Star.
London, England, 1826-01-18 00:00:00

MORNING CALLS.

IritnM THE LITERA nY MAGNET.

'4 Morning cal's, the hatred aitd ahnoyance of all per,
• sons a ho know the value of time, fat n.ed at S— the
staple business of life. After this, it is q•iite unnecessary
to say, hat S— was a small conutry town, abounding
with rentt el idle people, who, having limited incomes,
and tea• occupations, and much leisure and little mind,
mainly occupied themselves in hearing and retailing
news.
.13y many people, S— was considered e
a'ati ming residence, in the country sepse of the term, it
contained so much 'good society,' and this good society
was so' very sociable ;',in other words, everybody drank
tea with everybody, and everybody knew everybody's
business. As far as news was concerned, they had all
things in common : scandal was certainly communica-
ted torn mouth to mouth under the charges of secrecy,
but that, as all the world knows, is equivalent to pro-
claiming it by sound of trumpet, so that such a thing as
a secret was perfectly unknown in S--. Surprise was
reit to imposaible, for all events, no matter of what
kind, public or private, petty or important, were known
beforehand. Sudden death was the only circumstance
ever known to baffle these omniscient p.eoele. It was
cent_ a straight-forward prisceeding to ieport births ind
marriages before their occurrence; but sudden death
was an awkwlrd. subject to meddle with—it was not
to be foreseen, even by those who foresaw all things.
The town of S— was like a bee-hive, always in a buzz
of hints, aoaderments, suspicions, doub's, hopes, fears,
and'cOnjecturest its a vast whispering-gallery—one
large ear; but this slast.figure rather fails in similarity,
as the sellsaine whisper often found a hundred different
echoes. The surmise-at one end 'of the town, that a
Lady and Gentleman were attached, grew to a sus-
picion in the middle that they were engaged; from
which started a full-grown report at the other end,
that the wedding clothes were in band. Disasters went
through the same exaggerating process, a piece of news
passed through as many changes as a chi yailis ; a simple
fact in the hands of these philosophic newsrnongers,
became the germ of a hundred. Life at S— was a
round robin monotony, of putting on the same dresses,
seeing the same people, taking the same walks, playing
at cards with the same partners, dancing to the same
tunes, and coming away at the tame hour, over and
over again, from the beginning of one year to the end ol
another. Hence ague craving for excitement in the
only attainable shape, that of news ; out of which otigi-
nated a talent for gossip, and a pais:on for Morning
Call,. "These was no newspaper printed at S-- there
needed none, nor any voice of print. An unfortunate
genius did venture to set up a Gerraral Advertiser; but
at the end of three months he abandoned Minion and
Beerier, in desperation ; he could procure no news; it
was all picked' up and disseminated through the inde-
fatigable agency of Morning Callers ; every scrap of
• local intelligence' was old by the day of publication.
What was fat worse, the advertising department was- a
sinecure, for Govenusses, Mistresses, Schools, Servants,
and Apprentices, all preferred these tvaiking Advertise-
ments, which Were found to answer far setter, and
were besides duty free.
"At the head of these systematic time-destroyers stood
Mrs. Sharpley and her three daughters, Julia, Caroline,
and Anne; she was a widow, considered herself absolved
from the apostolic injunction to be a 4 keeper at home,'
and they, as young ladies, considered themselves ab-
solved likewise, on the plea that as yet they bad no
home (of their own) to keep ; life was to this family a
series of visits and visitations, of opening and shutting
doors, of how-do-ye does and goad byes; they lived in
their bonnets, and their walking shoes, like the feet of
N Bali s dove, found no rest for their soles. The old
Lady was a portly, comfortable, coarse-minded, worldly,
but in the main, kind-hearted woman; immensely po-
putat ; fur she had a fluent speech, and during her
round cf Morning Calls, dropped a smile, or a tear, or
e mpliment, or hope, or consolation, at every step of her
progress. The young Ladies were chatty, pretty-look-
ing, please e-loving, less-thinking dam-
sels, unrivalled in what are called the elegant arts of
female industry ; the manufacture of riddles and co-
nundrums in blue ink ; new-fashioned watch-pockets,
per-wipers, fly-cages, tire-grate papers, egg ba,kets,
card-purses, bead-bracelets, and tattling. They were
',lndent, sensible, young women-atheir mother, on a
reduied scale—lovers of shopping for its own sake;
geniuses at Pope Joan and Commerce, and ever on the
look out foe new patterns, whereby to regenerate old
garment-. Nothing could equal the sensation occa-
stoned by the appearance of a wane!. in
"The visiting part of the community were not exactly
in arms on the occasion, but as soon as possible they
were one and all on foot; and, in a series of Morning
Calls, the affaiis, dress, character, fortune, and *future
destiny of the unfortunate he or she were as confidently
reported upon :es* if an old inhabitant of the town.
" Two sir angers, two somewhat out of the com-
mon way, had just arrived on a visit, but three days
of rain bad prevented the possibility of their making
calls. The falurth morning, however, graciously
diwned in smiles, aird thus spoke Mrs. Sharpley at the
close of breakfast:—' Well,,really girls, this fine day
rejoices one's heart; so make hat and send the
things away, that.we may make the best of it. Let
me see, just nine o'clock now ; say we are ready to set
Of by eleven, and dint an hour later than usual ; how
Many calls can we get through? but first reach me
tHe-Alinanack, and let me see how many we owe?
Mcicy upon us, how these wet days have thrown us
behind hand.' The Almanack was reached from its
stand, - and the old Lady proceeded to tell over the
cards, with appropriate notes and comment.. ' Mrs.
Lorraine Finch ;—certainly, it is our duty to call upon
Ler strangers in the first place; I wish one could have
girt a little of Sir John's. history befOre one went; I
wonder whether be likes dancing. Julia; be sure and'
riactic* over your quadrillbi to-night; and now 1 think
of it, pray Anne, 'sty dear; did I ever. give Mrs. Finch
the receipt tOr Scratch Marmalade; which her poor
old aunt asked me for ?' No, indeed,' re-
plied' the young Lady addressed, for you said you
should not make it common to any such persOn.' Mrs.
Sharpley was seized with. acouglaing-fit towards the
close of her daughtet's reply, bat* recovering herself,
she thus proceeded—' Dear me, what a shameful piece
forgettilness! Ann, love, sit down and cony it oat
directly : take gilt-edge paper child, statics that bock
of an old letter, and get a new pen. I wonder whetber.
Mrs. Finch will have many patties whilst Sir John
ar.d his sister are with her ?' • Mrs. Finch knows more
of the world than any one in S--,' said Julia, • and
dresses better; and her rooms are more -%astefidlyornaa.
saented,' said Caroline ; and her suppers are,ninre ele-
gant,' observed Ana; ' and she has far tette'

flexions,' said the mother. Verdict—Mrs:Lorraine Finch
is more worthy of attention than her neighbours.
44 • Mother,' said Caroline, 4 we owe a visit to those
tiresome old frumps, the Oddleys ; always begging
one's patterns, and inviting one to tea in a friendly 4ay.
I hate friendly ways.' 4 blush, IMO, my dear,Ereplied
her molher,with a cautionary nod,l.a little civility is well
bestowed upon people who go. every whene,and who have
nothing to do but talk abo it their neiglibours,hesides; I
really like the Oddleys—poor souls—one of you find lase
week's paper for them, and Caroline, you might as well
give Miss Letty the pa tern of a morning eap: takeher
that I _desired you never to wear again. W.e11...wh0 else
have we to see; the Joneses, the Walkers, the Waleys—
what people those are, call, call, call, the instant one!
is out of their debt ; just as if one had nothing else to
do bat be at home to them. How long is it since we
were at a par ty there Indeed, Mother, .1 don't
know,' replied Julia,' but I am sure we always inv'te
them twice for once." Fie, fie, Julia,' rejoined the
mother, you should not mention such trifles ; how-
ever, I don't think we shall have time to call this morn-
Mrs. Morris, she is a spiteful creature ;'but I
must see her, for I want to _know where her dyer lives.
Mrs. Charles Merlon, boor woman, what a life she
leads with those nine children.' • Really, mother,' in-
terrupted Anne, 4 it ii of no use wasting time with
Mrs. Merton, one never meets her anywhere, and,
she knows nothing out of her own house, and she is
4 always busy!' So much the greater charity to li.ok inl
upon her now and then ; besides, I think her house- !
maid is under warning, and I should like to know a
little of her character in a quiet way before I see after
her. Well, really, I think we shall manage no more,
calls this miming, we must do the re't toonarrow.
must somehow peep in at Mrs. Taffety's, to see if
she has anything new in the turban way ; and if Mrs.
Finch is likely to have any gay doings. You- girls may
as well have your new frocks made now, as at Christ-
mas ; now, then, dress yourselves directly ; your black
velvet spencers, and best flounce.' petticoats; nothing
is so becoming as to see sisters all dressed alike. Julia,
love, keep your veil down at Mrs. Finch's. Anne.'
don't forget to offer to spew Miss Dashford all the,
pleasant walks about S.—. Really, I quite feel for
poor -Mrs. Finch, no young people of her own to amuse'
her strangers : we must relieve her as much as we can.'"
(To be conelsakil in our nirt.)