large/7245/short_story_053_1212_librivox_64kb_mp3/shortstory053_04_titbottomsspectacles_lja_64kb_49
large/7245/short_story_053_1212_librivox_64kb_mp3/shortstory053_04_titbottomsspectacles_lja_64kb
English
7245
"During the long, warm mornings of nearly half a century, my grandfather Titbottom had sat in his dressing gown, and gazed at the sea. But one calm June day, as he slowly paced the piazza after breakfast, his dreamy glance was arrested by a little vessel, evidently nearing the shore. DURING THE LONG WARM MORNINGS OF NEARLY HALF A CENTURY MY GRANDFATHER TIT BOTTOM HAD SAT IN HIS DRESSING GOWN AND GAZED AT THE SEA BUT ONE CALM JUNE DAY AS HE SLOWLY PACED THE PIAZZA AFTER BREAKFAST HIS DREAMY GLANCE WAS ARRESTED BY A LITTLE VESSEL EVIDENTLY NEARING THE SHORE
cast indignant glances at the brilliant costume of my grandfather, who summoned him, and asked courteously: "'Did you invite me, or my coat?' "'You, in a proper coat,' replied the manager. "The governor smiled approvingly, and looked at my grandfather. "'My friend,' said he to the manager, 'I beg your pardon, I forgot.' "The next day, my grandfather was seen promenading in full ball dress along the streets of the little town. "'They ought to know,' said he, 'that I have a proper coat, and that not contempt, nor poverty, but forgetfulness, sent me to a ball in my dressing-gown.' "He did not much frequent social festivals after this failure, but he always told the story with satisfaction and a quiet smile. "To a stranger, life upon those little islands is uniform even to weariness. But the old native dons, like my grandfather, ripen in the prolonged sunshine, like the turtle upon the Bahama banks, nor know of existence more desirable. Life in the tropics, I take to be a placid torpidity. ERE CONVERSING TOGETHER ONE OF THE DISTRESSED MANAGERS CAST INDIGNANT GLANCES AT THE BRILLIANT COSTUME OF MY GRANDFATHER WHO SUMMONED HIM AND ASKED COURTEOUSLY DID YOU INVITE ME OR MY COAT YOU IN A PROPER COAT REPLIED THE MANAGER THE GOVERNOR SMILED APPROVINGLY AND LOOKED AT MY GRANDFATHER MY FRIEND SAID HE TO THE MANAGER I BEG YOUR PARDON I FORGOT THE NEXT DAY MY GRANDFATHER WAS SEEN PROMENADING IN FULL BALL DRESS ALONG THE STREETS OF THE LITTLE TOWN THEY OUGHT TO KNOW SAID HE THAT I HAVE A PROPER COAT AND THAT NOT CONTEMPT NOR POVERTY BUT FORGETFULNESS SENT ME TO A BALL IN MY DRESSING GOWN HE DID NOT MUCH FREQUENT SOCIAL FESTIVALS AFTER THIS FAILURE BUT HE ALWAYS TOLD THE STORY WITH SATISFACTION AND A QUIET SMILE TO A STRANGER LIFE UPON THOSE LITTLE ISLANDS IS UNIFORM EVEN TO WEARINESS BUT THE OLD NATIVE DAWNS LIKE MY GRANDFATHER RIPEN IN THE PROLONGED SUNSHINE LIKE THE TURTLE UPON THE BAHAMA BANKS NOR NO OF EXISTENCE MORE DESIRABLE LIFE IN THE TROPICS I TAKE TO BE A PLACID TORPIDITY
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