Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1910-02-25
Tobias Jarvey's
Day OF Rest
By E. LAWRENCE PERRY

| floor of an old brick gabled building
| in the heart of what was once Green
| wich village. From his chair at the
! dusty window giving on Commerce
street he had noted the homecoming
of more thon one wage-earner, laden
with bundles ard fairly beaming with
| the spirit of the season.
In the dooryard OF the house just
| below he had seen young woman
| and her two children fairly maui an
| elderly couple - grandparents, OF
course-pulling them up the steps de-
spite their complacent protestations.
And he knew that the peculiar flat
bundle which grandma carried so gin
gerly contained one or more pumpkin
pies, and that the stout genial grand
sires pockets were laden with all
sorts of homemade goodies.
The count sighed. He walked TO a
bureau and took from the upper draw
er a fragrant old brierwood and a
pouch Of tobacco filed and lighted the
pipe and returned to the window,
where he stood looking down the side
walk, putting thoughtfully. There was
food for thought, for below him he
could see the rhomboidal form OF Mrs.
Amaryllis James, industriously plying
her broom to the lower tep. Mrs.
James was a good soul; the count had
gained that knowledge from many a
sidewalk conversation. And then, too,
when he had mending to do, which
variably detected before the fact had
the quick eye 0f Mrs. James had in
occurred 10 him, she was ever ready
with her needle, which. indeed. to the
counts deep annoyance, was becom
ing more and more indispensable TO
his sartorial welfare.
Twice in the months he had known
Mrs. James had he permitted himself
the luxury of a visit in her comfol Ia
Bile apartments on the first floor, and
each time upon making his departure
the impression was strong that he
had achieved a strategic retreat.
There were clear suspicious as 70 the
nature that he had made his escape,
and indeed, upon receipt Of his trousers
the last time Mrs. James had patched
them, she had indited note SO strong
in yelled suggestion that the count
was moved to reply In manner which
he trusted would achieve the result
of protecting him from such episto-
larry attentions or intentions in the
future. while at the same time re-
tanning the services OF her needle.
"Reihember the aloofness Of rank, "
he wrote. Consider that the lilies OF
| France are at heights remote. Look
ahead, not upward, and behold, it is
the arrow that pierces the bleeding
heart, not a needle
All of which we dare say may have
been read by Mrs. James, according
as she felt. Be that as 1t may, the
Count Tobis de la Jarvis, which the
siren of the lower floor had construed
into Tobias Jarvey, was strongly NOV
ed by the holiday spirit and when ne
| weighed Mrs. Jamess invitation to
break bread" with her the following
day. against the prospect Of dining
alone. and sparing perforce, at a
| Bleecker street table d'hote, the bal
ance inclined strongly in favor OF the
hospital board Of Amaryllis James,
casting dice with fate though it might
be.
AS he stod immersed in thought
there came a ray of assurance.
| After ALL" he murmured, "one has
| but 10 be a man, TO arm himself with
| mans strength. 1t is but to know
| when to retreat that Is the secret OF
all great soldiers successes. ITEMS,
There was, she said, to be turkey
and of the sauce cranberry-and-
| and that the madame is talented as
! cook there Is little 10 doubt, Mais
non Am a fly to enter a web? Eth
/ bien, if a fly am it is OF strengthy
wings. So | go Non; not
o. your life upon, as the saying is.
! dine at NJ. Gatin's.
Gatin's Bleecker street table d'hote
at one O'Clock the next afternoon was
blue with tobacco smoke, and a cello
and violin struggled bravely with
chanson de vim. There was laughter
and the popping of corks, and bursts
of son. But the counts IA
vorite seat was vacant.
He was not there, in short, and II
seeking him it is pleasant to turT
from this scene of Gallo reyelry Il
the simpler, quieter precincts where
love, perchance, sits dreaming ovel
needle, where. the silence is lin
broken save by the soporific wheez'
of the tea-kettle or the purring OF
cat and the steady monotony or
rocking-chair's creak. The cat, in
i. deed, purred in comfort and content
ment; Amaryllis James purred in com
fort and contentment. She was sew
ing with placid mien. She was piec
ing In the frayed ends of Tobias Jar
vey's" coatsleeves she murmure'
the name repeatedly to herself-pieC
/ lnS III the tIu VI tuC oiSN'So VIZ
! pieces OF silesia.
Nearby in an 1rmchair sat the coun
himself, smoking and gazing vacant
into the stove. He was comfortable
too-and contented. His pipe wa
drawing well, and the savory odor
of turkey and cranberries and pots
toes and turnips and pumpkin pie
blended in one great, grand, swee
suggestion OF gastronomic felicities
come, doubly impressive, inasmuch a
the count had not dined over well 70
several days.
To replace the coat in process
construction, Mrs. James had loane
him a garment from the wardrobe
the late lamented John James, VIII
had married her just in time to b.
stow upon her the benefits OF pei
sion which a grateful government ha
awarded in recognition of rheumatisi
incurred many years after the inte
, fecine unpleasantness had cease'
Then, too. as the good woman enjoye
as a seamstress not a little vogu
among those OF the neighborhood WI
went In for such luxuries as dres
makers. she considered herself EN-