San Andreas independent., 1856-11-29
CAIAVERAS COUNTY, CAL. SATURDAY. NOVEMBER 90 1856

are brought forth by them-it is enough
to make the angels weep!
At last the Sandimans asked me to din
ner. These approaches to intimacy, al
though carried forward with exquisite
skill, took considerable time to accom-
plish; and yet | had seen nothing of the
commandant upon the other side. Mrs.
Sandman had not yet shown herself; her
lieutenant, Pegton-a maiden aunt of the
young ladies-had been their duenna in
their rambles; their chaperone at the ball.
Now, said | to myself, l shall meet the
mother and | said it triumphantly, for
nobody else at Sandwich had as vet en-
joyed that privilege.
[ arrived little too early and was re-
ceived by my Arabella, alone. | had thus
an opportunity Of making ample mental
notes of her accomplishments manners
easy; dress quiet perfection; no allusions
to the aristocracy; no observations about
the weather;-I began to think her exact
ly the sort of person to sit at the head of
table; considered how Mrs. Harry Love
less would read upon visiting card
Nothing to be ashamed of as to sisters-in-
law: both entered gracefully; did not call
their sister Bella; did not attempt to make
her uncomfortable through spite, nor to
cut her out the least in my affections !:
father-in-law just as he should be, COM
monplace-your clever father-in-laws are
always borrowing your money-but emf
nently respectable; head bald and shining;
countenance bland 4; voice pompous, waist
coat arched Lieutenant Pegton, bony,
knuckly, with iron-grey moustache, but
looking as if she had money in the funds.
Still no mother-in-law. | thought of all
that Sandwich had been saying about her !:
that she was mad; that she drank that
she had an incurable disease, supposed to
have been long extinct among the human
species; that she had pigs face; that
she had no nose. Ny suspense became in
tolerable. {" Shall [ not have the pleasure
of seeing Mrs. Sandman this EVENING" I
said to the Lieutenant as | took her down
to dinner.
~ fear not, Mr.. Loveless," she replied.
" My sister is at present indisposed.o
She was always indisposed, it seemed.
1t was the answer people got when they
called; it was the reply that was written
to invitations; and yet none of the six
Sandwich doctors had had chance at her.
But, the lower orders had been more for
tunate than the upper: the butcher had
seen her, and affirmed that she was :" tol-
erably good to look at for an old 'un," and
" deuced sharp about prime CUTS" the
maids Of all work had seen her in the ear
ly morning upon her lonely way to the sea
shore to bathe; she had been taken to
church thickly yelled, with the rest of the
family, but the frigidest of bows prevented
near approach to the Sandimen upon the
Sabbath days; her own domestics had been
feed and pumped in vain--they only af-
frmed that she was subject to tantrums,
which appeared to be common complaint
of mistresses, and failed to satisfy the curl
GUS. After dinner | perceived Mr. S. was
suffering torture in the attempt to keep me
company and himself awake, SO proposed
a nap; and when his breathing began to
get stertorous [ stole up stairs to the young
ladies. No one asleep in the drawing
room; no huddling over the fire with
gowns drawn up to their knees for COM
fort, while they abused their guests for
amusement. All at work, or reading, ex-
cept Lieutenant Pegton, who was above
stairs with the invalid. The whole thing
began to wear in my eyes the appearance
of business-of marriage. Sudden Death
was positively charming by freight
Would she play? Certainly. Would she
sing? With pleasure. Was she fond of
biography She was; and of the right
biographies. | was on the point of calling
her Arabella before them all; but changed
it just in time into Arethusa and sea songs
in general. I had determined not to com
NIT myself till I had seen my future moth
er-in-law with my own eyes. I knew what
frightful accidents have happened through
such a rash proceeding how Charlie Blake,
of the Heavies, for instance, married a
wife in that manner, with the understand
ing only that her money came from the
mothers side; and indeed it did SO, for she
had earned it by going about the country
in caravan and exhibiting herself, being
half white and half black, like domino.
Battle presently left the room for Thin
Bile, and Murder followed her in pursuit of
crochet-needle; directly that Murder was
out, and there were no witnesses, I whis-
pered Arabella," in my softest tones
She did not reply in words, but her fingers,
which happened at that moment to be en-
tangled in mine, returned the slightest of
pressures. ~ am going toask you ques-
tion,' continued, (Which, trust, you
will not take i'll. Her little hand trem-
bled violently, and | think she expected to
be asked for that in marriage, at once; but
such was not my intention. "Will you,
will you, dear Arabella," ]" I went on, "per-
NIT me to have little conversation with