Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1895-09-11
HE NAMED THE DAY.

daughter, and the neat little brass plate
affixed to the door of her modest abode
bore the inscription, 'Miss Binks,
Dressmaker.
Miss Binks was very genteel young
woman, and i'll aspiring to keep COM
pany with her Jim Kitchens was con-
sidered to be decidedly bettering" him
self.
Keeping company being, it should be
observed, sort of intermediary process,
something between mere ordinary ac-
quaintanceship and that more definite
and satisfactory condition which is as
sumed only on being actually invited to
"name the day
Consequently, when repeat that Jim
Kitchens and Miss Binks were keeping
company, do not wish to imply that
they were by any means arrived at that
blissful condition which, in higher
walk of life, is known as "being en-
gaged'
Oh, dear, mol Matters were not near
ly SO far advanced as that, though it
was possible that, with time and care,
they might reach such point.
Jim Kitchens had not been keeping
company with Miss Binks for more
than 10 years at stretch, and those
people who insisted on reckoning the
time as 25 did not really know the ms
and outs of the affair half SO well as
they pretended, the additional ten years
which they thus indiscriminately tackled
on to the period of probation having
merely been passed in species of light
skirmishing and entirely without preju-
dice.
And SO they kept company.
Every Sunday afternoon at 8 80 Jim,
in all the unaccustomed glory Of a clean
shave and his Sunday suit-you could
tell his Sunday suit at the end of the
street by the creases in it-called for
Miss Binks, and they made a solemn
progress "down street" OF cup street,"
as inclination or the force Of circum-
stances directed.
There was not great deal Of conver
sation INDUCED in, because in order to
converse brilliantly it is, if not neces-
sary, at least advisable to have some
topic on which to express opinions.
Consequently, as Miss Binks had 10
opinions outside her own business, and
always talked most freely with row Of
pins between her teeth, and Jim Hitch
ems was equally circumscribed in his
ideas, not many words passed between
them on these occasions.
just as the gentleman was on the
point Of taking his departure the lady
would be apparently struck by an orig
inal idea.
ST s'pose you wouldn't come in and
take cup O tea along O. father and
me?" she W Id inquire with modest
difidence.
This unexpected invitation, though
repeated Sunday after Sunday as the
years rolled by, never failed to take Mr..
Kitchens entirely by surprise.
"Well," rubbing his left whisker, ST
dunno, but O. course if you puts it that
way, Miss Binks, why
Then she would open the door, and
he would follow her meekly into a little
room where a little cid man would he
doing peacefully i'll all elbow chair, with
a blue cotton handkerchief spotted with
white over his head.
Miss Binks would take off the kettle,
and then turning to the little old man
bend down ard shout i'll his ear:
''Fa-a -ather, here's MI. 'Itchens come
to take tea along O. you.
Whereupon her little old parent would
whisk the blue cotton handkerchief off
his head and betray vast astonishment
at the sight Of the visitor.
"Lor', now, to think O. that, Mister
'Itchens! Well, bless me, this is sur
prise.'
After tea Jim invariably escorted
Miss Binks to chapel and sat beside her
in the gallery.
His words on parting from her at the
door-for matters were not advanced to
the state that he could expect to be
asked to supper, supper being a more
confidential and compromising meal
than tea-would be something in this
style:
II dunno, Miss Binks, whether you'd
be thinkin O. takin a walk next Sunday
II the weather 'OldS up!
To which Miss Binks would reply
with naideniy hesitation:
"Well, I 'ardly know what to say
about it, Mr.. 'Itchens. You see, it de-
pends upon father He's gettin on and
well, if you care to walk down this
way it don't take me long to put on my
bonnet
By this and the foregoing examples
it will be seen that the interesting pair
had not yet arrived at that degree Of
intimacy that would warrant the use Of
Christian names.
One day, however, old Binks woke up
from his afternoon nap, and drawing
aside the blue veil of mystery in which
he was wont to enshroud his wrinkled
countenance during these periods Of
somnolency made the following re-
markable assertion:
'Melia, my gal," regarding his
daughter as she brought all the re-
sources of her art to bear upon dress
she was turning for the butchers wife
at the corner, 'Melia, my gal," he
piped, "you re a-gettin on, amt your"
Miss Binks, with her mind engrossed
with the subject of box plaits, to say
nothing of having mado q temporary
pincushion of her mouth, refused under
these circumstances to commit herself
to anything beyond monosyllable
grunt.
"That young man O. yourn, 'Melia,
he's been comm ere gettin on fur some
time now?'
Again Miss Binks assented, or dis
sented, for the sound was snoncommittal,
and wondered what ''ia;her' was driv-
ing at-a question ys!ieA lao at once
proceeded to an 4Veg f.r her.
81 s'pose, 'Melia, lie amt begun to
say nothin to you bout is hintentions
yet awhile?'
"No," snapped Miss Binks, taking a
row Or two of pins out of her mouth
and stabbing a refractory box plait in
its most vulnerable part, mot yet he
ain't.''