Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1901-10-19
A Stroke of
Diplomacy ~
BY JOHN X. LEys
". sEPTIAIIrS D'OYLEY
BY JOHN X. LEyS

DEV. sEPTIAlUS D'OYLEY was
n without any special advantages
OF birth, fortune or intellectual abili-
ty; yet discerning person might have
predicted with safety that he would
rise in the world. He had good adj
dress. plenty of assurance (decentiy
veiicd), and the outward appearance
of q gentleman. But, more than this,
he was 4 man of resource, as this story
will show.
Very early in his clerical career Mr..
D'Oyley had recognized the fact that
the estimation IN which a curate is
held largely depends on the fact of his
being unmarried Married curates, he
observed, were invariably "huff'd an
cuff'd an disrespeckit'-at the most
they got newly-created parishes, with
Il large working-class population, and
an endowment of 600 per annum.
And Independently of this considers
ton, Mr.. D'Oyley knew his own value
in the marriage market too well to
dispose of himself in a hurry.
After he had been some years in the
diocese of Brampton, Rev. Septimus
D'0yley threw up pleasant and we'll
paid curacy in order to obtain less
conspicuous and less lucrative post in
the sleepy old town of Market Ded-
ham. This looked like retrogradc
movement. But Mr.. D'Oyley knew
very well what he was about. The
bishop of Brampton, now quite an old
man, was doing away the last years
of his life at Bishops Tilton, only a
few miles from Dedham. 1t could not
be long, so argued Mr.. D'Oylcy, before
Bishop Dewlap resigned, or was gath
cred to his fathers; and if an ener-
getic, midtlle-aged man came into his
room, the clergy at Market Dedham
would be well within the sphere of his
-cognizance.
What the curate had expected actu-
ally took place. DR.. Dewlap departed
this life; and Rev. Gregory Smiles
reigned in his stead. The new bishop
of Brampton was married man; and
was blessed with five manageable
daughters. As the curate had fore
seen, it was not long before he had
an opportunity of bringing himself
under the bishops notice; and, as he
had likewise foreseen, the superior cut
of his long black coat, and the superior
polish of his manners made a certain
impression on his lordship's mind.
Mr.. D'Oyley was asked to garden par
ty at the palace, and he made such
good use of his time on that occasion
that before long he was invited to the
palace second time. He then con-
trived to be employed by one of the
bishops chaplains as sort of unpaid
assistant; and thenceforward his
progress became easy.
Before DIR. Smiles had been six
months at Bishops Tilton Mr.: D'Oyley
had contrived to be on terms of sym
pathetic friendship with Ernesta, the
bishops third daughter. She had con-
fided to him her preference for the
Sarum Use; he had told her with a
sigh that the low tone of the diocese
was a great cross to him. In short,
they understood one another. But
Ernesta knew very we'll that for her
to marry a penniless curate was out
of the question; while the clergyman
never dreamt of wedding a portionless
girl, as the third Miss Smiles certain
ly was.
Matters were in this position when
the diocese was startled by the news
that the rector of Drtchley had sud-
denly died. Now, Ditchley was one of
the plums in the Brampton pudding.
Mr.. D'Oyley had no occasion to look
it up in Crockford. He knew all about
it-esOO per annum, and a house;
patron, Lord Cuddesly.
For some time the curate of Market
Dedham sat rendering. Then he got
up and rummaged out an old universe
ty calendar, and by its help discovered
the pleasing fact that Hon. Algernon
Debray, Lord Cuddesly's eldest son,
had been at Oxford for three months
before he himself left that seat of
learning. Mr.. D'oyley, having ascer--
tanned this fagts resumed his medita-
lions.