The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1828-08-06
From the History Of George Godfrey.
RETURNING FROM ABROAD

RETURNING FROM ABROAD.
1t appeared but right in the first place, TO
make my mother acquainted with nv safe arri-
val: Accordingly, | directed my steps to the
well known abode of my father in law. The
sound of music in the first floor greeted nv ear
as approached, and heard distinctly what I
thought, from the liveliness of the strain. must
be comic song.
At first, | suspected, that had made mis-
take in the house, next, that nv mother and
Mr.. Mason had removed, or let out their apart
ments to merry lodges, instead of to serious
people" which they formerly had affected to
prefer But | soon recollected myself, SO far as
to feel that it was foolish to indulge in any of
these cpnjectures | recollected that before
LET: England, the Rev. Hosea lexington HAVING
dlscoveIed that it was shame {" to let the devil
have all the good tunes," had already recover
ed from his satanic majesty" half the ioIliest
Irish melodies, and transferred them to hymns
and l thought 1t not improbable that by this
lime he might have done as much for & The
Little Farthing Rush Light q | was the bow
for bewitEhing en-" and 9 Wack row de dow s.
However, | entered, and found nv mother in
the midst of crowd of people. She had fine
turban on her head, and beautiful ringlets. that
would not have disgraced the countenance of
girl OF sixteen, gracefully arranged on her fore
head, and found that all this splendor was to
celebrate Miss Masons birth day., who having
completed her twentieth year, my mother had
invited the multitude which filled her house. as
" few friends to hear little music"
MY appearance was not exactly in accordance
with the rest OF the company; for, besides that
my face, bronzed by exposure to the weather.
was almost the color Of mahogany, wore a
black neekcloth and boots; and my clothes.
which were not of the best, were covered with
hIpb had
Portsmouth to the Capital.
My mother was delighted to see me but
intrusion of so unconth figure as was She
and her sisters, on that account were somewhat
distant, and did not struggle through the crowd
TO embrace me as mother did.
| was, perhaps, wrong thus to intrude; for as
one of the main objects of the affair was to show
off the girls, the scheme was certainly in dan
ger of being defeated by the entrance of so I'M
promising parsonage as must have been con-
sidered. However, Miss Mason recovered her
self as well as she could and having seated
herself at the Piano, she waited to be asked to
sing: and then, as nobody had benevolence
enough to prefer a request of that sort, she be-
gan a song unasked. My mother told me the
next day, she could not at all account for the
rudeness on the part of her company, in thus
! emitting to ask her to sing. | could. 1t SEEM
ed to me very easy to guess why she was not
solicited. The gentry there had heard her be-
! fore.
The young lady went on till she was tired,
which was not till after every body else was !;
and some who had not thought it worth while
to listen while the performance continued, ap-
| plauded very fervently when it concluded.
was pleased with the end of it,
One gentleman who had great musical taste,
cried up Miss Mason as miracle of vocal ex-
cellence. laughed, for the poor ghns inefii-
cient pipe was quite incapable of any thing like
an approach to harmony.
! The gentleman who praised the song SO ex-
cessively, observed the expression of my coun-
tcnance, and whispered in my ear, the next mo-
ment, that he saw | agreed with him, and would
as soon hear pig squeak as Miss Mason sing
He did not know then, that was relation
His remark Thought excessively coarse /; but
he was not altogether wrong in his estimate OF
my critical judgment, though the singer was
my sister
] | soon betook myself to neighboring tavern
and saw no more of my mother till the follow
ing day.
The scene and she were then wonderfully
changed, and | found my mother in black, with
widows cap on her head and leaned, for
the first time, that Mr.. Mason had been dead
more than seven months. This surprised me
4
mother as had done, in the midst of such gal
ETY. as had witnessed the preceding night.
To which she replied, that it was necessary
to do something to get girls eft; {" for" she said
" going to chapel don't know what's come
to the men-won't do now, as it did formerly
and so, to be thought something of, ones oblig-
ed to give evening parties
But the expense said, "must be consid'
: cradle"
"Why no." said my mother g if the thing
is done carefully, a great show for people in
middling circumstances is made at very little
cost"
How can that be Z"
why, first of all, you ask five times as
many people as your house will accommodate.
= That must disappoint some, and make al
, uncomfortable"
J "Of course so three fourths of the people
only show themselves and then go away. Yor
have the credit of inviting score or two o.
persons to fine entertainment, without the in
convenience of giving them any thing"
} 1t struck me that there was good deal IN
that and now began to understand why sucf
numerous invitations were sometimes given, il
7 fashionable life, However, remarked that t.
, provide for the rest must cost something"
"Not so much as you may think, said my
mother; many get their tea before they come
and the rest, if you take care to have it NIGEL,
t cold, as if it had just been bucketed out OF |
d pond, won't drink much. AS the evening ad
{ vances, three pints of Cape Madeira, put int
s as many pailstul of warm water, with sugar
r lemons and nutmeg, will furnish plentiful
n eunplv cT pyccllnnt ye0ucn