Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1906-02-01
CHAPTER III.
A FAMILY DINNER PARTY.

FAMILY DINNER PARTY.
The dining-roon at Holdenhurst
Hall was . large, sombre apartment.
The floor was of oak, uneven through
age, and perlously slippery, and the
walls of Dutch oak panelling, relieved
here and there by portraits in oils OF
horses and dogs. -Four windows did
not admit sufficient light for the room.
and on the spacious hearth no fire
could be made large enough for COM
fort in winter. The centre was oc-
cupied by an enormous table. support
ed by legs about ten inches shorter
than those with which a modern din
ing table is furnished, and round it
were ranged thirty-two chairs, fifteen
at either side and one at each end
cumbrous structures of oak and EN-.
bossed leather, mounted on wheels.
Indeed, never look at this table with.
out recalling the ludicrous aspect pre-
sented by our friend Major Armstrong
of the Suffolk Yeomanry, when dining
with us. Major Armstrong stands six
feet four, and the distance from his
plate to his mouth is so great that
when he Is engaged with the former
it appears almost as if he were dig
ging the ground with his fork. A large
sideboard, loaded with silver. com.
pleted the furniture of the room.
When I entered, it was at once ap-
parent that this was special occa.
sion. The table was lighted by more
candles, and spread somewhat more
luxuriously than usual, and, infallible
sign. old John, our one indoor manser-
want, had on his yellow silk waistcoat
"a venerable and conspicuous article
of his attire which 1 remembered from
my earliest infancy, but had never be.
fore known him to wear except on
Sundays-and was moving about bust.
ly between the sideboard and the ta-
BILE.
disturbed my relations in an exam
ination they were making Of the
quantity carved mantelpiece. My faith.
er at once stepped towards me, and
taking my hand in his own. led me
towards a beautiful and very elabor-
ately dressed lady, saying:
Permit me to introduce my son.
Ernest, this lady is your aunt Ger
trude."
Now though in the first blush Of my
youth ! had suffered from overmuch
elf-consciousness, had flattered my.
self of late that had reasoned myself
out Of that malady, and was as self.
possessed as a young man Of nineteen
need be. Vain delusion. Whether it
was the striking beauty of my aunt,
the splendor of her dress and jewels.
or my intense surprise at finding her
woman of at most thirty, whom
had mentally pictured as about fifteen
years older than that, / know not; but
certain it is, had never felt so awk-
ward and foolish before. l cannot
quite remember what | said, but
believe u few disconnected words cs-
capped my lips to the effect that l was
very pleased to make her acQuaint-
ance.
Ny aunt noticed my confusion, and
with admirable tact endeavored to
allay it. II am sure | am much graft
fled to see you and your father" she
said in soft voice. MY husband has
often talked to ME of you both. and Of
his old home in England. Your house
is perfectly delightful. and long to
see more Of it. You must show me
all over it when you have time."
Replying that nothing could give me
greater pleasure, and that l would do
so tomorrow if she was sufficiently
rested to undertake the task. shook
hands with my uncle and felt rather
more at my ease.
My father having taken his seat at
the head of the table. with his sister
and on the right, and his brother on
his left, John removed the covers, and
dinner was served.
NO" said uncle Sam, addressing
my father, "the change is not all in
myself as you suggest, though OF
course mans ideas modify and ex-
pand a good deal in twenty years,
especially If his affairs are extensive
and he mixes much with business
men. Positively, believe what have
told you, that Englishmen are vastly
altered from what they were when |
lived among them. They are not so
enterprising; they seem to lack 60 and
2it, and have fallen into slow way.
Everything in England is depressed
capitalists afraid to invest, laborers
without work to do. Coming from
London to-day, we saw q man and
boy with two horses plowing a field.
Why, the scene would serve for an
illustration TO one of Pope's pastorals.
No wonder that farming in EnglanI
don't pay when you tickle and scratch
the earth in such primitive fashion,
Aud while the laborers are KILN.
time in this way, your legislators are
talking about small farms and allot-
ments for laborers. Bosh, my dear
sir. bosh! What is wanted is for al
least a hundred landowners in each
county to form u trust, and to employ
modern machinery in cultivating their
aggregated lands-that is to say, Il
farm of tolerable size, Blythe by,
what is the acreage of this place?"
1.-TWO thousand acres"
"a mere potato patch! I have n 'ot
twenty-five times as large, as good or
as better than the hest soil in England.