The Sentinel. [volume] (Trenton, N.J.) 1880-1882, 1881-08-13

buildings for dessert on week days and
apple tarts on Sundays, was allowed
to prepare an advertisement for the
mornings paper, in which was offered
to san elderly gentleman, who must
have excellent references, fine room
in the house of a lady of refinement,
who had never before taken ledger,
for the privilege of occupying which he
would be expected to pay liberal
equivalent"
I disapproved highly of the wording
of this call for help, but my aunt and
cousins insisted upon it's being couched
in these very terms, and so was COM
PEELED to yield, inwardly convinced that
it would bring no reply.
But it did. The very afternoon of
the morning it appeared, carriage
with trunk strapped on behind drove
up to our door. An old gentleman got
out, hobbled up our steps and rang our
door-bell.
"You must see him, Dorothea," said
my aunt, leaving the parlor, followed
by train of her children. "It is your
affair altogether. will have nothing
to do with it."
"We none of US will have anything to
do with it, chimed in my cousins. eve
were not born with the souls of lodging
house keepers y and away they sailed as
I opened the door to the second-a little
louder than the frst-ring OF the caller.
He was short, slightly formed old
gentleman, with big, bright black eyes,
bushy white eyebrows, and long white
mustache and beard.
"You have room to let? he asked
81 have" I answered, ushering him
into the parlor, where ne glanced keerly
around, and then as keenly into my face,
while he announced in decisive tone:
81 have come to take it. My luggage
is at the door. Be so kind as to tell me
where to direct the man to carry it."
"But II began, in a hesitating way,
brusque, not to say high-handed man
ner.
"But me no buts,'" quoted the old
gentleman. 81 am Amos Griffin,
lately from England, where I have been
living for the past twenty years. Since
I landed in New York, month ago to-
day, I have been boarding at the ST.
Nicholas. But where's your mother?'
I fastened to assure him that I was
empowered to negotiate with him.
"Ah, indeed! Well, then, I'll so on,
though it strikes me that you'are rather
young for the business. You have never
taken a ledger before am glad of
it, for reasons which is not necessary to
explain. You want liberal equlva-
lent for your fine room; am prepared
to give it. That leaves only one thing
to be arranged. I should like my break
fast at eight precisely every morning"
"But we did not propose to give
breakfast"
ST know you didn't; but I'll give you
another liberal equivalent for it. You
can't be very we'll off, or you wouldn't
take a lodger; and the more liberal
equivalents you can get from him the
better. Will you be kind enough to
show me to my roomw
eyes, SIR" I replied, meekly, COM
pletely succ1mbing to the big black
eyes and strong will-power of the frail-
looking old man, and totally forgetting
to ask for the reference insisted upon
in the advertisement Whereupon he
stepped to the front door, and beckoned
to the man outside, who, taking the
trunk upon his back, followed him. as
he followed me, to the second story front
room.
"Ah," said our ledger, as he entered
it, "this is not bad-not at all bad"
And it wasn't. AS I have said before,
| +1o roox.o a.
house, and I had arranged it as prettily
as I could with the means at my COM
mand. Fortunately these included a
number Of nice engravings and vases,
and capacious bamboo chair with a
crimson cushion, and foot-stool of like
color. And the fragrance of the honey
suckles that stole in at the window from
the balcony, and the two or three sun
beams that had found their way through
the half-closed blinds, and danced in
triumph on the wall, and the half-dozen
gayly bound books (mine) on the mantel,
and the ivy growing from red pot on
the bracket in one corner, all combined
to make the room pleasant place in
deed
Mr.. Griffin had been our ledger ex-
actly two years, during which L had
prepared and superintendent the serving
of his breakfasts, and taken entire
charge of his room, "as we'll as though
I had been brought up to that sort of
thing" as my cousin Cleanthe remarked,
and the rest of the family, with the ex-
ception of uncle, who became quite
friendly with him, had only met him
some dozen times-at which times they
assumed their most dignifed dignity
when he was taken sick.
cts an old complaint, which will
carry me of some time" said he to me;
"but 1 hope not this time. Anyhow,
Little Honesty" "a name he had given
me from the frst-I hope / deserved it),
Give or die, I intend to remain here.
Nowhere else could l be as comfortable.
You must engage an extra servant, and
you and she together must nurse me.
I should certainly die of professional.
! n II e.,