.. Black
does not pay you exorbi. ant wages to lie
in bed until noon r 81
MY dear, said Uncle Black, ssSylvia
is generally very good girl, if
Dear Uncle, interrupted Joscelind,
ss6rag permit me to be the Judge of
! ttisss5 a1s Ynlt have ruled vorr
household with slack and indulgent
hand altogether too long. shall now
institute reform" !"
And poor Sylvia had never moved
about SO briskly as she did that cay.
Old John, the gardener, was not ex-
empt from his share of the general tur-
MOL. Miss Darkridge Glanced to over
hear her uncle reproaching the old man
for some fancied neglect in the flower
beds, whose diamonds, ovals and cres-
cents of brilliant colors were the pride
of his horticultural heart, and she came
promptly to his aid.
Gardening, indeed Do you call this
gardening r. she said. "Uncle Black, I'm
astonished that you keep such man as
this about the place |"
And the torrent of taunts and re-
proaches which she showered upon the
luckless head of poor old John was
enough, as that individual observed, ssto
make ones flesh Creep"
'sMy niece is young lady of spirit
and energy" apologized Mr.. Black,
when at last Joscelind had gone back
to the house.
ssVerra like you, sir--yerra like you r.
said old John, scratching his head.
Like mel" said Mr.. Black, slowly.
And he stood for full five minutes,
quite speechless and motionless, staring
down at the messy rim of an ancient
un-dial, half sunk in the velvety grass.
And at the end of the five minutes he
spoke twoaother words, and two only;
sLike-nae"
'sThere's no KNOWN the masther, he's
that changed" said Betty, in the
kitchen, a week or SO after. ssHe's as
mild as lamb and as peaceable as a
kitten"
Sure, isn't that just what the young
lady told US" said Sylvia, s'when she
came down into the kitchen that first
morning before the fire was lighted, and
told us as she was goin' to try an ex-
| pertinent, and we wasn't to mind word
| she said. cause it was all by coDtraries.
| He don't know what his temper has got
to be, said she, and I'm going to show
him. And, bless her sweet heart, her
plan has worked like charm r
1t had, In good truth. Uncle Black
was changed man. And Joscelind had
relapsed into the original sunshine of
ner temper and all the domestic wheels
of Black Grange seemed to revolve on
velvet.
But Uncle Black took all the credit
to himself. He never knew that Josce-
lind had taught him lesson.
ssWe get along very nicely" said he,
ssnow that my niece has subdued those
little tempers Of hers"
And Joscelind was lis heiress and
darling after all for he will always be-
lieve that it was be who formed her
character"
/
How to Break of Bad Habits.
Understand the reason, and all the
reasons, why the habit is injurious.