The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1854-07-26

lies on couch IN her bedroom: "Gertrude
love, will you be SO kind as to give ME
that bookl Thank you, dearest = and
then, Julia, darling, will you give me a
little water 2 and SO on, first to one and
then to the other, instead of getting up
and fetching what she wants for herself.
have no patience with her."
"But can she 7" said. 81 Thought she
was unable to walk"
"She could walk well enough if she
would but try, have no doubt" replied
Mrs. Frazer. "Indeed, know her doctor
wishes her to do So"
1T is pretty and interesting to be an
invalid" rejoined Grace, as she threw her
self 10 graceful attitude on the couch ::
ut is an opportunity of showing srch a
pretty foot and hand as. Alice Hartland's
to great advantage. Now, do not think
me ill-natured, dear Mrs. Douglas" added
she i" but really, l do not think she is a
bit i'll. There are half dozen such young
ladies here, all Of whom fancy it interest
ing to have weak backs or elicate chests
it is quite fashion"
"fes, indeed" said her mother, "what
Grace says is perfectly true, and there is
quite a host of such girls, and the doctors
humor their fancies. trust shall never
see either of my daughters give in to such
whims." ...
my dear friend" replied I, ~ hope i,
may please God to spare you the grief of
seeing one Of your children prostrared as
poor AL ce appears to be-" ..
felt saddened. Where was to hope
to find any 0! the valuable people of whom
| had been told2
"But surely, Doctor Lloyd, who attends
Alice Hartland, is man of too high prin-
ciple to encourage such deception as you
describe-he is as wise as kind" said
"Oh, you quite mistake there" said Ag-
mes "for it is he who upholds her in all
her nonsense. Docto Lloyd objects to such
a thing, and Doctor Lloyd strictly forbids
the other" is forever on the lips Of the
whole party. You know it would not do
for doctors to be too clear.sighted-what
would become Of thar feesi
/ confess was Titled netlled as well
rs vexed at all this; l bad conceived We
ry high opinion Of the Hartlands, to whom
l had some special introductions; and
also meant that DR. Lloyd should be my
sheet-anchor, having heard as high re-
port Of his skill. ] suppose my counte-
nance showed that such was my feeling,
for Mrs. Frazer, as IL stimulated blythe de-
sire of establishing her statement, ad.
ded:
"Oh, it is well known that Lloyd loves
money; he is all that is kind and aiten-
tive to those who can pay well, but his
gratuitous patients are sadly neglected.
| have high respect for him, but you will
lind that he is not all he appears"
"And as to Ms. Lloyd" said Agnes,
she is as pround and selt:satisfied as she
can live, and even more fond Of money
than he is"
They say so, my dear, certsinly," said
Mrs. Frazer, land certainly she has never
any civ,liiy towards who do not pay well;
but, however, it may not be so. We are
not intimate with her."
began to see my error; / had thrown
a spark into bundle Of combustible ma
terials, and was obliged to wait patient
y till the fuel was burnt out, till l could
divert the flame into more safe direction.
But it was in vain that tried to turn the
conversation into another channel, al
though my efforts were strongly seconded
by my niece, to whom the subject under
discussion was as displeasing as to myself
Strive as we would, we could not succeed.
My friend and her daughter produced this
skirmishing warfare, slasbing At and woun-
ding every character with which they
came in cont ct,and cutting down one by
one all my hopes Of finding any to love or
respect amidst the large circle Of bumsd
beings with which l was surrounded.
The evening was now far advanced, and
/ gave the signal Of departure, which Liz
zie was by no means sorry to hail. felt
much disposed to say on parting; ABE as
merciful to Us when We are gone as you
can" for / felt that we had no more rea.
son to expect immunity that any Of those
whose frailties and foibles we had heard
so freely commented on. | was disap-
pointed in my friends, for saw that the
precept Speak not evil, one Of another"
was not present to their minds; was dis
appointed also in my hopss for the future
because, although l could not buI believe
that they had taken on ,-sided and un-
charitable view Of the conduct Of those Of
whom they had spoken, yet the arrows
they had shot stuck fast; and my ideas Of
each individual whose character had been
discussed were lowered, and an element
Of distrust had been instilled into my
mind.
Time passed on, and the results Of tais
evil communication showed tbemselyes.-
TIE poison worked. had promised, on
my first visit at the HaPtlands, that would
Occasionally 60 and sit with the sick girl,
to whom litile society was an enjoyment
aud they had kindly said that they wish
ed for my acquaintance. Butt did not
ga. Day a. er day passed, and I felt dis
inclined TO seek the society OF one Of whom
had received the impression that she was
both deceitfnl and sel6sh--and I feared
70 encourage the folly in which she was
said 10 indulge herself ] returned Mrs.
Gray's visit but when Miss Park began