, 1896-12-31
A DAY OFF.

On the occasion of the marriage Of our
Junior partner to Ethel Mary, only surviv-
ing daughter of William Hubblestead
Esq, ]. p, Of ~Banlingbury, by the canon
of Blockminster, assisted by the Rev. Eu-
gene Hubblestend, cousin of the bride-on
this occasion the office was closed for the
whole Of one day, and the staff had q holt
day without deduction Of salary.
The staff had presented six silver (haIl
MARKEDLY nutcrackers and u handsomely
bound volume Of Cowper's poetical works.
The latter was my own suggestion. There
wal q sum Of 8 sbillin9s over after the pur-
chase Of the nutcrackers, and 1 have al.
ways had q partiality for Cowper. The jun
Tor partner thanked Us personally, and in
very warm terms. At the same time he
announced that the following Thursday
wa to be treated as a holiday.
The weather was glorious, and I have
never had a more enjoyable day. The girl
laid breakfast overnight, and We rose at
half past 8. By half past 8 Eliza had cut
some mutton sandwiches and placed them
in . basket with q bottle Of milk, the
milkman having Obliged with q specially
early call by appointment. A brief jour
ney by train, and by n quarter past Z We
were at Danatow for our day Of in tire
country.
Danstow IL u picturesque little village
and looked beautiful in the hot sunli. t
l was wearing a fairly new summer suit
with brown boots. As l remarked t. Eli
IA, It would probably have created II ir1l-
ing Of surprise among the villagers If they
had learned that, as a rule, my protest. II
al duties took me to the city in the morn
ing.
Eliza said: Gan right. What do we do
heref"
"Why," l said, there's the old church.
We mustn't miss that.
We went and examined the old church.
Then We went twice up and down the vii.
lage street and examined hat.
well" said Eliza, what next"
"Now," l replied, .'we'll just stroll
about and nmuse ourselves 1 feel partic-
ularly light hearted"
"That's breakfasting Mt 6, that is said
Eliza. "If y could find n quiet place.
we might have n sandwich"
We went n little way along tho road and
I espied a field which seemed to me to look
likely. I said to a passerby: II am II
stranger here. Can you tell Inc whether
there would be any objection to our Sitting
in that 1eld?" He said in rather an Of
fensive and sarcastic way that he believed
the field WINS open for sitting lat aiaart
that hour" l did not give him any reply,
but just opened the gate for Eliza.
We sat down under the hedge and fin
ished our sandwiches and milk. The
church clock struck 8.
what train do We go back by?' asked
Eliza.
mot until half past o tonight. There's
day for you!"
Twelve hours and a half" said Eliza.
"And we've done the sandwiches and
done the milk and done the church. and
there's notli x else to do"
Except nihuse ourselves" l added rs l
took of my boots, which had pained me
slightly. then dozed off.
Eliza woke me to say that she had read
all the newspapers the sandwiches were
wrapped In M picked some wild flowers,
and the flowers had died, and she wanted
to know what the time was. 1t was just
past II.
She said, ''Oh, lori"
I soon dropped of again.
When l woke at half past 10, Eliza was
not there. She returned in a few minutes
and said that she had been doing the
church over again.
"That was hardly necessary" I OBJ
served.
"Oh, ono must do something, and there's
nothing else to do"
Or Ito contrary, there's luncheon.
Well have thas NJ once, so as to give us a
good Icing afternoon"
1.-THE afternoon will DO long enough
she said. II l had not known That she
was having q days enjoyment, 1 should
have thought that she seemed rather de-
jected In her n
The luncheon at tho village inn was not
expensive Ellen said that their idea OF
chops was not her idea. But, all the same,
she seemed inclined t, spin the thing out
and make 1t last Us ling rs possible. l
deprecated this, as 1 felt TINT ] could not
very we'll take my boots of again until
had returned to tho field.
Every well, thon," she said. "Only
lists go back slowly"
"As slowly US you Ike" l replied. ITS
the right boot principally. But I really
prefer to walk slowly"
Whom we had esumed our old position
under the hedge and I hid removed my
boots, I said:
"Now, then, I think I've earned n pipo
and . short nap. You amusa yourself in
any way you like"
"Do what with myself" she asked rath-
Or sharply.
She walked twice round the field, and
then I fell ID to sleep. 1t turned out aft
inward that she also did the picturesque
old church for the third time and went
over . houss which was to let, refusing to
take u on the ground that there was no
bathroom. This wa rather dishonest, as
che would not have taken II II there had
been = bathroom, or even two bathrooms.
would not do that kind Of thing myself.
T>as1pke about teatime. The charge for
lea at tho Has very moderate, though
Elisa said that tliore was tea which was
~, and ten which wal an insult.
Elisa found that there WA n train back
at half past 8, and said she wis going by
Il, whether did or not, because It wal a
pity to have too much Of q good thing, and
she hadn't the face to ask for the keys Of
that church again. 1 accompanied her. l
fancy that the brown leather II liable to
shrink In the sun, and I was not unw4ll-
ing to get back to my slippers and stretch
myself out on the sofa.
But really for an out and out enjoyable
holiday l think that day would have been
hard TO beat. am sorry that Eliza did
not SEEM to enter into the spirit Of the
thing moee.-Barry Pain In Today.
HaA - Pay For His Patfiotasa.
A psasngsr in q railway train from
Germany 10 France recently said, "Vive
u Ffapcor' N the train crossed tho from
tisr. Ths German authorities argued that,
though the remark Was not made In Ger
many, 10 might VIZ weil have been heard
A. A. -- -----@k>>>k -kNAk -aa Al