The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-07-04


from the bookroom the works of DR..
| Johnson. Now" said she, Il will leave It
for the present company to judge be-
tween your favorite, Mr. Boz, and DR..
johnson. And with a stern and remorse-
less voice the good but implacable woman
read aloud whole chapter of Rasselas.
Il think" said she, at the conclusion Of
her reading. that l have justified my
preference for the DOCTOR
Captain Brown had borne the infiiction
of Rasselas with very bad grace. He
drummed with his fingers on the table
and Miss Cole was sure that she heard
him murmur under his breath, "D-n Dr.
Johnson
He tried to patch 1t up with Miss Jen-
kyns. but ever after she regarded the
Captain askance and made the remark
recorded concerning the ringlets and dim
pies of his daughter Jessie.
Captain Brown had some business in a
nelghboring town and used to go there
every morning by the railroad. Crawford
society did not approve of the railroad,
had kept the station as far away from
the village as it could and patronized it
as little as possible. That the Captain
rode on the railroad twice a day was
another thing against his gentility. When
a real live Earl whose life the Captain
once had saved in battle came to visit
him and actually stayed over night, the
railroad business was partially condoned.
But the railroad habit and the Dickens
habit were to be the final undoing of the
poor Captain after all.
One day all Crawford, genteel and vul-
gar, was thrown into a state of great
excitement The Captain had been read
ing a book as he walked to the station.
He looked up Just in time to see a child
escape from its mother and run on the
track before an approaching train. Spring
ing on the track the Captain threw the
child out of harms way, but he himself
was crushed by the engine.
When the tragic news was brought to
Miss Jenkyns no one was more prompt
In sympathetic action than Deborah.
matilda, bring me my bonnet at once
she cried, and flew to the house of the
now wholly orphaned daughters.
lTenIlY she DIOhO llAC avn
Jessie Brown and decided with her that
Miss Brown, who could not live much
longer. should be kept in ignorance OF
her fathers fate "Called away suddenly
on important business" the Invalid was
told. and Miss Brown never knew until
the hour of her death, which took place
soon after, that she was fatherless.
In her last moments somehow she
seemed to know and comprehend and was
not sorrowful, but rather joyful that she
should soon meet her father In land
where suffering and poverty would afflict
no more. Her only grief was that she
must leave Jessie to combat the hard
fate of life.
Poor Jessie was left penniess. but Miss
Jenkyns took charge of her and her af-
fairs, as she did of most peoples, and
had set about obtaining for her posi-
ton as teacher when there appeared in
the village a certain Major Gordon, an
old lover of Jessie's, who promptly mar
rled her and took her ABROAD.
In the course of time Jessie had
daughter, who used to visit Miss Jen-
kvns every summer as long as that Sc
we're but kindly lady lived, and who, in
fact bore Deborah as one of her names.
Miss Jenkyns often sighed and shook her
head sorrowfully over the tragic fate OF
the childs grandfather, and always re-
ferred to the writings of Mr.. Dickens the
1.-THE book poor Captain Brown was killed
for reading
Cranford's next sensation was a piece
of news announced by the Honorable
Mrs Jameson at a tea party she gave
to society When Mrs. Jameson wanted
to give a party her servants objected,
and she did not give it. When the serv-
ants thought she ought to give one she
did it. The stately Mulliner and his fell
low domestics had decided upon a party
and so the ladies of Crawford were re-
called with weak tea, with skinned milk
in 1t. The cream was reserved for Mrs.
Jamiesons pet poodle, who drank 1t be-
fore the faces Of the guests, who were
obliged to smother their rage and, at
the command of Mrs. Jameson even to
admire the grateful manner in which
Carlo Tapped 1t up.
Mrs. Jamieson's starting place of
news was that her sister-in-law, Lady
Glenmire, widow of her late husbands
elder brother. Lord Glenmire, was about
to make her visit.
A real, live countess! 1t was almost
too much, and society went en- masse
the next day to Mrs. Forrester's to con-
suit her copy of the "Peerage" and
discuss how the noble visitor was to be
addressed.
A number of years had elapsed be-
tween the time vhen Captain Brown
had furnished Crawford with its first
sentation of modern days. and there
had been some changes in the circle Of
the elect. Notably, Miss Jankyns had
passed away and her guiding hand no
longer could be relied upon to lead
the ladies of the village through social
complexities. Miss Matty had mourned
her sister with the whole strength of
her gentle and loving heart. but bore
her loneliness and her cross. as she
had born all her disappointments and
crosses in life, with Christian meek
ness and humility Of spirit If she had
worshipped her sister alive she adored
| her dead, and strove to do everything
! ''as Deborah would have liked it done"
! Deborah not being in the flesh to re-
| solve their difficulties, the ladies Of
| Crawford appealed to Matty. How
shall we address herr was the per-
| picking question, "as your ladyship' or
| just plain your How did you use to
address your cousin, Lady Arley?"