Life — February 4, 1904 — page 12: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

130 SOCIOLOGY AND THE BUTLER. M ISS FLORENCE stood in her pretty AYE slimness by the drawing-room table, and fingered its knick-knacks excitedly. “T felt from the beginning that he wasn’t like an ordinary butler,” said she. “When I came into the library this morning, Aunt Letitia, he was the looking at your little casts of Canc wriment, were. He Boxers, and, just as an I explained what th looked at critically, and then he said that the one on the right didn’t hold his hand the proper way for box- ing. That was when the idea first But you know them so coolly and occurred to me, they say it’s quite the fad for college students who care for sociology. They say it's the only way to be thorough.”” Mrs. Dud Wilde, seated in stout majesty by the window, gasped in dis- may over an idea so unconventional. “To ta a pl as butler !"* said she; “and he had a reference from the Bintons."’ “You know," the niece went on, her cheeks flushing with a pleasant sense of a know the Phillips had He wrote up his whole ature, one asa experience afterwards in a magazine article. Of course, he didn’t ‘ou could tell by the description of that snmmer place of theirs. And he sid that they treated their maids like white slaves, and that none of the servants had enough to eat; and he told how he left be Mr. Phillip swore at him the standard roses. You know mention names, but ASE how prond Mr. p is of his roses." vants are not well treated,” h a certain stately lifting of one can s said Mrs, Dudley her donbh “Tt would never do to let him know that we suspected, uietly— it already, my dear, I felt that there was It seemed tome that he was inexperienced, and I wondered, after Mrs. Binton’s recommendation— Do you suppose, Florence, that she knows his plan And the eyes of Mrs. Dudley-Wilde grew round with alarm, chin, ‘ou just notic “It may be a false reference,” suggested Miss Flor- ence, alertly. “I suppose he would think that quite justifiable.” Her aunt pondered silently. “No, my dear,” she said at length, impressively, “ I see it all now. It is not a false reference ; it’s a scheme of Mrs. Binton’s. That woman,” said Mrs. Dudley-Wilde, nodding her head with a solemn. contempt that did not quite conceal her nervous trepidation, “that woman has been jealous—jealous of me—because I was made president *LIPE « of the Amalgamated Charities. I've never mentioned to yon that she said I was too ponderous as a presiding officer. Of course, I've never noticed her remarks."” O, Aunt Lietiti breathed Miss Florence. “And now, ence, I understand this matter. She hopes this — this young man will write some dreadful article in one of those socialist magazines about the way I manage my house, She may have told him what to say beforehand, and he will print all sorts of calumnies — Mrs. Dudley-Wilde restrained a sob over the picture which -fore her, Miss Florence was certain that the honse was managed beautifully, and that a student of s y who would take a place as butler was far too e seeker after truth to be guilty of writing calumuies, But her aunt was not to be I vassured. There were ways of twisting the truth, Was not M -Wilde most shamefully misquoted once in an interview on the Chinese question ? “ And do you remember, Florence, what your uncle said last t table about alms-giving? He only meant that w uldn’t give thot but I know—I know that we shall have the Bintons reading that he wants to let the masses starve. Mrs. Dudley-Wilde sank back in her chair augustly helpless before the problem which confronted her. Miss Florence embraced her aunt in wordless sympathy, and observed with a thrill the new butler passing down the hall, with a long, easy stride. To have the household written up might be dreadful, but the situation was not without interest. She regretted somewhat that she was going out to luncheon, and she came back in the late after noon with a feeling of anticipation, which the sight of her aunt's correct and imposing mansion had never brought to her before. There were to be guests for dinner that evening, and her aunt was in the dining-room. Prom across the hall her voice could be heard, in aw nervons note that rarely dis- turbed its conscious suavity, as she gave directions to the butler. We have some friends dining with us to-night, Mild- nd Lwish the table to look very pretty. Eliza will show you about the right dishes and the silver. It is not just display, you understand ; it is the wish to place the best we have before our friends."’ (Evidently the n zine criti- cisms were present to the lady's mental vision.) And don’t you think, Mildway, that you aight set down the plates a little more gently? Tam sure it was quite inad- vertent, but you spilled the soup in passing it last night. And now, about the wine—"" Mrs. Dudley-Wilde j on nervous prostration. “LT think he was shocked that we should serve threo I hope he won't write anything s. So many of these reforming people say thir But all the socialists drink beer, aud that seems to me quite as bad.” The lady sat down witha “It’s very wearing having such an unusual servant. He's broken one of the tumblers from my beautifal new set, and I had to be as polite about it as 1 her niece in a state bordering kinds of wine, Florence awfal about orgie: comicbooks.com