THAMES TITLE TATTLE

Observer, Volume 2, Issue 27, 19 March 1881, Page 10

THAMES TITLE TAT TLE

— Durhi" the intervals at a late performance in the Academy of Music the following conversation took place between two ladies :-F.rst lady : Are you acquainted with Mrs. • ? Second lady : Yes that is to speak to her in the street; she is not a lady (. J ) and, of course, does not belong to onr set, First lady : How could she be a lady, seeing as 'ow her husband is only a common tradesman ? —In the same suhurlj of T there lived a certain lady, who owned a valuable flock of turkeys, one of which disappeared on a very dark night m the most mysterious manner. A strict search and enquiry resulted in tracing the missing gobler, not only to the abode, but into the very pot of a certain churchman, who combines preaching with Sunday-school teaching and all the other etceteras of church-going respectability . The lady charged the churchman with purloining the turkey, and threatened immediate proceedings. Ino churchman pleaded guilty and went on his knees to solicit pardon and forgiveness, which were granted on condition that he sinned no more. —Some time ago a certain lady— say Mrs. 13. —entered into possession of a neat cottage, situate m the aristocratic suburb of T . The new comer s menage was all that could be desired, and the lady herself who was of an uncertain age, but good-looking withal, informed the local gossips that she was a widow, whose husband had died a short time previous to the period of which I am am writing, leaving her amply provided for, and that she had come to reside in their midst for the benefit of her health. Next door to Sirs. B. lived a family— say theC's. Now, the C— s were in somewhat straitened circumstances, and, being indebted to the Borough authorities in a certain sum for rates, were ever on the watch for Borough officials. An evening or so subsequent to Mrs. Bs advent, one of C's children lushed into the house, crying out, " Papa ! Here comes the man for the rates." In order to be certain that such was really the case, C. took a peep out of his front window, which commanded a view of the entrance to Mrs. Bs residence, and sure enough, coming along the footpath at a brisk pace, he saw a certain Borough official, who, much to C's relief, entered the widow s dwelling, where he remained until the wee sma hours of t'ho ensuing morn. This was but the commencement of G's troubles, for our worthy official's visits to the widow B. were of constant occurrence ; and C's children might have been heard evening after evening crying out, "Papa ! Here comes the man for the rates again."