2
l)c; ntcs, New Bloomfictir, flJct.
" Your letter appeared to mo Btraight
forwurd." Nora bowed.
".You think yourself competent for tlie
situation, you say. I hope you have
thoughtfully considered the terms in
which I advertised, before venturing to
make such a statement ? It is a situation
which will involve some amount of re
sponsibility, as I wish to depend entirely
upon the person whom I may select for
the education and general oversight of
her charge. I will not conceal from
you that charge, in addition to being a
responsible one, may prove a difficult one,
the lad to whom I refer having many
objectionable propensities, that will re
quire to be watched and corrected."
" I think you stated in the advertise
ment the child is eight years of age,"
Nora said.
" 1 Turned eight' are the words em
ployed lie is, in fact, ' turned eight.' "
"Then, I think there is every hope
that those propensities may be subdued."
" I hope so. And in proof of your
ability to bring about such result, I con
clude you can give me some testimonials,
received from previous situations."
She had not thought of that. " I have
never been out before," Noddy said.
M'm. Then your method of pro
cedure would be tentative ? That is a
rave consideration."
" I would try to do my best," said Nod
dy, eagerly, " if the child is not too old
and not beyond my capacity to teach.
I'm not clever nor accomplished but it
was your plainness in advertising led me
to think I might suit. You said, ' Eng
lish only required.'"
' " Exactly, but the best of English.
And you will bear in mind that there
are many more English persons who can
apeak three or four foreign languages than
can speak their own with correctness."
Noddy's heart began to sink. " The
advertisement doesn't say the best of
Jiinglish, she said.
" JNo, it says Jinghsli, ana only the very
best can be called that"
Noddy thought of Mrs. Muciller and
of her own prospects at Braithfield, if she
Jost this place. She determined on a
despairing battle for it.
" But the child isyctyoung, ouly eight;
and I can teach him till he is ready for
some one wiser. Indeed, I will do my
lest."
" Turned eight, if you please. lie iij
in fact : turned' nine. lie is at least ten
years of ago."
"Then," Nodd said, ready to cry with
disappointment, "I suppose I am not
competent? You may know bettor Eng
lish than I do, but you have not made
a brave use of it to torture a poor girl
who wants work."
" Miss Cray, I believe you are so far
competent that I have no hesitation in
offering you the situation. You speak
truth, in spite of its being ' calculated in
many a similar case to lose you an en
gagement. I therefore see you are likely
to give instruction. Will you accept my
situation as governess ?"
Noddy hardly believed her ears. " I
will," she said, with heartfelt thankful
ness. " You luive not mentioned terms, re
member." " I am coutent to accept what you
please to offer."
" Then I have only one other question
to put. You may think it a strange one.
but I shall be obliged if you will answer
it. Do you know what you are?"
There was a disti.net alteration in the
old gentleman's voice that sounded queer.
" No," Noddy said, blankly enough.
" Then I must ask another, do you
know what day this is ?"
"The 29th of September."
Then you are the biggest little
Michaelmas goose that ever was !" and
the elderly gentleman Licked off his
gouty legs, and pitched his skull-cap and
wig into the fender ; " and you had bet
ter own it, Noddy 1"
There stood Mr. Frank Geogagan.
" Turned eight, Noddy," he said; " and
turned eight-and-twenty, for the matter
of that. - Behold your pupil ! Of the es
tablishment, you see I am the governor.
You have already given me your promise
to be governess. Do you wish to with
draw it ?" and ho came towards her.
Noddy was utterly disconcerted for the
moment, but she got out of his way.
"Mr. Frank," sho said," "I answered
your question, bow answer miue. Do
you know what you are ?"
" No," said Mr. Frank.
" You are a most dreadful horrid story
that's what's you are you. You said you
had loBt all your money." Noddy was
Marly crying.
"No. I said, ' all I had in India,'
wiiicb. was quite true, and six thousand
pounds. I did not tell you I had brought
four times that sum home with me."
" You told me you were going to seek
employment." Mr. Frank was dodging
her about the room.
" I did, you told me to go and dig,
I came down here aud .took this little
farm, and 1 have gone and dug, or dig
ged, whichever you prefer."
" But you don't want a governess, af
ter all ; and that was a wicked cheat."
" But I do, Noddy. I want to be made
such a man as you can love, and you have
given your word, you will not refuse.
You won't take it back again ? you will
forgive me the artifice ? For I love you
as I can love no other woman."
Mr. Frank caught- her up. " It is a
very bad story," she said. But Mr.
Frank gathered her to him in his arms,
aud Noddy did not refuse. He folded
her to him against his breast, and Noddy
did not refuse, lie hushed her sobs as
she lay nestled against him like a bird
that has found shelter. " I love you
with all my heart," she murmured, " and
I'm so happy !" (in proof of which she
was wiping tears from her eyes); "but
you don't think I loved you for your
money ?"
" I'm sure you didn'tlittle goose," said
Frank, soothing her with kisses.
" 1 had rather you hadn't auy at all,
and that we had to work together."
" Nonsense, Noddy ; you have forgot
ten you are a little woman or property
yourself. Just conic out with me and
take the first instalment of a quarter's
interest for your twenty pounds." lie
led her through the house, and out into
the dairy, to have a draught of warm new
milk., it was from Noddy's investment,
the finest milch cow on the farm.
Somehow the comfortable old house
keeper didn't seem altogether surprised
at Mr. Frank walking about the shrub
bery with a new governess on his arm ;
I think she must have been iu the se
cret. . ' ,
Noddy did not return to her step
mother. In three days she was Mr.
Frank's wife, aud as there were no cards
this is how Mr. Geogagan informed Mrs.
Muciller of Noddy's marriage:
"Madam I beg to inform yoa that Miss Cray lias
accepted this-sitaation.
FRANK GEOGAGAN.
"I'inewooil, Lyndhvrat."
Au Electrified Indian.
A PAPER published at Virginia City,
Nevada, is responsible for the fol
lowing :
Our Piuto Indians are of an inquiring
turn of mind, and always flock around
any kind of street show, where they will
stand for hours, stretching their necks
over the shoulders of the white specta
tors, drinking through open eyes aud
mouth the wonder before them. One
Suuday afternoon, recently, quite a crowd
of white men and the usual sprinkling ot
Piutes were gathered about an electrical
machine which was iu full blast near the
corner of 0 and Uuion streets. Several
whites had bought two bits worth of the
artificial lightning, when a " big lujuu"
w hoso raiment cousisted principally of a
big turkey feather and a lew daubs of red
pamt, marched up iu a drove by himself,
like Baxter's hog, and became a custom
er to the peddler of home made lightuing.
He seized upon the handles of the queer
looking machine, and the man at the
wheel began to grind. So deep was the
sileuee which reigned in the expectant
crowd that you might havo heard the
blowing of a nose. Presently the paint
ed warrior began to exhibit signs of unea
siness. He evidently felt thrills aud
things twitches for iustauco. His grim
countenance became grimmer, then grim
mest. There was a fearful working iu
his facial muscles; his eyes begau to
groggle; the paint ou his cheek bones i
cracked aud fell off in flakes, lie tried
to drop tho handles of the machine, but
they stuck fast to his fingers. " Hi-you 1"
cried he, " no good ee I Stall you nana !
You stop ee wagon whoa haw 1" Here
upon he began a wild sort of war dance
his fingers still upon the keys of the ma
chine, as though playing an accompani
ment on the piano. " Hi you, go slow 1
Do 'im small me plenty two bit!" The
"wagon" being stopped the " noble red
man" made a break through the crowd at
a rapid rate. Upon gaining a safe dis
tance he turned and drawing himself to
his full height, with great dignity, re
marked as follows : " Shoo fly !"
To a Horticulturist who advertis
ed all kinds of seeds and plants a wag
sent an order for one package of custard
pie seed and a dozen of mince-pie plants.
The horticulturist returned twelve hen's
eggs and a small dog.
TWO LUCKY DAYS.
ITOR many years, there was an old
fashioned bookseller's shop in Little
Marlborough Btreet, London, kept by
William Ruw, who has been long since
gathered to his fathers. His son used to
tell how he owed his luck to ono rainy
day., and his life or his leg to another,
thus :
When my father first set up in busi
ness, ho took a little shop iu Oxford street.
It rained down suddenly one morning,
and a lady ran in and said to him :
" May I ask for shelter until the rain
is over?"
" You are quite welcome, ma'am. Sit
down iu this chair, out of the draught.
Here is a book ; you can look at tho pic
tures, if you don't want to read."
The lady smiled, aud sat for some time.
She appeared uneasy at the protracted
raid, and frequently went to the door to
look for signs of its abating. My father
seeing this, said to her :
Perhaps you would like me to scud
for a hackney coach ?"
"Why, no," said the lady; "I only
want to go as far as llayward's (about
fifty yards lower down,) to buy some
lace."
My father fetched his umbrella.
" Here, ma'am, is a bran-new silk um
brella, at your service ; pray accept the
loan of it."
" You must be a very kind person, in
deed," said the lady, " to offer me your
umbrella. . 1 am quite a stranger to you."
" I'm sure you'll send it back. Let me
putitupfor you. But, your shoes
have they double soles ? No. Black
satin slippers, as thin as dancing-pumps !
Here, Jessy, my dear, bring your pat
tens." Pattens in those days were rather for
midable affairs. Clogs and goloshes were
not invented. Pattens were pieces of
wood, shaped and hollowed to fit the foot,
mounted on circular iron rings,
When my mother brought the pattens,
the lady looked at them in dismay.
11 1 never wore a pair of pattens in my
life," said she.
" Never wore pattens ?" said my father.
" Then, pray, get a pair directly; they
will keep your -feet dry, and save you
more than their price in shoo leather."
The lady put on the pattens, and burst
out laughing.
" Pray excuse me ; they are so absurd ;
but I think I can manage to balance my
self ; so. thank you for your great civility,
and I will bo sure to send you back your
property as soon as 1 get home."
Week after week, until six weeks were
told, slipped away and no tidings came of
the lady. My father was nicely joked by
the neighbors about his new silk umbrel
la and my mother's pattens; but he al
ways told them that ho was suro the
things would como back some day or
other.
Ono morning, a fine carriage, with a
couple of tall footmen behind, carrying
gold-headed canes, stopped at our door.
A lady got out; the identical lady to
whom my father had lent his umbrella.
" You must forgive me," said she, " for
keeping your umbrella so long; but I
was obliged to go to Spain to my hus
band, who is with Wellington, and I re
turned only last night. Here is your
umbrella not the worse for wear, I hope
and accept my thanks for the loan of
it. Pray let mo speak a word to your
good lady."
My mother came into the shop, and the
lady, calling ono of the footmeu, asked
him for the parcel on the seat in tho car
riage. When it was brought and opened,
it contained my mother's pattens, and a
beautiful Spanish merino shawl, which
tho lady insisted on her accepting.
" And hero," she said, taking out a
long strip of paper and giving it to my
father.: " I've put down a few things I
want; Lord Groogroo has given mo this
other list. Please send them to the ad
dresses on these cards. Good morning;
I shall not forget you."
And this lady proved no less a person
age than the Marchioness Crickcrack !
I afterwards learned that Lady Crick
crack, when her purchases were comple
ted, walking over to her house in Dean
Btreet Dean street was then full of no
blemen's mansions and there, meeting
with a party of distinguished peopta,
told them the story of tho umbrella and
the pattens. The pattens were ordered
into the drawing-room, and great merri
ment was occasioned by the ladies present
trying their skill in walking in them.
Lady Crickcrack and Lord Groogroo
not only contiuued their custom, but sent
up their friends. Lord Groogroo took
very much to my father. He was the
pro udest man in Europe ; wouldn't touch
the haudle of tho door with his glove j al
ways touched it with the tail of his coat.
But he was a true gentloman, every inch,
lie used to say to my father, " Row, you
must have a holiday. Go down to my
place stay a'week or a month, and tell
the butler and housekeeper to make you
comfortable."
My father, if ho pleased, might have
been one of the magistrates at Marlbor
ough street Police Court. Lord Groo
groo sent for him one morning, and when
he came into the room, said :
" How, you've be n smoking."
" I assure your lordship, I have not."
" Then you've been in a room where
other people were smoking. Go homo
and change your coat, and come to me
directly."
My father went home and put on an
other coat, and when ho came back his
lordship said :
" How, you nre to bo the new magis
trate at Marlborough street Police Court.
I have spoken to Sidmouth, and he has
promised to accept my nomination."
" But. my lord, I don't think I am - fit
for the posttion."
" I say you are. We want such men
as you are on the bench. It's worth your
acceptance. Six hundred a year and a
house to live in."
" 1 have heard, my lord, that Lord
Henry Petty has applied on behalf of
Mr. Conant, the bookseller."
" 1 know it. Petty's a twopenny Whig,
and has no chance. I've arranged the
matter with Sidmouth ; so think it over
and let me have your answer in a week."
My father went home and talked over
the offer with my mother ; but he loved
his old bookhop, and as he had his hands
full of publishing business, he decided on
not accepting it; he wrote a letter of
thanks, declining to take the place.
lie always used to say that two rainy
days were the luckiest days of his life.
The first brought him prosperity iu busi
ness ; the second perhaps saved his life
certainly saved his leg.
There was a parish feast nt the Marl
borough Head tavern, at which one of
the vestry had to put a dozen of wine on
the table. My father was there, and had
taken more than ho could comfortably
carry; so when he got homo and looked
for the keyhole, latch key in hand, he
could not find it. Not wishing to dis
turb my mother, he thought ho could get
in at the first floor window. So he climb
ed up the spout outside the house until
he got to the lead coping, but, there miss
iug his footing, he fell heavily into the
street. The watchman picked him up,
and at first thought he was killed ; he got
the street door open and took him into
his bedroom. In a short time he came to
his seuses, but could not niovo one of his
legs. Mr. Swift, a celebrated surgeon,
was sent for; he came, and, on examin
ing the damaged leg, said it was broken!
He could do nothing to it then, but at
four o'clock in the afternoon he would
bring his instruments and cut it off. My
mother was iu a dreadful way at hearing
this, and so was my father. In the morn
ing when the shop was opened and the
apprentices were told of what had hap
pened, there was a good . deal of crying,
for they all loved the old gentleman. Just
about midday it besran to rain. A gen
tleman wearing a cloak came in, and said
he was on his way to the levee, and as ho
could not afford to spoil his court-dress
might he stop a few minutes until' the
rain was over ? " But," says he, " what
arc ye all crying for ?"
One of the shopmen tells him that my
father broke his leg that morning, and that
at four o'clock Mr. Swift was coming to
cut it off.
" That's sharp work," said tho gentle
man. " I have ten minutes to spare. I
am a surgeon. Go up stairs' and say I
would like to look at the limb."
My father made no objection, and the
gentleman weut up stairs, and after ex
amining the leg, he said : " This leg is
not broken, llun and get in a half-dozen
men, and bring uie a couple of thin
boards."
They called in some of the neighbors,
and after the gentleman had cut the board
into lengths he got tho joint right again,
.which had been twisted out of its place,
and having bound it up in tho splints,
went to the levee, promising to call on his
return.
Mr. Swift looked in, about an hour be
fore four o'clock, and told us to get up
the kitchen table and make things ready,
whilo ho weut for his amputating instru
ments. One of the apprentices told him that a
gentleman had been there, and what he
had said and done.
" Tell him from me he's a quack," said
Mr. Swift. " I say the leg must come
off!"
Mr. Svtift went away, and almost im
mediately afterward the gentleman cam
in.
" Well, how gets on my patient ?" he
said.
" 0, Mr. Swift has been hero and says
you are a quack."
" A quack, is it? Surgeon O'Brien of
tho Six Hundred and Forty-fourth a
quack!. I'll wait for the gentleman and
ask him to explain his small mistake."
" Mr. O'Brien went into the bedroom,
and waited for Mr. Swift, who came at
the appointed time.
" If you don't have the leg off directly
sir," said Mr. Swift, "you had better
make your will."
" You think so, do you ?" says the oth
er, coming forward ; " hadn't you better
be thinking about making your own will
first ? You called me a quack ! Sur
geon O'Brien of his Majesty's Six Hun
dred and Forty-fourth, who was in Bun
ker Hill and a hall-dozen other battles in
America! But you are an old man and
that saves your bones. Get out of the
house by the door, if you don't want to be:
thrown out of the window. And mart
my words! I'll have this niau down in
his shop in a fortnight, a better man than
he ever was in his life !"
Mr. O'Brien kept his word; ho cured
my father, and for thirty years they were
the warmest friends.
How Fulton Won His Bride.
A CORRESPONDENT of the Ge
neva Courier relates the following
story of the " Kate Morgan," the little
steamer, which for more than a genera
tion has plied on Cayuga Lake, her own
ers obeying the behest of the first pro
prietor, to " run her till she busts." Be
fore the Chancellor Livingstone stemmed
the current of the Hudson, yet after the
little Clermont had stirred tho quieter
waters of the Collect Pond, the whistle of
the " Kate Morgan" awoke the echoes in
Taughanic Glen, and her paddle-wheel
dashed the spray upon Cayuga bridge.
There is a bit of romance attaching to her
name and building. Old General Mor
gan, of Revolutionary fame, had a fine
estate on the eastern bank of tho lake,
not far from where the present Wells
College now stands. Between his only
daughter, a lovely girl of eighteen, and
young Fulton had long existed a strong
attachment, which, however, tho poverty
and obscurity of Robert led the General
to severely frown upon. Fulton went to
New York. He labored long years in
perfecting his invention ; his day of tri
umph came, aud then ho wrote to the
stern father, relating his success and ask
ing for the daughter's hand.
' " Nay," wrote back the incredulous old
soldier, "I'll believe what I see with my
own eyes. Come you back, scapegrace,
to the lake; build and sail a steamboat
past my own door, aud then, and uot till
then, shall you have my daughter Kate."
Need I say that Fulton came joyfully
back; that, a steamer was built as rapidly
as circumstances would permit, that she
was launched and in due time did sail
triumphantly past the General's door !
But let mo add that according to an ex
press stipulation mado by the sly Robert
iu case he succeeded when the " Kate
Morgan" sheered in toward the General's
dock a small boat was seen pushing out
containing the original Kate, her grim
father and a gentleman in clerical vest
ments. They were soon on board, and
there, amid the waving of flags, the ring
ing of bells and blowing of whistles', tho
proud inventor and his prouder bride
were'made one. A glorious sweep up
and down the lake completed the first
bridal trip by steam ever known in this
country.
Predestination.
A Missouri paper coutaius the follow
ing, which is appropriate to the late great
race on the big river :
" Do you believe in predestination ?"
said the captain of a Mississippi steam
boat to a Calvinistic clergyman, who hap
pened to be traveling with him.
" Of course I do."
" And you also believe that what is to
be will be ?"
" Certainly."
" Well I'm glad to hear it."
"Why?"
" Because I intend to pass a boat ahead
in fifteen minutes, if there be any virtue
in pine knots and loaded safety-valves.
So don't be alarmed, for if the bilers are
not to bust they won't.
Hero the divine commenced putting on
his hat, and began to look like backing
out, which the captain seeing, said :
" I thought you believed in predestina
tion, and that what is to be will be ?"
" So I do, but I prefer being a littlo
nearer the stern when it takes place."