Three generations

oo A YOUNG COUPLE
lawyer's profession. Among their distinctions, one,
on which they set store, was the circumstance that
the old lady had another son settled in London in
the enjoyment of a Government office, and he had
possessed sufficient influence to get his mother
appointed to one of the sinecures long since abolished.
It had to do with the office of one of the " henwives "
of Queen Charlotte. It goes without saying that
Mrs. Stark had as little acquaintance with Queen
Charlotte's hens as with Queen Charlotte herself.
Mrs. Stark only knew, and liked the world to know,
that she was the servant of the good old Queen whom
all her worthy subjects held in the highest honour.
She was proud to serve her Sovereign in any capacity,
even without the modest income which rewarded the
service. Humble as the title of " henwife " sounded, it
could not be considered beneath the matron's station,
seeing that the daughters and sisters of marquises and
earls — in one instance a near relative of the great
Mr. Pitt — did not object to figure in palace records
as palace housekeepers.
With composure and deliberation the old lady went
on to do her duty of skimming the milk, perfectly
unconscious of the eyes watching the process from
a back window of the Sun Tavern.
" Stark, what would you wager," cried the wag of the
party — one of the three Merry Andrews — " that your
mother does not lick the spoon when she has finished ?"
"She will do nothing of the kind," protested her
son indignantly ; " the manners of a milkmaid are not
my mother's manners. Though she may choose for
pleasure to play a milkmaid's part in order to have
pure cream for her tea, I would have }^ou understand,
Welsh, my mother is a lady."