The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-10-31

ssssssssssssssssssss such vanities were now over for Wilson, happy in the present life, he declared there was only one sorrow beside regret for the past which ever oppressed him. He had been blessed with one child, a boy, who had been stolen by gypsies while in the cradle.
 | The parson and his charges set out next morning with lighter hearts than they had been blessed with for some days. Mrs. Wilson put up a good luncheon for them in a bundle, and MT Wilson slipped a guinea, Adams, as he was wont, having frankly told his state of impecuniosity. The parson was one of those men who, if he had money, was likely to show 1t and boast of it; if he had none. to make everyone aware of the fact That is, if he happened to re- member 1t himself. He would enter an inn, call for what he wanted, and when asked to pay would search his empty pockets and say with surprise, Why, bless me, have not penny" If any one gave him money he was likely to bestow 1t upon the first beggar he met. Now, there are only two sorts of people who do these things-the very designing and the very innocent. Needless to say, Ad- ans belonged to the latter class. Knowl- edge of the world he scorned and repro bated, and as they walked along he said to Joseph: Do you not think MT. Wilson was a very unhappy man in his youth ?' Joseph was inclined to think he had had +l. opened on him and declared that the secret of all Wilson's misfortunes was that he had been educated at public school where he had early in life ac- quired a knowledge of the ways of the world.
 But Joseph replied that he had often heard Sir Thomas Booby say that a pub lie school was a little society where a boy learned that which would be of great advantage to him when he went intto the great world Bah, hold with Cato" replied the parson.
 So when those two gossiping, withered dowagers, Lady little and Lady Tattle, drove by one day and saw Joseph con- ducting his lady through Hyde Park, said Lady little to Lady Tattle: Gan I be- lieve my eyes? Is not that Lady Booby?' '1t is," replied Lady Tattle. At what are you surprised?" "Is not that her foot man?" cried Lady little. Certainly rejoined Lady Tattle. That is an old story" And when they parted each made a round of visits and drank an immense quantity of tea while they spread the most outrageous reports concerning the innocent Joseph and the equally innocent Lady Booby. But two more lofty repu- tations coming up for discussion and demolition at that time, Lady Booby and Joseph were forgotten. It might be won dered why Lady Tattle should have been to all this trouble to spread abroad a story which she assured Lady little had been the talk of the town for a year. The fact is, there had been no such talk, the idea having occurred to Lady little and Lady Tattle at the same time and for the first time when they saw Joseph and his mistress in the park. Thus are reputations dealt with in the world of fashion-and sometimes, too, in other cir cles.
 But now something distressing really did happen. Sir Thomas Booby died, and after proper season of mourning his widow turned her eyes upon Joseph. Mrs. Slipslop, the housekeeper. that mature and somewhat battered virgin, also be- came enamored of him, and the poor fell low found his only consolatin in writing off to his sister Pamela an account of the perilous situation in which he found himself Things culminated ono day when after an interview with Lady Booby in which that fascinating widow had pretty plainly indicated to Joseph that she had tender feeling for him, the lad replied 'T don't in the least know what your ladyship means" Don't your exclaimed the Lady. Then you are a bigger fool than I took you to be. Get out of my house, you presumptuous varlet; let me