Plymouth banner. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1852-1855, 1854-06-29
CHA TER II.
THE DELIC ATE GIRL.

IL is strange. my dear. that Flora can
never come down to breakfast.
Not a. all strange. Mr.. Blanchard
when she is in such feeble health. Ii the
poor child can derive any enjoyment from
her pillow. | am sure you ought TO be
willing to perm!tit. She has few means
Of enjoymeni beside
She tries dissipation enough, certain
". Mrs. Blanchard.'
Perhaps you had better send her to a
convent, at ouce. SIR
Mir. B. ben; spoon double on an OBJ.
stinate lump of sugar. Mrs. B. very ex-
pressiyely inquired The value of old sill
yer. Mr.. b. deigned hes no answer. and
declining the second cup Of coffee. left
the house. Mr.. and Mrs. B.ancha rd
were sixteen years older than when they
assisted US TO open the chapter first.
The delicate child had grown to deli
cate girl. An hou, after her father left
the room. Flora entered. Her eyes were
swolen-her face pale--her hair worse
than negligee. for it did not Seem posi-
BILE that mere Negligence could have left
il i'll such disorder. Her whole appear
ance bespoke weariness and pros,ration
of strength. as she dropued upon the sofa
so indolently, that il seemed as if she
found the mere labor Of sitting down too
much for her.
The table still remained, the cloth no,
removed. Before the crate stood Gov
cred dish, and upon the table the coffee
urn. with lamp beneath II. These signs
indicated that breakfast was there, if poor
Flora possessed strength 10 avail herself
of it. Her delicate health forbade this,
and she waited the arrival of some one
to inform her that custom prevails OF
breakfdsting in the morning. To do Flo
IA justice she had little inclination to
eat. After dosing nearly all hour upon
the sofa, she was awakened by the voice
Of her mother.
when did you come down, my dear?
have just left your room, and was surpri-
ssd to find you had risen without assis-
tance. Why did you not ring for your
maid?
'Oh she kills me with her incessant
prate. My head is too weak to endure
the sensless gabblc of a woman who un-
dertakeS to tell me could survive walk
before breakfast
You have rot yet breakfasted, Flora7'
No. mother
After her mother had prepared her cof-
fee. and placed the toast upon the table.
Flora actually had the grace to exert
herself to go TO it, instead Of permitting
her mother to roll the table to the sofa,
rs the kind parent proposed She drank
her coffee without sugar, and atc-noth-
ing. After an hour or more spent upon
the couch. the delicate girl repaired to
her room TO dress. This feat accomplish
ed, with the aid Of her maid or her moth.
er. or both, at twelve Flora was ready to
receive calls, or attend to her French or
music. 1t was arrant malice in the maid
to assert that Flora could actually use
Florida Water or Eau de Cologne as a
tonic-to be taken internally-but an in
ordinate quantity Of such articles certain.
ly disappeared from her dressing table.
At one, Mrs. Blanchard daily en.reated
her daughter TO take some refreshment.
1T was SO long still to dinner time. and
she had eaten no breakfast Upon these
occasions Flora was always obedient; and
some preparation of alcohol under the
disguise of 'liqueur.' 'noyeau' or amour
parfait' rewarded her obedience. This
with cake, or such light matter in heavy
quantities, so refreshed her that she had
animation enough to assent to a walk, OF
even to propose one. Nobody who had