The Penn's Grove record., 1885-02-07
MIS-. RosINsoN,s TELEGRAM.

There has been plenty written against
US, and said against us too, L have no
doubt but there are two sides to most
things, and [ have not let lodgings for
about thirty-hve years, Rachel, without
knowing something about dodgers. You
want me to tell you a tale, child, about
some Of my dodgers? Very well but
1 must tell it in my own way, and you
must not mind If l talk a little about
myself, which is only natural, living
alone as | have done since your uncle
died, which was twenty years ago. My
poor husband always said-and he was
q clever man, was your uncle-that, if
| had a falkland l was always so glad
that he used that word 'if'-my tongue
was a little too long.
Il have had all sorts of dodgers in
my time, and many of them have been
very nice people on the whole but it Is
ALWAYS d vexatiOus sort of life, as you
will find when [ andead and gone, and
o have the care of everything on your
shoulders for, as you know, Rachel, |
have willed the place and everything in
it to you. Many a night | have laid
awake thinking Of my poor furniture,
and at last have fallen asleep to dream
of dirty boots on my carpets, of broken
chars and cracked china.
But o will not want to hear all
that so 1 will tell you about Mr.. and
Mrs. Bayley. They were the incest peo-
pie | ever had to Go with, and the very
chair | am sitting in was given me by
Mrs. Bayley's father. You have often
wondered why l keep such a beautiful
chair in my kitchen, and now | Will tell
you.
Mr.. and Mrs. Bayley were with me
nearly eighteen months, and | got very
fond of them. They were a kind low
ing couple, with only one trouble, and
that was that Mrs. Bayley's father
would not forgive them for getting
married, and would not be friends with
them.
II suppose it was because Mr.. Bayley
was not thought rich enough for Mr..
Conder's daughter, 1t could not have
been anything else, for he was devoted
to his wife, and as handsome a man as
you need wish to see. Mr.. Bayley
wrote for a newspaper, and was always
busy with his books ; and she sat with
him, and made her own dresses, and
prepared everything for the little baby
they were expecting.
st was just three weeks before
Christmas that her baby vas born--such
a dear fine little fellow; and very proud
we all were of him. Mrs. Bayley per-
suaded her husband-and it went very
much against the grain, 1 a tell you,
for he did not want to do Ito write
and tell Mr.. Gender that he had a little
grandson.
MRS. Bayley was quite excited about
the letter, and she seemed to think her
father would come as soon as he re-
ceiyed it. But in three days the letter
was returned unopened, and then Mrs.
Bayley fretted. She made herself quite
ill-and up to that time she had been
getting on so nicely. 1 knew that they
could not afford to pay a regular nurse,
and so l had waited upon her, and l
liked to do it, for l could scarcely have
loved a daughter of my W better than
l loved Mrs. Bayley.
Baby got on splendidly ; but some
how his mother could not forget that
returned letter, and she did not get as
strong as Mr.. Bayley and l wished her
To get. | remember | was sitting by the
ire at night, with baby on my lap, and
she was telling Inc how she had hoped
that her father would have been recon
ciled to them. | did not say anything /;
out / made my plans for the next day,
and, what's more, l carried them out.
''The next morning, after breakfast,
/ made Mrs. Bayley and baby comfort
able, and then went out. 1t was a
fresh healthy morning the sea was
dashing In, and the waves were break
ing against the new wall the town had
Just put up, as If they meant to show
that they did not care for artificial
boundaries or local boards.
sit was not often that I was out so
early, and | should have enjoyed 1t if |
had been easy in my mind. l went to
the post-ofice first, and told young
Brown that WANTED to send d telegram
to a gentleman in Exeter.
"'All right, Mrs, Robinson, he said;
it's twenty words for a shilling
"'This is what l want to say / have
it all written down for you
"Young Brown took the paper from
me, and read aloud, with an impudent
smile that l could have boxed his ears
for
"'If you have a heart in your frame,
as a Christian should have. especially
at Christmas, which is the time to for
give and forget, come and see your
daughter and the most lovely little
granSooHn taa grandpaps need wish
to -, o time, but come at
oMah ST, ~
Mr.. VaSo shillings and six
~ his Plaza lot, Mrs. Robinsonl'
je | am not going to
pay iot have left my work
at he ding if 1 had not meant
busInss q 1, feeling ANNOYED tlat
young l,whose mother had Was ned