Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1881-09-28

ed, Not until the performance was oyef
did his hostess perceive him, when lac
made q profound bow, aud many apollo
eies ior being late, as another engage
meht lad detained him,
"ilow very provoking Then he has
not received my telegram" Thought
Mis-, 1'uflhuRter ahd i4old Iweedledum
was expected eyeiy milule, Moreover
the professional would tinl that doeu'
ment On his return home that evening,
She was ready 10 sink 10 the ground
with yeIaliOn, aud had II Oh the UP OF
her tongue to say, "Dld you not receive
The telegram Y when she remembered
her "indispOsiiiGn," and there she was
IN perfect health, and had Just been
singing
Well, there was nothing 10 be done
hut TO pass II on, OF course the man
must 10 asked to play, and Mis-, luh,
hunter deyoutedly hoped that Lord
Tweelledum would not hear his name
nor ask anything about him, 'lis
must he kept hard VI work at the piano"
she said 10 herself. "aHd after all he viii
be very useful ior the aceompanl'
menta,"
So the little man sits down to the IN
strument, aud after few chords aud
mOdulations, plays fantasia IN master
ly manner lle then accompanies one
or two songs, All this time the lady Of
tho house Il busily engaged IN watching
every fresh arrival, expecting at each
moment TO hear Lord TgCedlodums
name announced, and IN keeping her
oyes on tho professional, "ilow very
provoking II Il that he does not come,
she said. to herself, "all tho best people
will DO gone before he arrives"
The evening wore on, Every one
went down to supper except the poor
professional, who was kept pinned TO
his music stool, aud was not allowed to
stir
"IIe can 40 down after tho people arc
gone" said Mrs, Tuithuntcr, "and
regalo himself as much as he pleases
then"
BY halfpast twelve the room Was
cleared Of all the guests. Mrs, Tut.
hunter then goes up to tho last'named
gentleman, and in her blandest manner
asks II ho will not 90 down to supper.
The professional bows to tho lady
and her family, Trunks her, and dis
appears.
1T isrcally too bad" cried tho mother
and daughters, when he was gone. "oi
Lord Twccdledum TO disappoint MS like
this. It's great shame, Quite dis
graceful said Jemima.
"And to think what trouble Ind to
arrange the party to suit him." said
poor Mrs. Tuithuntcr. "And / told
every one that We were expecting him,
and then TO think Of his not turning up
after all its really too trying"
At that moment up comes the butler,
and hands his mistress card on a
,hlver.
"What's this2" she said, taking it up,
when she read the startling words
"Visconnt Tweedledum !"
"Where is he p exclaimed the lady,
in state OF great agitation. "You
surely haven't left his lordship standing
in the hall I"
He's gone," said the butler, grinning.
"It's him as played the pianny."
ooh, good gracious! What have ]
done ?" cried Mrs. Tufthunter, ready to
sink TO the ground with vexation.
Tor, ma !" exclaimed Jemima. ~
remember now, Mr.. White said in his
note that Lord Tweedledum was very
Musical, md he certainly is very like
foreigner"
"Well, you have gone and put your
foot into it," remarked her provoking
husband, roaring with laughter, when
he heard the mistake she had made.
Tweedledum, who told me the story
as have related it, said that though, OF
course, he gave his name on the stairs,
it was not heard when announced, as
music was going on, and the hostess
had moved away from the door and was
singing when he came in. Then, as she
Immediately assumed that be was pro-
fessional in such very marked way, he
could not resist the temptation to keep
up the delusion.
"Altogether." he said, 81 had most
amusing evening. 1t was rs good as
play to see the old lady rs stiff as play
to me but, when Sir Henry Coxcombe
came in, she put on her blandest smile
and most gracious manner !"