Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1885-10-16

=9z!ll 1l
IN IS certainly great Improvement" |
said HoTc.
"A great Improvement" echoed the other |
Echo" is the right word-even their voices |
were alike
In q contented franc of mind they resumed |
their seats, their claret, and their cigarettes.
The great Improvement was this:
For some time past these excellent house. !
keepers had been sorcly exercised by the cont |
ventional way in which laundreSScs fold table |
cloths They did not like the appearance Of
the three long creaSeS on the snowy expanSe. |
They turned their inventive abilities to az
count, and week ago walked down to the
residence relolent of soap and hot water. of |
the woman who did the washing, and startled |
the poor creature out of her wits by i'll |
sisting upon their table cloths being folded !
in a new and improved fashion. They even !
demonstrated their meaning by practical |
experiment, and SO impressed the nymph of
the wash tub and mangle with the Importance
they attached to the matter that She had
actually managed to learn her lesson well
enough for the result of their teaching To
give them great satisfaction.
Coffee was brought in and the two gentle
men were about to leave the dining room
when tho Rev Mr. Mordle was announced
MIR. Mordle was the curate of Oakhury. and
always welcome guest ut Lakewood House.
1t was an unSpoken axiom of the TalbcrtS that
the church set the seal of fitness upon her SER
wants, or 1T least upon her upper servants.
Organ blowers, parish clerks ana pew openers
were the lower servantS-so all things being
equal, Il Clergyman could always break
through the cxcluSiveneSs which re;gnci at
Lakewood House. Mr.. Morlle was clever in
his way, full of talk and OF course knew
every in and out of the parish, i'll the admin
istration to the wants of which he must have
found the TalbertS great assistance All
great mon have their weaknesses-pcrhap
their friendship FOR Mr.. Morile was the Tai
berts weakness. But then they dearly loved
having finger i'll the parochial pie. leaving
out of the question the TACT that they liked the
curate, and in the kindness of their hearts
pitied his loneliness. SO he often dropped in
like this unlimited, and doubt felt the
privilege to be great honor.
On Mr.. MorIlle's side, he could thoroughly
appreciate humor, the more SO when its exist
enco was quite unsupported by the sedate
humorist. To him the study of Horace and
Herbert was matter of keen and enduring
delight
They rose and greeted him Excuse me-"
said Horace rather nervousy, did"
eyes, | did" answered the curate briskly
Il rubbed them-I scrubbed them-Iny feet
feel red hot. | could dance IA miIIuet on your
tablecloth without soihng it,
The redundancy Of the answer set their
minds at rest. The bugbear of their domestic
lives was persons entering their rooms with
out having first wiped their shoes as every
Christian gentleman should The hall door
was so heavily armed with mats and scrapcrs
that such an omission seemed an impossibility.
Yet sometimes it did occur, and its effects
were terrible-almost tragic
Horace rang for more claret; Herbert
passed his cigarette case, and the three men
chatted for while ON various subjects
Presently said Horace with sad decision:
''Ann Jenkins came to US the day before
yesterday She told piteous tale. Wegave
her five shillings"
VERY good of you, y said the curate; ''she
has large family-nine | think"
''Yes, but we are sorry now that we gave
the money We ar sure She is not careful
thrifty woman
The curates eyes twinlled He knew Ann
jenkins well-too well.
Careful and thrifty people wouldn't want
your half-crowns. But how did you find out
her true characterp
Mr. Mordle expected to hear mournful ac-
count of domciliary visit to Ann Jenkins,
and dissertation upon the various and almost
original stages of untidiness in which his
friends had found her numerous progeny
But the truth was better than he had bar
gained for
I'VE walked behind her across the field this
morning said Horace, with grave regret.
''When she got the stiIe we saw she had
on two odd stockings a black one and gray
one-Or blue and gray, | am not certain
which.
Blue and gtay," said Herbert, 81 noticed
particularly
Her tastes, like yours, said the curate
may he cultured enough to avoid Philistinic
uniformity"
ooh Gear, no." said Herbert seriously
1--WE argue in this way The woman has two
pairs of stockin9s-"
Il doubt it. = said the curate But never
nind-go on" His friends were surprising
themselves
''She has two paifs-one gray, the other
blue or black She has worn one stocking
into holes. Instead Of sitting down and
iarning it, like a decent body, she simply
puts on one of the other pair.
"Why doesn't fhe put ON the other pair
altogether asked Mr.. Mordle.
because, said Horace, triumphantly, lone
stocking of that Lair is in the same dilapi-
dated condition; 50 her conduct is doubly bad
As said, she is 1t 6 deserving woman"
Granting Jour premises" said Mr.. Mordle, |
''your argument is not Illogical Your |
reasoning appears sound, your deductions
correct. But"
The CITRATE vas pre,suing for delicious
battle ON tbs subject, well worn or otherwise,
Of Ann Jenkins hose. He meant to learn |
why one stocking VI either pair should wear /
out before its fellow, and many other fanciful |
combinations were forming themselves in his |
subtle brain when tie interest in the plended /
or unnlended stockings was extinguished by |
the entrance of the Talberts' ir1eproachable-
looking man-servant He informed his mas
tiers that the man had brought the child.
What man! What childn' asked Horace
''Do you expect q man or child, HERBERT
Certainly not What do you mean, Whit
taker!
"A railway man hiss brought child, sir.
He says it is TO be left here"
There must be some 81 upid mistake"
NO doubt sir said Whitaker respect
fully, bat showing that his opinion quite coin
eided with his masters
Where is the mann asked Horace.
SIN the hall, SIR
'Did be wipe his shoes asked Herbert, Ia
dread
Certainly sir: Il insisted upon his doing So"
I'VE had better zee the stupid man and set
the matter right" said Horace. Excuse Us
for moment, Mr.. Aordle"
The two tall men walked into the hall, leav-
ing Mr.. Mordle TO chuckle at his ease. Halle
wood House was certainly most interesting
place this evening. Il was lucky for the
curate that he INDUCED in his merriment
with his face turned from the door, as In q
minute the respectable Whitaker entered
the room That functionary was most ten
acious that due respect should b shown to
his masters. Most probably the look Of
vivid amusement On Mr.. Mordle's features
would, had be seen II, have made an enemy
for life Of the faithful Whitaker.
Mr. Talbert and Mr.. HerbeEs would be
glad II you would step cut for g moment, sir.1
Thereupon Mr. Mohile went into the hall
and saw e most comical sight-fhe solemnity
Of the actors concerned not being thu least