Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1885-06-26

3, CLOUDS Iney dlu nOJ IKE Une appearance oI
the three long creases on the snowy expanse.
| They turned their inventive abilities to &C
count, and week ago walked down to the
residence, redolent of soap and hot water. OF
the woman who did the washing, and startled
the poor creature out of her wits by in
sisting upon their table cloths being folded
in new and improved fashion. They even
demonstrated their meaning by a 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 the Rev. Mr.. Mordle was announced.
| Mr.. Mordle was the curate of Oakbury, and
| always welcome guest at Lakewood House.
| It was an unspoken axiom of the TalbertS that
the church set the seal of fitness upon her ser
wants, Or at least upon her upper servants.
| Organ blowers, parish clerks and pew openers
| were the lower servants-so, all things being
equal, clergyman could always break
through the exclusiveness which reigned at
Lakewood House Mr.. Mordle was clever in
SOsi
every in and out of the parish in the admin
istration to the wants of which he must have
| found the Talberts a great assistance. All
| great men have their weaknesses perhaps
their friendship for Mr. Mordle was the Tai
| berts' weakness But then they dearly loved
| having finger in the parochial pie, leaving
out of the question the fact that they liked the
| curate and in the kindness of their hearts
pitied his loneliness. So he often dropped in
like this, uninvited and no doubt felt the
privilege to be great honor. .7
| On Mr. Mordles side, he could thoroughly
appreciate humor, the more so when its exist
ence was quite unsupported by the sedate
humorist. To him the study Of Horace and
Herbert was matter of keen and enduring
delight. q
They rose and greeted him. "Excuse me-"
said Horace rather nervously, ''did-" 81
eyes, I did, answered the curate briskly.
'I rubbed them-I scrubbed them-my feet
feel red hot. could dance minuet on your
tablecloth without soiling it," So
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 scrapers
that such an omission seemed an impossibility.
Yet sometimes it did occur, and it's 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:
Cam Jenkins came to us the day before
yesterday. She told piteous tale. Wegave
her five shillings."
every good of you," said the curate; ''she
has large family-nine, think"
eyes, but we are sorry now that we gave
the money. We are sure she is not a careful,
thrifty woman"
The curate's eyes twinkled He knew Ann
jenkins well-too we'll
Careful and thrifty people wouldn't want
your half-crowns. But how did you find out
her true character?"
Mr.. Mordle expected to hear mournful &C
count of domiciliary 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. .s-e--......,
'We walked behind her across the field this
morning. said Horace, with grave regret.
s'When she got over the stile we saw she had
on two odd stockings, a black one and gray
one-or blue and gray, am not certain
which,
''Blue and gray" said Herbert Ct noticed
particularly -a4 H
''Her tastes, like yours said the curate
''may be cultured enough to avoid Philistinic
uniformity"
''Oh dear, no." said Herbert, seriously.
'sWe argue in this way. The woman has two
pairs of stockings" - ...-.
ttT Doubt IL u coid tho c11roto tCP,,t ,,auo,.
mind-go ON His friends were surprising
themselves! 3lt-"
'sShe has two pairs-one gray, the other
blue Or black. She has worn one stocking
into holes Instead of sitting down and
darning it, like decent body, she simply
puts on one of the other pair"
''Why doesn't she put on the other pair
altogether?" asked Mr.. Mordle.
because" said Horace triumphantly, ''ont
stocking of that pair is in tee same dilapi
dated condition: so her conducts doubly had.
As said, she is not a deserving woman"
''Granting your premises" said Mr.. Mordle,
"your argument is not illogical. Your
reasoning appears sound, your deductions
correct. But
The curate was preparing for a delicious
battle on this subject, well worn Or otherwise,
OF Ann Jenkins hose: He meant to learn
why one stocking of either pair should wear
out before its fellow, and many other fanciful
combinations were forming themselves in his
subtle brain, when the interest in the mended
Or unmended stockings was extinguished by
the entrance of the Talberts' irreproachable-
| looking man-servant. He informed his mas
tiers that the man had brought the child.
''What man? What child?" asked Horace.
''Do you expect man or child, Herbert?
l -
takerg'
| ga railway man has brought a child, sir.
He says it is to be left here" afs
| HThere must be some Stupid mistake"
'sNo doubt, sir" said Whitaker, respect
fully, but showing that his opinion quite COIN
cided with his masters"
"Where is the mana" asked Horace. tF
"In the hall, sir" e3
''Did he wipe his shoes?' asked Herbert, in
| dread. 5000 #r g .ra
Certainly sir; I insisted upon his doing so. J"
''We had better see the stupid man and set
the matter right" said Horace. Excuse us
for moment, Mr.. Mordle." t@'
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. 1t was lucky for the
] curate that he INDUCED in his merriment
with his face turned from the door, as in a
minute the respectable Whitaker entered
the room. That functionary was most ten
acious that due respect should be shown to
his masters. Most probably the look of
vivid amusement on Mr.. Mordle's features
would, had he seen it, have made an enemy
for life of the faithful Whitaker.
'Mr Talbert and Mr.. Herbert would be
glad if you would step out for a moment, sir
Thereupon Mr.. Mordle went into the hall
and saw most comical sight-the solemnity
| of the actors concerned not being the least
comical part of it. Standing sheepishly on
the door mat, OF. rather on one of the legion
of door mats, was stoid- faced porter in his
uniform of brown fustian, velveteen, OF
whatever they call the stuff. On either side
of the massive, oblong hall-table stood one OF
the Talberts, while between them, on the
table itself, was child with mass of tum
bled, 1ossy, golden hair streaming down from
under natty little cap. Horace and Her
bert, each armed with his horn-rimmed eye
glass, and with looks of utter CONSERVATION
and bewilderment upon their faces, were
bandinr down and inSpectinp the child