The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1854-04-06

f Mrs. Frazer. "Indeed, know her doc
, tor wishes her to do So"
l at is pretty and interesting to be al
invalid, "rejoined Grace as she threw her
self in graceful attitude on the couch
it is an opportunity of showing such
pretty hand and foot as Alice Hartland
to great advantage. Now, do not thin
me ill-natured, dear Mrs. Douglas" ad
ded she; "but really [ do not think she i
} bit i'll. There are half dozen sucl
} young ladies here, all of whom fancy i
interesting to have weak backs or delicat,
chests: it is quite a fashion"
eyes, indeed" said her mother; "wha
Grace says is perfectly true, and there is
quite host of such girls; and the doc
tors humor their fancies. | trust [ shall
never see either Of my daughters give in
to such whims"
only dear friend" replied I, "hope i
may please God to spare you the grief 0
seeing one of your children prostrated as
poor Alice appears to be-" felt sad
dened. Where was I to hope to find any
Of the valuable people of whom [ had
been told? "But surely Doctor Lloyd
who attends Alice Hartland, is a man OF
too high principle to encourage such de-
ception as you describe; he is as wise as
he is kind" I said.
"Oh, you quite mistake there" said
Agnes, "for it is he who upholds her in
all her nonsense, Doctor Lyod objects to
such thing and Doctor Lyod 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 their fees?"
| confess | was little nettled as well
as vexed at all this; had conceived a We
ry high opinion of the Hartlands, to whom
had some special introductons; and l
also meant that DR.. Lyod should be my
sheet anchor, having heard as high re-
port of his general excellence of character
as of his skill. suppose my countenance
showed that such was my feeling, for
Mrs Frazer, as if stimulated by the de-
sire of establishing her statement, added =,
"Oh, it is we'll that DR.. Lloyd loves mon
ey; he is all that is kind and attentive to
those who can pay well, but his gratuit-
Gus patients are sadly neglected. [ have
high respect for him, but you will end
that he is not all he appears,
"And as to Mrs. Loyd," said Agnes,
"she is as proud and self-satisfed as he
can live, and even more fond of money
than he is"
"They say so, my dear, certainly, said
Mrs. Frazer, she has never any civility
towards those who do not pay well: how
ever, it may not be so,-we are not init
mate with her"
began to see my error: had thrown
spark into bundle of combustibIe ma
terials, and I was obliged to wait patient
ly till the fuel was burnt out, till | could
divert the flame into more safe direction.
But it was in vain that | tried to turn the
conversation into another channel, altho
my efforts were strongly seconded by my
niece, to whom the subject under discus
sion was as displcasing as to myself: strive
as We would We could not succeed. My
friend and her daughter produced this skir-
mishing warfare, slashing at and wounding
every character with which they come in
contact, and cutting down one by one all
my hopes Of finding any to love or respect
amidst the large circle Of humane beings
with which [ was surrounded.
The evening was now far advanced, and
I gave the signal of departure, which Liz
zie was by no means sorry to hail [ felt
much disposed to say on parting: "Be as
merciful to us when we are gone as you
can," for felt that we had no more rea-
son to expect immunity than 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,
brethren, was not present to their minds;
| was disappointed also in my hopes for
the future, because, although could not
but believe they had taken one-sided
and uncharitable 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
clement of distrust had been distilled in
to my mind.
Time passed on, and the results of this
evil communication showed themselves -
The poison worked. | had promised, on
my first visit at the Hartlands, that [
would occasionally 60 and sit with the sick
girl, to whom a little society was an en-
joyment, and they had kindly said that
they wished for my acquaintance. But |
did not 90. Day after day passed, and |
felt disinclned to seek the society Of one
of whom | had received the impression
that she was both deceitful and selfish,
and 1 feared to encourage the folly in
which she was said to indulge herself |
returned Mrs. Gray's visit; but when
Miss Park began to tell me some little
anecdotes of past days, with which, if |
had been unprejudiced l should have been
really much amused, | rather perversely
withheld my interest; and instead of
throwing my mind into the subjects which
thov brounht forward I cbillad thnmAv