Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1881-11-30

You have such perfect taste in all these
matters, and manage them SO admira-
bly,"
"It runs in the blood" said my aunt,
not insensible to the hattery. "My
father was very fond of his garden, and
she that comes of hen must scrape.
But I've scarcely any pleasure to go into
my garden now, since Miss Payne has
stuck up that abominable red brick wall
at the end of it. 1t scorches my eyes
to look upon it. It's not much after all, !"
she said, turning to Mr.. Jordan, "but
such as it is, come and see it.
She led the way up the steps which
climbed into the garden from the back
door, between the dwarf yews and mag
nifcent trees of blush roses, old-fashion-
ed but sweet as the odors of a dream,
and turning down to little dell where
dwarf ivy and periwinkle clambered over
artfully- disposed rocks, presented her
pretty little fernery, lush and delicate in
it's verdure, and delicious in its GOODNESS,
Mr.. Jordan examined it with a critical
eye.
Excellent, Miss Gayfer." said he,
STOPPING down as he spoke to examine
the soil. 'But these scoIopendriums
would do better if you would give them
some sandy loan mixed with leaf
| mould"
"The man has grain of gumption in
him, after all said my aunt, soto voce,
but not so low as to be inaudible to a
little nephew whose hand she held, and
who, having a sense of hrmor, very i'm
perfectly succeeded in sitting laugh,
as he caught Miss Tipple's eye fixed
upon him. There was an awkward
hush for second or two, and in the
pause the sound of shears was distinctly
visible.
Ny aunt gathered up her skirts with
inimitable speed, and proceeded to in
vestigate, followed more leisurely by the
cousins, who seemed to be exchanging
condolences in complacent manner, till
they were startled by the indignant
tones of my aunt's voice exclaiming:
=" HI you man, what are you doing
there? How dare you?''
On the opposite side OF the garden
rose the hideous red-brick building
which had excited my aunt's righteous
indignation. Just struggling up to
reach this had been a magnificent crop
OF ivy; but the place thereof knew it no
more, for a man who stood there, open
mouthed, with Lis shears in his hand,
and with the spoils of his labor all round
him, had sheared and trimmed it till
the wall was as bare as billiard ball.
Ny aunt had followed up her exclama-
ton by rushing across the garden, seiz-
ing the intruder by the collar of his
jacket, and shaking him till his teeth
chartered in bis head.
said Miss Triple, plucking the new rec
tors sleeve. "The woman must be
mad"
But Mr.. Jordan, without needing the
injunction, with smile on his face,
STROBE to the scene of the conflict, just
as my aunt, fairly out of breath, released
poor Jobson in a condition of extreme
physical exhaustion and mental Devil
derment.
ooh, it's you, Jobson, is it ?" she
said, as soon as she had sufficiently re-
covered breath. How dare you come
trespassing here, and destroying my
garden? You touch another leaf of that
ivy, sir, and I'll make you smart for it,
or my name is not Agatha Gayfer.'
There was scarcely leaf left for him
to touch; he had done his work COM
pletely.
"Well, she continued, impatiently,
what do you stand there for with your
mouth open, like dwelling idiot
Have you got nothing to say for your
self ?"
"Why, lord, Miss Gayfer," said job
son, "you right down skeer me, that you
do; I han't had SIGH jouncing not sin I
was tossed in blanket. never knowed
l was doing any harm. Miss Payne she
said the ivory made her walls damp, and
| was to come over and cut it. She
towld me, and thought it was all right. I
never knowed [ was doing any harm.
Why, Lor' there"
''And are you such born fool, then,
as to go and do whatever Miss Payne
tells you? Don't you know I could have
you prosecuted and imprisoned for tres
pass and willful damage? and I don't
know but what I shall, too. He that
will needs blow in the dust must look to
I'll his eyes with it. Now you go and
tell Miss Payne that if she's got any
thing to say by way of excuse, she had
better say it at once, or it may be too
late"
''Sakes! Miss Gayfer, began Jobson,
- never
"Don't stand talking there, man, but
go and do as tell YOU"
The unhappy Jobson gathered up his
tools, climbed up the short ladder by
which he had made his descent, drew it
after him and disappeared.
cts most vexatious incident" said
the new rector.
'Vexatious ~ interrupted my aunt,
with perfectly recovered composure, cts
maddening"
There was a curious contrast between
the words and the tone in which they
were uttered, and the rector smiled as he
said
81 hope, after the first natural ebulIi-
ton of feeling, you will be able to ac-
commodate you difference with this Miss
Payne amicably.'
ooh, fddle-de-dee |" said my aunt.
"But there now, goodbye. I shall see