Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1881-10-19
MRS. PENNY'S MISTAKES

Just on the brow of gently sloping
hill, commanding rich and varied view,
on one side of road cut into solid HILL
stood Elmholt Church. Growing the
opposite bank was an ivy-clad, gray
stone wall behind which two solemn,
slumberous yews kept sleepy watch on
their theological brothers in the church.
yard; and behind the yews, also solidly
built of the gray stone with its mullioned
windows, was Elmholt House, the resi-
dence Of no less q parsonage than Mrs.
Penny, who now sits with sort of blue
wooden antimacassar over her beautiful
frowsy non-gray ringlets, deeply i'm
mersed in a political pamphlet. The
room is barely and somewhat incongru
ously furnished. An old-fashioned
grand piano, of which the legs and
rather rich carvings had at one time been
gilt, occupies one corner of the room;
III another stands harp, whose better
days belonged to the years when George
III. was king; and other articles of
furniture bear the same impress Of faded
gentility Mixed with these are homely,
uncushioned Windsor chairs; q plain
deal table, scantily covered by thread
bare common cloth; and other furniture
not quite too far gone to be rejected
from the kitchen Of house where the
exchecquer is very limited.
Mrs. Penny's studies were interrupted
by loud but not unkindly voice out
SIDE
"Put it down, tell zee. won't haze
thee do it
With snort Mrs. Penny tossed down
her politics and strobe out with mascu-
line tread.
s'Let the boy alone, Penny" said she,
:" / won't have you interfere with him. 8"
Ct tell zee" said Mr.. Penny, for it
was he, /" he shan't fling stones at the
jenny-wrens. They be Godamoighty's
birds"
Mr.. Penny was hale looking old man,
rather ford, with wiry-gray beard and
mustache, and somewhat bowed In figure.
He wore CATERS, corduroy brooches, and
a drab coat with brass buttons, which
looked as though it had formed part of
some discarded livery.
The boy who was the subject of the
threatened alteration stood iresolute,
with the stone in his hand, and his eye
on the bush where the jennywren had
disappeared. Just IN the nick of time
blackbird started out, and, that the stone
might not be wasted, he hurled it at the
golden-billed lover of cherries, and then
ran off laughing
cay, ay." said Mr.. Penny. "Dang
the blackbirds. Hull at they if thee
likes"
Mrs. Penny pushed her blue antimacas-
sar little more On one side, hitched up
her dress in a nautical fashion, and re-
tired to pursue the interrupted copsid-
Grafton of woman's nights.
She was a lady of good birth, respect
able education and fairly endowed with
those good gifts 5" of which Sir Hugh
Evans had so high an appreciation.
She had been left an orphan before she
was out of her teens, and having always
very strong opinions as to woman's abil-
ity to do anything that men could do
and do it better, too-with a marked
partially for a country life and indepen-
dence, it was not long after she became
her own mistress she took into her own
hands the farm on which Elmholt House
stood, and began to manage it on strictly
original principles, although she con-
descended to dip into Virgil and Column
ella for hint sometimes.
The neighDOrs occasionally made
merry at her expense when she COM
mitted more egregioUs mistake than
usual. but she bore such tests as reached
her ear with imperturbable good-humor,
for, without having any of his morbid
sensitiveness, she rivalled poor Hayden
IN a sublime contempt for criticism.
There was an element of practically
IN her nature, however, which led her at
times to contemplate the necessity Of
considering her ways.
Penny occupied the nominal position
OF steward on the farm, but Miss Cur
teen was too much of an autocrat to ad-
nit of this position being more than nor
NAL. His advice she by no means felt
bound to follow, though she did not
prohibit it. He had, on one occasion,
urged the necessityof having more sheep
on the farm, and as the suggestion
seemed to her reasonable, she purchased
a small but beautiful flock on what she
thought TO be favorable terms.
"Well, Penny, what do you think Of
the sheep" she asked after he had re-
turned from inspecting them.
Penny, whose face was unusually red
and rigid in the lines of it, opened his
lips to reply, and loud laugh, which
he had been at much pains to suppress,
took the opportunity to escape
Have you lost your senses, man, %
said Miss Gurteen angrily, "that you
behave in that way before me?"
81 beg pardon, MISS" he said, re-
covering his gravity with an effort that
nearly checked him, 81 couldn 'thelp it. y
Sc Penny, you're great baby" said
bis mistress; s. that's what you are. And
,oorD about tho chpop-"
"Why, lor' bless you, miss
He stopped suddenly, grew purple in
thefsce, resolutely compressed his mouth,
turned his head, and burst into an un-
controllable roar of laughter.
Miss Gurteen looked on with amaze
ment. When the paroxysrn was over,
she said severely:
Penny, you've been taking too much
cider.
l haven't had a drop O. zider sin =