Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1906-02-08

far as I know. Nearly all my time
since left school has been passed at
Holdenhurst walking and riding
:.oout the place and reading and play
ing to father"
"What is it that you playa"
'"The pianoforte. am very fond OF
music, and so is my father"
"You must play for me this evening.
I am a poor pianist, but some people
think 1 can sing" said aunt Gertrude.
1 replied that should be delighted
to do so.
While this conversation was in pro-
gress we had walked as far as the en-
trance hall, which I thought was the
best place wherein to essay my skill
rs Snowman. This hall was a 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 q
chimney piece of white marble fantas-
tically carved, surmounted by por-
trait in oils of q red-faccd middle-aged
man clad in q leather jcrkin, with col
| lar of preposterous width, and q flop
! hat OF such liberal proportions that an
italian peasant might have envied it,
supposed to represent the founder Of
my family. He looked little enough
like a man who would ingratiate him
self with his king or anybody else, but
as I subsequently heard my uncle re-
mark, it is probable that Henry VIII.
was 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 faml-
ly portraits, relieved here and there by
weapons and dcers' 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. as
some people have painfully learned, q
frozen lake is not more slippery than
polished oak floor. Indeed, I well re-
member when / was young boy the
amusement I derived from peeping
over the baniSters of the staircase to
see my father receive his guest, the
newly appointed Bishop of Norwich.
The Bishop was fat man, intolerably
ceremonious, and with an ever-present
consciousness OF his newly acquired
dignity, but he was unacquaintcd with
the qualities Of polished oak floors.
Scarcely had this divine crossed our
threshold ere he 'ay on his back, BRAN
dishing his legs rhythmically in tho
air, until restored to perpendicularity
by the united efforts Of my father and
old John.
Ny aunt was greatly interested In
the pictures, and asked more questions
about them than / was able to answer.
Nearly half IN hour was spent exam
lining the entrance hall, and l had to
state plainly that at this rate of pro-
gression 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
lcssly 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 few-treasures, all Of them,
such as would excite the admiration
OF the most phlogmatic Of bibliograph-
crs and move not few Of the tribe to
larceny, including perfect first copy
of Graftons Chronicle, copies Of
Shakespeares plays printed when their
author was yet writing and acting in
London, early copies of Spenser and Of
most of the Elizabethan dramatists,
| as well as many old Bibles, products
Of the early printing presses of conti-
mental Europe.
These books, worth, as 1 afterward
learned, nearly as much money as the
entire Holdenhurst estate, did not In
terest my aunt as much as had ex-
pected. and we quilted the library and
went into the drawing room.
what beautiful face and how
cleverly 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
aunt's sentence. and her use Of my
baptismal name for the first time dis
concerted me greatly.
on many occasions had l suffered
"from q natural proneness to blushng,
but surely my consciousness had
never been so acute as at this mo-
ment. The blood mounted quickly to
| my face. l could feel it's warmth and
realize the absurdity Of my aspect,
| but was unable to think clearly, and
not knowing what to say, remained ST.
lent. My aunt noticed my confusion
and further remarked
"Why, I declare, you resemble her
| more than evern'
| l think my aunt must have repented
| having caused me so much confusion,
for she suddenly turned the CONVERSE
ton, and inquired If any of my moth
ers relations were living.
l confessed my inability to answer
this question positively. my grand
father was very unfortunate man."
l said. "He had large family, but
lost his wife and all his children eX-
cept one before he was fifty. Dislk-
ing the home where he had suffered so
much about five years ago he deter
mined to settle in New Zealand, and
we have had the farm he used to oc-
cupy still waiting for tenant. He