The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1904-03-17

very few friends. and no enemles-so
| far as I know Nearly all my time
since I left school has been passed at
IIoldenhurst walking and riding
| about the place and reading and play
ing to father
What is it that you play:'
The pianoforte. l am very fond OF
music, and so is my father.
You must play for me this evening.
| / am poor pianist, but some people
| think l can sing" said aunt Gertrude.
replied that I should be delighted
| to do so.
While this conversation was in pro-
gless we had walked as far as the en-
trance hall. which l thought was the
| best place wherein to essay my skill
| as Snowman. This hall was n large
| square apartment with floor. walls and
ceiling of dark oak. Opposite the great
door, and distant from it about twenty
feet, was an enormous fireplace with 4
| chimney piece Of white marble fantas-
| tlcally carved. surmounted by por-
trait in oils of n red-faced middle-aged
| pan clad in leather jerkin, with col
lar Of prepoSterous width. and flop
hat OF such liberal proportions that an
Italian peasant might have envied it.
supposed to represent the founder of
NY family. He looked little enough
like 4 man who would ingratiate him
self with his king or anybody else, but
as 1 subsequently heard my uncle re-
mark, it is probable that Henry VIII.
was q better judge Of women than
men. On the right and left Of the fire.
place were wide staircases which led
up to corridors. The walls were near
ly covered with pictures, chiefly fami-
| ly portraits, relieved here and there by
weapons and deers' antlers hung in
various devices. Doors led out Of the
| hall into the dining room, library and
| two parlorS or reception rooms, and
| from these doors to the great entrance
door were laid narrow strips OF carpet
a highly necessary precaution, for. IS
some people have painfully learned, Il
! frozen lake IS not more slippery than
| 4 polished oak floor. Indeed, we'll re-
| member when 1 was q young boy the
amusement I derived from pcepinS
over the banisters Of the staircase 10
see ny father receive his guest. the
newly appointed Bishop Of Norwich.
The Bishop was 4 fat man, intolerably
ceremonious, and with an ever-preSe2t
consciousness of his newly acquired
dignity, but he was unacquainted with
the qualities Of polished oak floors.
threshold ere he lay on his back, brat
dishing his legs rhythmically in the
air. until restored to perpendicularity
Dy the united efforts OF my father ard
old John
My aunt was greatly interested in
the pictures, and asked more questions
about them than was able to answer.
Nearly half an hour was spent exam
ming the entrance hall, and 1 had to
state plainly that at this rate OF pro-
sression day would be inadequate
| FOR the Accomplishment of our task.
and to suggest that we paid less at.
! tention to each object OF interest. We
then wandered into the library. care
lessly turned over the old parchments
which still lay on the table, and looked
at the caligraphy and seals; examined
| the covers Of many books and the title
pages OF 4 few-trea sures, all Of them,
such as would excite the admiration
| Of the most phlegmatic of photograph
crs and move not 4 few OF the tribe to
larceny, including perfect first copy
OF ,Crafton'S Chronicle, copies Of
Shakespcare's plays printed when their
author was yet writing and acting In
London. early copies of Spenser and OF
| most OF the Eiizabcthan dramatists,
as we'll as many old Bibles. products
Of the early printing presses OF conti-
mental Europe.
These books, worth, IS I afterward
learned, nearly as much money rs the
entire Holdenhurst estate. did not in
terest my aunt as much as l had ex-
pected, and we quilted the library and
went into the drawing room.
What beautiful face and how
clcveTly painted" exclaimed my aunt.
pausing in front of portrait by Watts
which had the place OF honor in our
drawing room. Il was studying it
just before you came down stairs. OF
course it is your mother. You are very
like her, Ernest
The obvious inference from my
aunts sentence, and her use Of my
| baptismal name for the first time dis
concerted me greatly.
On many occasions had 1 suffered
from a natural pronencss to blushing,
but surely my self-conSciousness had
| never been so acute as at this mo-
mcnt. The blood mounted quickly to
my face. l could feel its warmth and
realize the absurdity OF my aspect,
but was unable 10 think clearly, and
not knowing what to say, remained ST.
lent. My aunt noticed my confusion
| and further remarked