Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-12-26


Eyes; but the gentlemen are at the table in
the hall and you must not pass through with
the child. 1t would not be respectful"
Nanny grunted and went and found q foot
stoo! and put it between the chimney
corner and the cradle, sat down, took her knit
ting out Of her pocket and so, unlimited. es-
tablished herself as one of tho equality"
Nanny, coming from the Somervil OF Sunny
Slopes, despised the "Headleigh niggers." as
she called them, and never condescended to
their company.
Mistress Alice resumed her reading and was
soon deep in the mysteries. murders, old style
romance and miseries of the old-time romance.
The conversation among the gentlemen in the
hall, which at first reached them only as mar
ticulate murmurs. grew more distinct and was
accompanied by an occasional burst of loud
laughter.
Mistress Alice would pause in her reading
while these explosions lasted, and when they
had ceased she would 60 on again, but only for
short time, when she would again be inter
rupted In tho same manner.
Seems to mo that the gentlemen are very
noisy out there" said Miss Molly, when sew
eral men seemed to be talking aloud at the same
time.
Mistress Alice took out her watch. 'It is
after 10 o'clock" she said, ''they will soon 60
now The major promised that they should
not stay late"
And she took up her book and again began to
read, but in vain. The talk in the hall grew
louder. Not only the sound but the sense Of
the words reached them.
I'VE will not try to read any more" she said
closing her book
The two young girls had rolled up.their en-
broldery and were yawning, for they were ac-
customed to early hours at the academy Miss
Molly MAS knitting and nodding in her chair.
Nanny had fallen fast asleep on her stool. and
her half-finishcd stocking had slipped to the
hoor. She slept with the soundness OF her race
except when louder noise thar usual aroused
her.
Presently some member OF the company
called out loud enough to be heard all over the
house:
"A song, song. a song from the captainw
a, And the company joined the speaker by rat
tling their glasses on the board and repeating:
'ies, song; song from the captain!
hen there followed excuses from 1.-The cap
tam and insistance from his companions
until he cleared his throat and began TO sing
rude yea song, in which the company Joined,
rafting and cllnking their glasses by way of
accompaniment at the chorus.
..Oh. what row, what rumpus and a riotine
We sdhey1 an endure. you may be sure. wnoi-soi-
This song at its close was applauded with
three times three" The captain health was
drunk with bumpers.
"A song from Mr.. Bradshaw cried one.
Yes, n song from the schoolmaster !. said
another. and "a song from the schoolmaster :"
echoed all the company
The schoolmaster objected. pleaded his pro-
iession and demonstrated, but in vain; and SO,
at length. he began q song no better in any re-
spect than its predecessor, and the company
joined noisily in the chorus.
Inns song received the samo honor ao the
captains. The school masters health was
drunk with equal applause.
AS the revels went on the drinking grew
DEEPER and the noise louder and the songs
m obi
objectionable, indeed, that the face of Mistress
Alice became crimson with indignation,
She arose hastily and exclaimed:
Como, young ladies Come. Miss Molly! I
must ASK you to go with me to the kitchen. 1t
is the only place to which we can escape from
their words. If not from their noise"
And leaving the sleeping nurse beside the
cradle OF the sleeping baby Mistress Alice
passed out of the sitting room and through a
linen room and pantry into the spacious
kHchen, where large fire was smoldering i'll the
yawning fireplace The servants had gone to
bed. Her guests tottered after her, half asleep:
the girls sank down into chairs with their heads
resting on the kitchen table and went fast
asleep; but Miss Molly sat bolt upright and
garing through her round spectacles, ex-
pressed her opinion emphatically:
"A pretty kettle of fish, indeed, when lady
visitors in gentleuan's house are kept outn
their beds by a set of rowdies.'
THE gentlemen do not know tina. thew are
keeping us up. Miss Molly. and Of course the
major cannot give them even a hint to Co."
said Mistress Alice, deprecatingly.
Miss Molly replied by yawn suggestive of
swallowing her little hostess, who did not sir
down at all. but wandered uneasily about
The revelry rose higher in the hall. The in
mates OF the kitchen heard the noise, but not
the words Of the company.
The wild night was wearing away. When the
great clock in the rear of the hall struck Mis-
tress Alice crept into the sitting room and
found the baby and the old nurse sleepinq
soundly through all the uproar. and then she
went to the door and peeped through the kew
mole. Her husband sat opposite and in line of
her vision. with the light OF the hanging lamp
shining full upon his flushed face She saw
that he had already drank much more than WAS
good for him. The old sea captain was singing
or rather roaring out, 1.-The Bay of Biscay.
OH and the company was singing not ONLY
the chorus, but the whole song with him, with
more regard to loudness than to harmony, and
pounding tie board with their glasses, forks or
fists or whatever would make the most noise.
When the song was finished, the singers
health drunk with uproar and the noise had
subsidized one Of the men who was
little less inebriated than the rest sucpested
that it was time to break up. Mistress Alice
heaved sigh of relief ut the proposal, But
her anticipations were vain.
NO, no. the host exclaimed. Not at all ~
He hoped he said, that they were having too
good time to cut it short. He hoped so.
Assurances we're noisily showered upon him
by the company that they had never had so
good a time.
Then they must make night of it. The man
who made the suggestion to depart pointed to
the clock. 1t was 2:30.
well, what Of it," demanded the host.
speaking rather thickly by this time. "What
Of it? That only brings us to Christmas eve.
We must celebrate that also"
But the ladies'. mildly suggested the school
master, the only one present besides the host
who really knew the inconvenience to which
the women of the family were reduced. .Tbe
ladies, my dear Headleigh."
The ladies' sir" loftiy replied the major
"the ladies arctic ladies-iod bless 'em
But We, gentlemen, We are the lords of crea.
ton. Yes, the lords Of creation by Divine
right"
Mistress Headlight! she is rather delicate F"
timidly suggested the schoolmaster, speaking
in low voice. But Major Headleieh answered
In an audible tone, ignoring the last clause of
old Noahs speech. and even old Noah himself.
Mistress Head!eigh. gentlemen" he said with
all the dignity OF drink, lis a model wife, She
knows her place. She is q sample of the per-
feet woman spoken of by our venerable pastor
III his sermon on the relative condition of tho
christian husband and wife. And this is the
beautiful picture he drew"
Here, in quoting tho preacher, he rose to his
feet, stretched out his arm assumed an ora
torical manner, and delivered the words with
a rolling OF consonants where they referred to
the husband and an alternating of novels
where they referred to the wife, in n style that
cannot be represented by any correct snellino
p" HE, said our venerable pastor she 10