Omaha daily bee., 1885-03-02
A e PRANK.
How the Late Lord AylesCord Got a
Modest parson Into Trouble.

London Letter to Phi adelphia News.
Aylesfori used to tell me about the
pranks he played on q bsshfsl parsan who
stopped for a month or so at p~aokiugson
durinS his fathers lifetime. Joe says he
travelled all the way down to London
and spent one whole afternoon knocking
about st. Johns Wood trying to find a
woman who would aid him in his little
joke. Finally he hit upon an sged
damsel of very easy virtue, whose career
of ignominy was stamped upon every
feature. He instructed her how TO act
and spent two hours, he says, rehearsing
her In the part she wss to play. He
promised her a rich plum if she filed the
role well. Then he hurried back 10
Packingten the same evening. The next
morning thefamily andguests- there were
nearly a dozen there at the time
had Just finished breakfast and had en-
tered the drawing room when the servaGt
announced that there was a lady below
who wished to zee Rev. Mr.. "A
lady to see me- stampered the young
person. 1T ca-ca-can't be me-there
must be some mistake. Wh-wh-what
does she wautl Wh-wh-what's her
name Who Is she2"
"Ye,, sir; she asked me if you were
here" replied the servant, ''snd when l
told heryou were she seemed terribly ex.
cited. 'Tay | want to see him and I'm
mediately,' she said. who shall l say2'
l asked her, and she replied: Tell him
it's Marian-he'l know. I'm his wife2' u
AT this remark there was CONSERVATION
among the company. Joe's sister, who
seemed to have taken a great liking to
the young person, said: "Your wife,
oh, Me-, l thought you were un-
married."
'So--so-I am. There must be some
m-m-mistske. M-m-my wife! M
M-Marlan. l don't know her. She
must be a lunatic. l w-w-won't see
her"
'Ohl yes, you had better see her" said
Lord Aylesford. Graham, ask the lady
to step up"
The little fellow was frightfully dis
tresaed and when the door opened and
the terrible hsrridan, all paint, frllls and
tiummery, appeared, he actually sbrieked
in dismay.
"She's q l-l-lunatic," he cried fran
tically.
"Ill luna'ic you" said the old witch,
approaching him. "You'l run away from
me, will you, and leave the poor children
starving2' And as she got closer to the
poor parson she assumed a pathetic tone
and said: sob, Percival; Percy, dear,
toe little ones ask me every day, Mama,
where's papa-will he never come back2'
Have you no hesrt7 I've searched for
you everywhere cit was getting warm
about there just then. The young
curate looked as If he were going to have
an spopleotic fit. The company divided
In opinion. One-half resolved that the
parson was an arrant knave and the other
thought the woman was q maniac. The
earl said to the claimant: go home,
my good woman, and take my word for
1t, your husband will follow you this very
morning" Jos whispered to her, &C.,
and the venerable bag departed with the
remark: "You had better come home to
your brats. I've found you once and I'll
find you again If you don't. So remem-
ber."
Aylestord says that the suffsrings of
the poor fellow were 30 terrible that he
Joe) already repented of his joke. The
parson left Packington that very day,
and the same opinion, perhaps, still pre-
walls about the young man. Some cay he
Is sly and wicked, while others declare
the woman was a maniac.