The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1895-01-09

and then we were ashamed. We con-
tinued to play, because neither of us
liked to let on to the other, but often
my wife blushed, and 80 did l.
"This fire is low" said one night
while we we're playing. "You had
better ring for Goals"
"But what would Isabella think"
said my wife, elf she saw US playing
bagatelle again?"
II don't care what Isabella thinks"
/ cried in passion. "Is she master in
this house, or am l?''
"Shut the bagatelle board" she re-
piled, land III ring"
was not to make myself as small as
this, however, so l rang fercely, and
when Isabella answered it l glared like
one who meditated eating her. She
did not smile this time, but l, too, felt
that her respect for her master was go.
irg, >, IL -,
next day, "that the ancients used to
play game not unlike bagatelle.'
"Then we have a warrant for play
ing it,"
"But she says they only played it
when thew were children"
After that we played bagatelle no
more. 1t was never mentioned by
either of us. The ard WAS hidden
away beneath the spare bedroom bed.
Soon | noticed that my wife had begun
to make her own dresses. From one
point of view this was not matter for
| her husband to complain of, but my
wife looked so woe-begone that | asked
wbv she had become her own dress
maker.
"Isabella," she replied.
"Well, what has Isabella been doing
now?"
"She has not been doing anything.
But she makes her own dresses and
sews so beautifully that l am utterly
ashamed of myself. l can't look her in
the face"
l stamped my feet, for had now be-
gun to hate that jewel OF servant.
One Sunday / noticed that my wife
carried note book and a pencil to
church with her.
Are you to take notes of the SER
mon ?" | asked.
She said that was her intention.
What" l asked, "put this into
your head ?"
Can't you guess ?" she asked.
mot that wretched Isabella ?"
cried.
eyes, of course it was; but don't
call her names. She is a model SER
want"
81 suppose she takes notes of the
sermons ?"
"She does more than that; she takes
the complete sermon down in short
hand"
! About week ago series of lectures
on English literature and other SUBJ
jects was begun in our town.
"Those who get so many marks in
the examinations, my wife told me,
scan then go TO ST. Andrews, and be-
come L. L. A., think it is"
l had no desire that my wife should
be an L LA, but she wanted to at
tend, and did not mind.
Is this not the first night of the lee
tures?" l asked her one evening.
She said it was.
"Then is it not time you were getting
ready?"
"Oh, I'm not going"
"Not going? Why?"
Isabella"
bella to say against the lectures?"
"She says nothing against them.
She is going"
Wh-a-atl"
81 couldn't prevent her. She hardly
ever asks out"
"Well, it would have been absurd if
you and she had gone together"
Perhaps, but that is not what made
me give the idea up. ! feel that lisa.
bella will certainly take most marks in
the examination, and that shames me-
Hum think that the best thing
we can do with Isabella is to bid hel
leave"
My wife's eyes cleaned with de
light.
But she is such a perfect GIRL" sh'
said. We could have no excuse TO
sending her away.
Excellent excuses; want to reat
novels again, and to play bagatele
and, in short, to feel that l am as goo,
as my servant"
"We will never get such servan
again"
81 hope not. She is too good TO
u.s."
The end of it was that bribed lisa
bella to go. We now have a servan
who cannot write her own name, an
she is delightful change.--Gauin %
ilUy, in the British Weekly.
!. TuE coo 10 astinatad to oopto;,