St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1881-09-16

| who would"
But here | paused abruptly. Ale.
thea had tainted in the arms of nv
aunt, who, glancing at me over the toI
of her eldest daughters head, com
manded me in her deepest tone (aunt
has rather bass voice. to 'leave the
rOom-instantly."
But in short time, during which
things had been getting worse and
worse, and we had been reduced to
rice puddings for desert on week days
and apple tarts on Sundays. / was al
lowed to prepare an advertisement for
the mornings paper, in which was of
fered to ''an elderly gentleman, who
must have excellent references, a fine
room in the house of family of refine
ment, who had never before taken a
lodger, for the privilege of occupying
which he would be expected to pay a
liberal equivalent"
disapproved highly of the wording
OF this call for help, but my aunt and
cousins insisted upon its being couched
Ill these very terms, and so | was COM
PEELED to yield, inwardIy 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
"YOu must see him, Dorothea," said
my aunt, leaving the parlor, followed
by train of her children. at 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.
1--WE were not born with the souls of
clearinghouse keepers ~ and away
they sailed rs | opened the door to the
secOnd-a little louder than the first
ring of the caller.
He was short, slightly formed old
gentleman, with big, bright black eyes,
bushy, white eyebrows, and q long,
white mustache and beard.
"YOu have Il room to let 2" he asked.
81 have" | answered, ushering him
into the parlOr, where he glanced keen
ly around, and then as keenly into my
face, while he announced in a decisive
tone:
81 have come to take it. My lug
gage is at the door. Be so kind as to
tell me where to direct the man to
Garry it,"
"But'-I began, in hesitating way,
utterly confused by the strangers
brusque, not to say high handed, man
ner.
But me no buts,'" quoted the old |
gentleman. 81 am Amos Griffin, lately
from England, where | have been liv-
ing for the last twenty years. Since
landed i'll New York, month ago to- |
day, have been boarding at the st. |
But where's your mother ?n
| hastened to assure him that ! was
to negotiate with him.
"Ah, indeed Well, then, rlI go on,
though it strikes me that you are
rather young for the business. You
have never taken a lodger before. i
am glad of it, for reasons which it is
liberal equivalent for your fine room
| am prepared to give it. That leaves
only one thing to be arranged.
should like my breakfast at eight pre-
cisely every morning"
"But we did not propose to give
81 know you didn't; but III give you
another liberal equivalent for it.
You can't be very well Off, or you
wouldn't take a lodger; and the more
liberal ebuivalents you can get from
him, the better. VIII you be kind
enough to show me to my rOom?"
eyes, sir" replied, meekly, COM
pletely succumbing to the big black
eyes, and strong will-power of the frail-
looking old man, and totally forgetting
20 l. hn ~
on i'll the advertisement. WhereupOn
he stepped to the front door, and beck
Oned 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 lodger, as he entered
it, "this is not bad, not at all bad"
And it wasn't. AS | have said be-
fore, it was the pleasantest room in
the house, and l had arranged it as
prettily as | could with the means at
my command. Fortunately these in
cluded n number of nice engravings
and vases, and a capacious bamboo
chair with Il crimson cushion, and foot
stool of like color. And the fragrance
of the hOneysuckles that stole in at
the window from the balcony, and the
two or three sunbeams that had found
their way through the half-closed
blinds, and danced in triumph on the
wall, and the half-dozen gaily bound
books (mine) on the mantel, and the
ivy growing from red pot on the
bracket in one corner, all combined to
Mr.. Griffin had been our lodger ex-
actly two years, during which / had
prepared and superintended the serv-
ing of his breakfasts, and taken entire
charge of his room, Gas well as though
| had E,een brought up to that sort of
thing" as my cousin Cleanthe remark
ed, and the rest of the family, with the
exception of uncle, who became quite
friendly with him, had only met him
some dozen times-at which times they
assumed their most dignified dignity
when he was taken sick.
"It's an old complaint, which will
carry me off some time,n said he to me :;
'but hope not this time. Anyhow,
Little Honesty, Ga name he had given
me from the first--I hope deserved it)
live or die, | intend to remain here
Nowhere else could be as comforta-
bic. You must engage an extra ser
want, and you and she together must
nurse me. should certainly die of a
professional. By-the-bye, who is your
family physician n
| told him.
"If | am not better, send for him to-
morrow. | am going out now-only a
few steps," meeting my look of sur
prise. 81 want to see my lawyer, and
| sha'n't take to my bed for several