Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1909-05-20

ten in the left-hand corner OF the card
What will il be like, m'dear?"
asked Mr.. Blenkinsop. apprehenslvely.
Very strange and very beautiful,
George!" answered his wife.
And amusin'?"
"No--Persian!"
The spirit of old Omar of Naishapur
has visited West Kensington. The
Rubaiyat at-home is over.
Willie Trevor and the pretty Miss
Copsley agreed that it was ripping
The visitors arrived punctually Mrs.
Blenkinsop, who is tall and wears eve.
glasses, received them in an Anglo.
Persian costume-Persian to the
waist, British about the skirts-with
silver tiligree ornaments and high
heeled slippers
she asked the young people, on en-
tering the drawing room, to sit on the
floor Willie Trevor and Miss Copsley
promptly took their cushions into a
corner Willie murmured that they
didn't want to get in anybody's way.
There was small platform, COW
cred with Turkish rug. Mrs. Blen.
kinsop mounted, and the audience
clapped.
Il am going to read the Rubaiyat of
Omar Khayyam," she announced. And
| want you all to join with me In a
spirit of revery. We will drink to-
gether with the astronomer poet of
Persia-George dear, tell ANNA to
bring in the wine"
Her husband obeyed and the parlor
maid appeared with tray. There was
claret cup and burgundy. The guests,
who had become intensely solemn, al.
lowed Mr. Blenkinsop to fill their COB
let's, with the exception of one woman,
whose strict temperance principles
obliged her to ask for lemonade.
Mrs. Blenkinsop then opened hand.
somely bound. edition of the Rubaiyat
and put on her reading spectacles and
a most becoming crown of artificial
purple and white grapes
Have you heard Omar Khayyam be.
fore?" whispered Miss Copsley to
Willie Trevor
"No-have you?" answered Willie.
"Of course, heaps of good times!
do wish | had copy of my own"
Willie made mental note of the
hint, and the Copsley girl innocently
mentioned her fayorite color in book
binding.
Listen, Willie!" she said. you
ought to make the most of your oppor-
tunities."
May I?' queried Willie, and he
smiled expressively into her eyes.
How absurd you are!" she ex-
claimed, blushing for no accountable
reason.
Come, fill the Cup, and in the Fire of
Spring
The Winter Garment of Repentance fling!
AT this point, Mrs Blenkinsop, keep
ing her finger in the book, raised a
glass OF claret to her lips.
Now, pleased" she said with smil-
ing signal.
The guests obediently followed her
example.
Rather sour!" observed the lady
who was a total abstainer to her
neighbor, referring to the lemonade.
Mrs. Blenkinsop read on steadily,
and feeling OF gloom crept over the
company. They fought against 1t val
iantly. One young man, determined to
make the thing CO." quaffed loosely
at the wrong time, was reproved by a
severe frown from his hostess.
When she dashed in to the verse
beginning, And If the wine you drink,
the lips you press" there was a lit
tie agitation over Mr.. Blenkinsop try
ing to persuade his aunt to have her
goblet replenished.
Not on any account, George! I'll
pretend" said the aunt, amiably.
THE ruby vintage drink" continued
the fair reader.
Only half glass, Mr.. Blenkinsop!"
pleaded another lady, in an audible
whisper.
The gloom intensified. The visitors,
with exemplary patience, slipped at the
same second whenever Mrs. Blenkin-
sop gave the signal, like well-trained
supers.
I've enjoyed it awfully! II was
JOLLY" said Willie Trevor, jumping up
to congratulate his hostess when the
end came at last.
II was the truth. He had been whis-
pering to Miss Copsley, to say nothing
of holding her hand, from the first line
to the last.
The Greek classics will never be
equaled," observed Mr.. Blenkinsop's
aunt, slightly confused between Ho-
mer and Omar.
my little room has been turned into
a Persian garden said the gratified
Mrs. Blenkinsop.
Omar Khayyam In West Kensing-
toni" exclaimed the temperance lady
with enthusiasm, as she drained her
lemonade to the dregs.
Mr.. Blenkinsop slipped out of the
room
1T wasn't what ! call amusin'!" he
said to himself YEARLY, and went
downstairs to get whisky and soda
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