The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1896-12-24
HIS FRIEND SMITH.


1srs 60 Entertain . Ouest, but Thers
Wes Something wrong-MrA 0rigsor
Ikplai.ed tho Matter In tho Kitchen.
How wrong it is for clergyman not Il
wear q garb that indicates his profession a
Ut least to put on q white necktie and dis
srectly shave his chin and his upper lipl II
As duo TO the rest of the world, which cam
treat a Clergyman exactly ms IL would any
other man, that il should know man as
. clergyman, or at least be able 10 suspect
lt. At the very least clergyman ought g
be introduced as the Rev. Mr.. So-and 50. '
But how great a blunder one may make by
not suspeoting new acquaintance OF be-
1ng a clergyman is known at least TO Grig-
SON
Grigson is very far from being had man
In any sense. He Is just a jolly good fam
lily man, who lives In a suburb and likes
TO have his acquaintances come 60 his hous<'
and have an innocently oonyiviai time
But unconventional! Grigson 10 rather
that He is one OF some thousands of men
who like to convey notion that they are
great fellows around town. whereas they
are really the most persistently housekeep-
ing men I'm the world.
Well, one warm afternoon Grigson was,
with a half dozen friends, sitting In
camp chair on his lawn, when another
friend came up with a man in tow who
wore q straw hat negligee shirt, sack
coat, white duck trousers and tan shoes.
He was a youngish man and had black
mustacbe just touched with gray. His face
had a pleasant and genial expression.
The friend who brought the stranger up
In IN ~ at II
Smith" Grigson welcomed him with
great oordiality and introduced him to all
the rest of the party, who were by this
time on their feet At the same time
maid came up with n tray, on which there
were some bottles and glasses "Just In
time, Mr.. Smith, just in time, exclaimed
Gngson, rubbing his hands We're hav-
ing some beer should say by the timeli-
ness Of your arrival that you had scented
It as you came up the street, Own up now
and Increase my respect for you by doing
soi'
Mr.. Smith smiled little uneasily and
said that perhaps he bad, but that really
the fact WAS that he Ndn't drink beer
and was sorry he couldn't join Mr.. Grig-
son. Grigson whistled IN astonishing
whistle and said that Mr. Smith needn't
be shut out by any means, for he had some
Glen IAvet up at the house and would
send right up for some "Thank you,"
said Mr.. Smith. "I don't know what Glen
Livet Ia, but don't think i care for any
today" Grigson whistled again. "Well,
the fact Is" he said, II never took q
Scotch whisky myself until two or three
years ago, and 1 shouldn't have known
Glen Livet from Gumbo But I'll tell you
what can do with you. can give yoa
. pretty fair article Of plain, old fashioned
North American bourbon. How will that
doT mo. thank you, Mr.. Grigson,"
said Mr.. Smith. II never take anything
stronger to drink than tea or Coffee
Grigson's jaw dropped as II in utter as
tonishmcnt The friend who had brought
Mr.. Smith was becoming very uneasy and
seemed to be trying to get Grigson's eye,
but Grigson ratified volublyon. He offered
Nh. Smith cigar, which was declined.
But Grigson was determined to be hospita-
ble In some way and kept on talking to
the newcomer, who smiled In a captivat-
ing way all the while, and evidently had
Grigson quite under his charm. Grigson
entertained him with an account Of the
latest brew of living pictures and sketch
OF one or two eariety stsgs songs, to which
no listened with intere--t.
by this time the friend W ho had brought
Mr.. Smith rose uneasily and aske5 him II
1s was not time for them togo. "Gcf
exclaimed Grigson. why, What are you
talking about going fors You're going to
sesay to dinner, both of you, and you know
IL He looked at bis watch. "It's $3.50,
and we Stre at 9. Mr.. Smith, you don't
look as n yo,. were in hurry. You aren't
going 20 let that .'sllow drag you away at
this hour, trustsn Mr.. Smith, in fact,
had not risen when his I'm md proposed
that they go. He seemed, iD iaot, much
entertained. He hesitsted nov ana was
lost. ...ssgson repeated his urgiAgs, ard
he stsia to dinner Grigson kept cSeitter.
ipv away, giving no one chr .ce to get
AT his ear. by and by they all went in Lr.
dinner, and Mra 111igson, who, 1t seems
was acquainted with Mr.. Smith .,.re,,,lv
welcomed him ON the veranda p sferent,a,,
", though with great effus' vsness. some-
what to Grigson's astonisr .rant
At the table every boz = hut Gripson null.
ed very solemn fac but Grivson talked
on, spreading h~. napkin and calling to
sne waitress IS she seemed to hesitate,
/MAry, VIZ In the world don't you bring
on tho soipS'' All the time his wife was
makv.3 grimaoes unseen by him, but well
niIl convulsing to the rest Of the people
'<6t the table, including Mr.. Smith. The
soup was brought, and the meal went mer'
rily on But somehow Grigson and Mr..
Smith had the conversation pretty much tc
themselves. All the rest seemed to be .un'
der some sort Of embarrassment. Indeed,
Thompson said afterward that 10 was the
most agoniziDg hour he ever spent, fol
Grigson kept breaking out In new place
every few moments. Finally something
brought him TO the subject Of religion, and
he gave several Of the denominations q
taking down and was particularly severe
ON orthodox Congrcgationalists, agains,
whom he brought an indictment comprie
ing several counts.
But there must he an end TO all things
and at last tho dinner was over, and with
I'm five minutes Airs Grigson, red In tn
taco, bad dragged her husband out int
che kitchen and had said TO him:
"You great idiot Dont you know wb
that Mr. Smith 10"
why, yes; he's friend Of Perkins