Lippincott's Magazine Of Popular Literature And Science, Old Series, Vol. 36—New Series, Vol. 10, July 1885 — John Shaqi
Lippincott's Magazine Of Popular Literature And Science, Old Series, Vol. 36—New Series, Vol. 10, July 1885Various
Science
Lippincott's Magazine Of Popular Literature And Science, Old Series, Vol. 36—New Series, Vol. 10, July 1885
Various
Literature, Modern -- 19th century -- Periodicals; Science -- Periodicals
"Oh, for shame, ma, to give yourself away like that! Fashionable men wear
those costumes altogether now," said Mr. Ketchum, coming up. "You see,
Daisy, that if I shocked him beyond expression yesterday morning, as you
said I should, he has horrified me to death to-day: so I guess we are
quits. Come along: let's go down to see the trapeze-performance."
Down they went, and, meeting Mr. Ramsay, who was coming up, Job stopped a
moment to tell him to take out any of the horses that he fancied. "Take
the piebalds," said he, "if you'd like to have a drive, and take some nice
girl--Miss Ethel or Bijou Brown--for a two-forty shine."
"Thanks awfully," said Mr. Ramsay. "But I think I had better--that is, I
had rather ask Heathcote."
"You are horribly welcome, but I don't think much of your taste," replied
Mr. Ketchum, not understanding what a proposition he had made.
In the lower hall they found the eminent divine, irreproachably clerical
and dignified, and Captain Kendall, just arrived. Sir Robert, hearing
voices, came out, brush in hand, to welcome them, producing quite as great
an impression on them as on Mrs. Ketchum. "I belong to the working-classes
now. Just you come here and see how the fine arts are prospering in the
State of Michigan," said he, and led them into the boudoir, where he
nimbly ran up a step-ladder, laid himself out on the scaffolding, and,
with a bold, free touch, went on sketching a procession of Cupids which
was to go around the base of the small dome, talking all the while with
the utmost animation to the guests below. "As soon as I get in this fellow
riding a dolphin, I shall be entirely at your service," said he. "No
considerations of respect and attachment to the Church or fear of the Army
can influence me just now."
The two gentlemen begged that he would go on; the ladies came in, and
together they passed an agreeable morning, Sir Robert declaring that on
the scaffold he was entitled to benefit of clergy, and begging the eminent
divine when he left to let him have his ghostly counsel every day for at
least a week. In spite of his eminence, this gentleman had no very great
breadth of view. To sit about on boxes and window-seats, picnicking in an
empty room, while the stranger upon whom he had come to call lay above him
in red pajamas, painting Cupids on the ceiling, was to his mind
monstrously indecorous. It was amusing to see the dignified way in which
he took the pleasantries of the party; and he made no response to Sir
Robert's farewell overture except a bow. "Your guest is a very
entertaining man," he said to Mr. Ketchum, who accompanied him to the
hat-rack, "but is he quite--quite--you understand?"
"Perfectly so," said Job, with a laugh. "Head and heart both of the best,
as you will find out when you know him better. You are coming back to
dinner, ain't you, to help us out with the fatted calf?"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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