Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1911-08-12
THE COACHMAN
And THE MAID
Double lmpersonation Leads
to a Wedding.

"Yes, miss" t...t lst.
I'm Miss ChIlders' mnid. Miss
Childers didn't come. ! come instead"
"Yes. miss. Step In"
Miss Childers' maid got into the VIC
toria and. leaning back as II she had
been born I'm victoria. rode to Mont
view.
"When will your mistress arriyer
asked Mrs. Sanderson when the maid
had made Miss Childers' excuses.
by the same train tomorrow,
ma'am."
singular" muttered the lady, that
she should have sent her maid ahead"
Later on Miss Childers' maid noticed
a gentleman In evening dress going
down to dinner, and during the even
ing. while she was passing the time
In the sewing room doing some mend
ing, he stumbled in,
Pardon me-" he said. 81 didn't
know there was any one here"
you're excusable. SIR" s.t
Are you Miss Childers' maidY'
81 am, SIR"
"You have a very nice mistress. 1
am told"
"Passable, SIR"
you're not very enthusiastic"
"My mistress doesn't need q charac-
ter from her maid"
did you get such sprightly repartee
from Miss Childers2"
,"Miss Childers does not pride herself
on repartee She has matters Of i'm
portance to interest her and keep her
from chatting her interiors"
II trust she hasn't the keen edged
tongue of her maid"
"She may need 1t. I'm told she's
thinking of marriage"
"Is she to get fine fellow?"
II trust he will be above bandying
words with her maid"
THAT depends upon the maid. One
as pretty and as bright as she who has
come here before her mistress would
tempt any man"
The maid lowered her eyes.
"What do you consider Miss Chill
ders' best trait?r NJ ,stfre
"That she is fully aware of her own
faults"
How long do you think 1t will take
her to become aware OF the faults of
the man she is to marryT
Miss Childers will have the good
sense to ignore them. All people have
faults. 1t Is the duty OF married cou-
pies to find excuses for each other"
You mean that II her husband
passes time that would otherwise hang
heavy on his hands chatting with her
maid his wife will end an excuse for
him"
IF she does he will not deserve such
a WIFE" 81
''Then If you were Miss Childers he
would not fare so we'll"
1--WE are discussing Miss Childers,
not her maid"
''In this matter let US consider the
maid. You blame me. gentleman.
for chatting with you. servant. Sup
pose Miss Childers were to become a
pauper and go out to service. Would
you expect me to recognize her for
what she had beenT'
"That is different"
''In what respectr
"AIiss Childers would be lady who
had only recently become servant"
''How long would she need to be a
servant before my recognition of her
would be inexcusabIeT
cit would never be inexcusable."
Every we'll Suppose you were Miss
Childers and had only today become
her maid"
The girl cast quick glance at him.
Suppose" she said in reply. that
you had only this afternoon become
Mr.. Reginald Sanderson's coachman"-
"Good," he said You being Miss
Childers' maid and I Mr.. Sanderson's
coachman, | am free to tell you that
this is case of love at first sight"
A long pause.
"Would you, were you Miss Childers,
consider 1t proper thing to become
your maidT'
"And would you. being Mr.. Sander
son, demeant yourself. by becoming
your coachman?"
~ would-to see woman unguard-
ed who ought be my wife, es,1
"And what could be Miss Childers'
object" he asked. "in becoming her
own maid?
"Once upon time," continued the
man. "a princess was betrothed to a
prince she had never seen. Desiring
to observe him incog, she personated
her own maid and went to visit the
princes mother. The prince. poor fool.
thinking to see his fiancee when she
was not masquerading-in fact. to do
the masquerading himself--drove his
carriage to the station, where. 10 and
behold, he found not her. but her maid.
Disappointed at not meeting the mis-
tress. he solaced himself by chatting
with the maid and-lost his heart"
Miss Childers' maid looked up with
smile. but she was Miss Chill
mean the princess"
"And the coachman was Mr.. SAM
mean the prince 81
Mrs. Sanderson, passing upstairs,
hearing voices In the serving room.
glanced In and was inexpressibly
shocked to see Miss Childers' maid In
the arms of her son. The fond moth
er kept the secret She was not sur
prised the next morning when the girl.
making an excuse. departed. but she
was surprised when Miss Childers ar
rived later at the resemblance be-
tween her and her maid.
a -