The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-10-21
WAYS OF THE AGED DANDY

], purihcation and dries them daintily and ] proceeds to set the old gentleman on his legs, with waistband and wig. starched cravat and spotless boots and gloves. It was during these hourss of toilet that Morgan and his employer had their con fidential conversations, for they did not | meet much at other times of the day-the major abhorring the society of his own chairs and tables in his lodgings; and Morgan, his masters toilet over and let ters delivered, had his time very much on his own hands.
 This spare time the active and we'll
 hammered gentleman bestowed among the
 valets and buffers of the nobility his ac- quaintance; and Morgan Pendennis as he was styled, for, by such compound names gentlemen's gentlemen are called in their private circles, was a frequent and wei come guest at some of the very highest
 tables in this town. He was member
 of two influential clubs in Mayfair and Pimblico; he was thus enabled to know the whole gossip of the town. and enter
 tain his master very agreeably during the
 two hours toilet conversations. He knew a hundred tales and legends regarding persons of the very highest ton, whose
 valets canvass their august secrets, just, my dear madam, as our own parlor- maids and dependenast in the kitchen, discuss our characters, our stinginess and generosity, our pecuniary means or em- barrassments, and our little domestic or connubal tifs and ouarres. If leave this manuscript open on my table, have
 
 and they will talk it over in the lower regions tonight; and tomorrow she will bring in my breakfast with a face of
 such entire lmperturbable innocence that no mortal could suppose her guilty of playing the spy. If you and the captain
 have high word upon any subject, which
 is just possible, the circumstances of the quarrel. and the characters of both of you will be discussed with impartial elo- quence over the kitchen tea-table; and if Mrs. Smiths maid should by chance be taking a dish of tea with yours, her presence will not undoubtedly act as a
 restraint upon the discussion in question; her opinion will be given with candor; | and the next day her mistress will prob- ably know that Captain and Mrs. Jones have been quareling, as usual. Nothing is secret. Take 1t as a rule that John knows everything; and as in our humble world, so in the greatest a duke is no more a hero to his valet-de-chambre than you or l. and his grace's man at his club, in company doubtless with other men of equal socialrank, talks over his masters character and affairs with the ingenious truthfulness which befits gentlemen who
 are met together in confidence. Who is
 niggard and screws up his money boxes who is in the hands of the money lenders and is putting his noble name on
 the backs of bills of exchange, who is in
 timate with whose wife; who wants whom
 to marry his daughter, and which he
 won't-no, not at any price-all these facts gentlemen's confidential gentlemen discuss confidentially, and are known and exam
 ined by every person who has any claim
 to rank in genteel society In a word, if old Pendenns himself was said to know everything, and was at once admirably scandalous and delightfully."- discreet; It is
 but justice to Morgan to say that a
 great deal of his masters information was
 supplied to that worthy man by his valet,
 who went out and foraged knowledge fsr
 him. Indeed, what more effectual plan
 Is there to get a knowledge of London
 society than to begin at the foundation that is, at the kitchen floor?