52 The Tetcott Hunt LUeek. 



rather grand tea-party at the Vicarage, one of the 

 boys was found to be so ragged that he was told to 

 keep out of sight. But so perverse was he, and so 

 anxious to see and be seen, that he got on the 

 window sill, and walked up and down there during 

 the entertainment, displaying to the company his 

 tattered garments, which were only fit for a 

 scarecrow. 



On this particular Sunday none of the vicar's 

 family were in Church. He alone was present, and 

 looking very woe-begone. After service my father 

 asked him if anything was amiss at home. *' O, sir," 

 he replied, " such a calamity, such a dreadful mis- 

 fortune has befallen us ! Mrs. B^ , as her custom 



is, put the children's and her own clean things into 

 the oven overnight, that they might be thoroughly 

 dry for Sunday morning, and when she went to take 

 them out, she found them all burnt, sir, burnt to a 

 cinder. Fortunately, my shirt was not with the 

 children's things, but airing on a chair by itself, and 

 was thus saved, otherwise I do not know what I 

 should have done. For all the things taken off on 

 Saturday night are immediately placed in water to 

 soak till Monday morning's washing, and we have 

 no extra garments to fall back upon in an emergency 

 of this kind." 



The careful, but unfortunate mother came one day 

 soon after this accident to call on my father about 



