The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1853-03-03
CHAP. V
Chambre-ds- Toilette ct k Trousseou

!
CHAP V.
Chdmbre-ds- Toilette ct k Trousseau.
It's a proud chamber and rich,
| A chamber fair and cold
Filled with tho worlds most costly things,
| Of precious stones and gold
| OF laces. silks, and jewelry,
And all that's bought and sold
| Ho0in.
Resale what is it you are porting over
now! Good Heaven Moore's Sacred Melo-
dies Now, my love, that is not the food for
| you to be feeding your rich fancies upon
| Plague take the books! | could find it in my
heart to throw every one find into the fire
Come throw aside that blazee sentimentalst,
and come with me into Miss Sutherland s
room, aud try to interest yourself little in
healthful external life. Miss Sutherland's
boxes have just arrived from Paris, via New
Orleans; they have been carried up into her
dressing room and by this time, suppose, the
men have opened them, and carried off all the
rubbish of nails, and bands, and outside boxes,
and we have only to go and help to set the
beautiful things at full liberty"
| This was addressed by Mrs Vivian to her
step-daugbter, when, on entering the chamber
of the latter, she found the young invalid re-
Ginning upon u couch, and reading, as usual.
The fair child closed her book, and smiling
gently arose, and passed her arm through that
OF her step-mother And they lett the cham
Der, crossed the hall, opened an opposite door,
and entered the dressing room of Miss Suther-
land
| A scene of splendid chaos met their view
Most of the boxes had been unpacked and
taken away and their brilliant contents Uttered
chairs couches, ottomans, psyches, and even
the carpet And the favored mistress of all
this wealth sat in the midst of the Respondent
confusion, with an air of extreme languor and
indifference. At her feet sat her beautiful
handmaiden, Oriole, with q box of white satin
slippers by her side, and her MISTRESS small
foot in her lap fitting the fairy shoes By her
side stood her woman Media, holding box OF
white kid gloves, from which she continued to
hand out pair after pair to the young lady,
who would draw one half upon her fingers, and
then draw it off and let it fall, and drop her
hand upon her lap with look of extreme ia
tigue, as if the exertion had really been too
much for her, and say, languidly-
There, take them away they are all too
large, or too small, or something"-
Dear India, how can you say that" said
Mrs. Vivian, approaching, and taking up a
pair of gloves; "they are all exactly OF a size
and all number iours-your number-and are
really beautiful gloves"
But am so tlred--it is such bore Oriole
cease tormenting my feet, and take away those
odious slippers"
How can you call them odious-the beau
ties 2" said Mrs. Vivian, STOPPING down, and
taking up pair.
And Oriole herself echoed the question with
her eyes as she fondled her MISTRESS beautiful
foot, in its case of white satn soft and white,
and light as a snowflake.
"Oriole, did tell you to let my foot alone
Media, clear away all this chaos from around
me- Resale, my love, reach me the vinai-
grette -
"Can / also do anything to serve you 2"
asked Mrs. Vivian, mschievously.
"Yes, dear Valeria just see that they hang
the dresses up, and put away the cases and
things, while close my eyes upon this glare
and rest"
Mrs Vivian arched her eyebrows, and did rs
she was bid, examining ut her leisure the mag
nifcent trousseau as it was detailed of under
her eye into various wardrobes and bureaus.
Only once she interrupted the repose of Miss
Sutherland, to ask her if the wedding.dress had
come.
"Meda, tell Mrs Vivian about il" said the
languid beauty, scarcely lifting her long
lashes.
And the waiting-woman respectfully tele-
graphed the lady, and preceded her into the
adjoining chamber, where upon the bed was
laid the magnificent bridal costume OF white
brocaded satin, the superb veil of Honiton lace,
and the beautiful chaplet of orange flowers.
Mira Vivian beckoned Rosalie and when the
child stood by her side they examined it to-
yether, and the mother tried to make the
daughter understand how elegant, how costly,
how recherche, was this costume
"And to think she said, that India is 80
| Indifferent about trousseau that would have
turned my head when ] was girl. don't
believe il as indifference either; | believe it is
| afectation."
"No, it is not, mamma She is really lndif-
ferent to all this There is something troubles
her. She was not resting when she sat so still
saw her lips tremble and her eyelids culver"
Mrs. Vivian cast a scrutinizing glance at the
girl, thinking chow is it that in some things
she is observantin But Rosalie almost uncon-
sciousIy, was repeating to herself the refrain Of
the song she had been reading:
An that's bright must fade
The brightest still the aeetest
All thats sweet was made
But to be lost when sweetest"
Resale, have done with that sentimental
melancholy it dsturbs me and it is untrue,
besides. The best things are most enduring
And it is ell nonsense, besides TO suppose any
thing more serious than Incidence troubles In
dia. And now, my dear, do you know the
programme of these bridal festivities and tour,
as we arranged it yesterday"
"No," said the young girl, trying TO be in
terested
Mrs Vivian dropped herself into an easy
chair at the side of the bed, and Rose sank
upon the cushion at her feet and laid her head
ia the lsdy's lap; and while Valera ran her
fingers caresslngIy through the soft ringlets of
the child, she said
"The marriage was dong ago fixed TO come
of on Miss Sutherlsnd's birthday, and she
and her friend rec no reason ~ change it now.
That, you know. my dear, is on the 18th Of this
months week from to-day. The ceremony
is to take place in the morning my love- and
you are to be one of the bridesmaids. lmme-
diately after the benediction, the bridal pair
are to set out upon tour Of the springs and
other places of fashionable summer resort OF
six weeks. You and |, Rose, are going az into
the pine woods, TO quiet farmhouse, TO spend
the hot months for indeed, dear child, ! DO not
think you strong enough to bear the fatigue OF
a Northern journey, or the crowd and hustle
OF watering place"
"Desr mamma, how much you give up TOR
me