Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1886-03-19
CHAPTER III.

Mr. Murridge was py profess on geneal-
ogist. Inis is trade in which are few co1n-
petitors There are, to be sure, the her AIDS.
who are dignfed body, and have col
lege of thar own, and on occasions of cere-
mony wear the most beau iful coats in the
world and consequently are tempted to wish
that there was a coronation every week
They also enjoy much finer titles than the
members of the upper house, being called
king alarms, herald or pursutvant, rouge
dragon, rouge croix, biuemantle aud port
cuilis. Mr. Murridg. possessed no other title
than tina OF plain Mis- .er, which we are not
expec ed to enjoy. Ii was reported of HIM
by those YAo regarded him an interloper
and an unqualified practitioner, that he
had originally been apprent.ced 10 a die
sinker, and was afterwards employed in
engraving ats-of-arms for one who
KEEP q heraldic shop, ornamented OUT
side by the gilded effig .es of loathly worm
like unto the dragon OF Spindieston Heugh.
This enterprising tradesman not only en-
graved shield, and furnished family seals,
but also found their coats-of arms for people
who had lost them so long that all memory
and trace of them hal vanishel. Nothing
proves family to be old so much as to have
losu the memory of their arms there are
many such; they have withered in ohsourlJy
and neglect for generations; then one Of
them makes money, and such gentlemen as
this heraldic shepkee ser recover the long-lost
connexions and land them proudly among
the barons in the wars of the Roses. In this
way. therefore, old Murridge found himself
impellsd in the direction of genealogical stud
les and in this way he gradually neg scted
the practice Of his art, and transfe rmed
himself into searcher and gyubber inta
tamil history
Although there are not many in the trade
1t is sometimes profitable For there are
always the new rich, who continually desire
to prove that they have always, though their
friends little suspected il, really belonged to
the class which rules by right divine, and by
the same right possesses hereditary brains;
and there are, besides these, the rich d'ou-
trener. who bears names of English origin
and would fain prove their connection with
great English houses. and are willing to pay
handsomely for such connection There
fore, old Murridge generally found his hand,
fully occupied in tracing pedigrees, finding
out missing links, proving marriages, essab-
fishing American connections, following up
lines of descent converting plain country
gentlemen into de pendants of royalty-this
is very lucrative branch of the profe ssion
and in this wav bringing vainglory, de-
light, honor, distinction, and solace to all
who could afford to pay for it. So great
indeed. was his skill that he never failed to
prove his client a cadet, at least, of some
ancient house, and when there was no estate
involved and the family was supposed
to be extinct. he not infrequentlv made
his client the head of that house. Nothing
could be conceived more pleasing to ladies
and gentlemen who had been brought up to
believe that for them there was no family
history-no more than at the beginning of
the world-previous o the family shop
where the money was made-whether a shop
with counter, and a till and an apron; or
shop with an office and a clerk; or a shop
with box of pills; or shop with a wig
and gown; or shop with a sword and red
Goa or shop with steel pen and few
pages of blank papers or shop with a
bundle Of scrip and shares. So that Mr..