New Orleans daily crescent., 1854-12-25

1tion formed, she felt impatient till it was /
oted on. As her maid Rachel could by no /
leans be trusted, Martha had to undertake the /
ifficult arrangements Of this matter herself. |
he availed herself of the excuse that she re- |
uired choice nets, to visit the house OF q fash
enable m0disfe, and, requesting to speak with
he principal, she ordered, tnot without much
as she marked the smile OF the dress
maker, French woman,) o suit OF clothes
proper to appear in at the scene of gayety
Fhich she was now quite determined to invade.
She requested that the dress and a large gray
mantle, with which she meant to hide it from
The ewes Of her staid household, should be cent
by d messenger to her house. She took good
care to be in the way when it arrived, and con-
yeyed the strange habiliments to her own apart
ment.
That very evening she had ascertained there
was to be an opera, at which their majestles
were to be present, and she had, through the
means Of the foreign woman, the dressmaker,
obtained a ticket, which was enclosed with the
dress She had, in her own phraseology, 8 de-
termined to go forth to the house of Belial 4
that very night Now, in Quaker household,
such O resolution was not easy Of accomplish
ment; but Martha had seriously resolved, and
she determined to brave all. After the three
o'clock dinner, which, as usual now, passed IN
silence, Edward Wilson retired to his room, and
also went to her own apartment, locked the
door, lit the candles herself, and unfolding her
fnery, surveyed it with any feelings but plea.
surable ones In another hours time she looked
at the time piece, and perceived IT was SIX
o'clock. The opera began, she was told, at
eight. She reluctantly proceeded to clothe
herself in the costly garments, in which for the
first time the only time, she would enter the
world Of fashion. The pale blue satin sacque,
20 ~, a1n,, aF eSyno SeiDT1ta
blush, 7, the costly Mechlin lace which adorned
the robe, the gipsy looking cloak and hood Of
Murrey velvet, which served to adorn, not con-
eeal, this exquisite toilet, enhanced Martha's
perfect beauty so greatly, that for o moment
she forgot the cause Of this strange metamor-
phosis, and gazed. enchanted. The gray Cash
mere went over all, and black silk whale
bone hood, and then she rang the bell, and
desired her maid to bid them call hired
chair. Rachel obeyed, not without a look Of
surprise.
Telling her woman that she should be late
home, she stepped into the sedan, and the Irish
chairmen bore her away. The adventure w8s
fairly commenced, it must be finished, and in a
short time she would enter the temple of Apollo
alone Yes, alone she had forgotten till now
that even the daughters of the world usually
went into public with cavalier to attend them |;
she felt the color rush into her face, as she was
ushered to a seat in the pit, which then, as now,
was the resort Of the Macaroni, and such Of
the citizens wives rs affected, in spite of not
comprehending Italian music, a taste for this
fashionable amusement. Martha could not fail,
in spite of her extreme perturbation, to perceive
that she was an object of the general gaze, and
murmurs reached her which made her sink into
the nearest seat she could find Not daring to
look up, she bent her eyes on her fan, wishing
devoutly for the Cashmere cloak which she had
left behind in the sedan chair Her great
beauty and unprotected appearance led the gem
tlemen around to regard her with an imperti-
nent curiosity, and the ladies with an affected
shrinking--the universal opinion being, am
sorry to say, in spite of her modesty youth, and
timidity, that she was any thing but woman
of reputation. Such was the predicament into
which the pure, retired young Quakeresss hal
involved herself. The opera had commenced,
but she attended to nothing on the stage. Her
eyes, when, indeed, she mustered sufficient
courage to raise them, were busily employed in
making survey of that brilliant assemblage
Suddenly her eyes dwelt on a box on the second
tier, in which young girl Of exquisite beauty
sat prominently forward. Further back, dress
ed d-ld-mode, sat Martha's husband s. Yes, it
was truth, then; she was glad she was there to
confront him; glad that she sat there a living
witness Of his shame" She gezed forsome min
utes on the pair. The young girl cast her bril-.
liant eyes about the house-she seemed as if
eeking come one amidst the splendid throng
Everard, on his part, appeared to be abb
sorbed IN constantly Watching her, though APP
parentiy he seldom spoke. At length, Martha,
who had gazed at this sight till, her woman'e
heart burning with excitement, she could bear
it no longer, rose up, and abruptly Quilted her
seat Some Of the beaux who were lonnging
about rose up also, and, to her extreme yexa.
tion, she was surrounded by offers of assist
ance; she hardly knew what impulse caused
her to take the arm of the least obtrusiYe, but
she did so, saying in her formal phraseology
Ito which being accustomed, she could not, un-
der excitement and irritation, alter to more con-
yentional forms),
Friend, | except thy proffered assistance
be respectful, entreat thee, and convey me to
yonder small compartment that one hung with
scarlet, wherein thou seest that fair but shame
less woman
You may guess tie amazement Of the votaries
Of Fop's Alley ut hearing the Quaker language
but though conceited and fashionable lounger
the young man addressed had still the feelings
Of gentleman; SO quietly clearing the way
from his oontemptuously smiling Companions
ne said, with some respect,
Depend on me, madam; you honor me by
trusting me- and in q very short time they ar
rived at the box door
Calling the box-keeper, the young nobleman
for such he was, signed to him to open the door
he was obeyed, and ON Martha thanking him
she bowed and rejoined his friends below, who
were engaged in an animated discussion as to
the pretty Quakeress in disguise
AS the box-door opened, Everard Wilson
turned, and l will not attempt to depict the
expression on his face as he, with some diff.
Guilty, recognized his wife,
ssThou !" said he, knitting his brows; then
taking her by the wrist, he led her toward the
door s Martial" he exclaimed, 'sd dost thoy
understand thine actions? Art thou departed
from reason' This dress Oh, shame that thy
husband should blush for thee
"Shame ON thyself,'' said the exasperateG
wife. 'sDarest thou to confront me, thou anG
thy shameless paramour 2''
The young female, who had hastily drawn tht
curtains, and had sat apparently much amazed al
this scene, and who, with her eye-glass directed
toward the excited Martha, seemed likewise con.
siderably amused, burst at this crisis into lout
laugh, She was about to address Martha, wher
Eyerard laid his hand on her arm.
Silence said he, g will not have her ad
dressed by thee; dost thou understand /, No
one sentence" Then, turning to the disgusteC
and alienated wife, ssW eman, said he, 81 an
thy husband; on thy duty command thee t.
depart home, This is no time or place to ex
plain, even If ! chose to do.so but do not
| Come, will assist thee to thy conveyance
Edith, to the strange female =" do thou remail
re-alone-mark me. trust thee for a few
short moments; let me not on my return finS
myself deceived so saying, he took his wife,
hand, led her out, resistess, powerless, stupefet
with combined anger. terror and annrehen