Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1859-10-04
MISCELL A N Y.
By Request.
The Coral Ring.
by MRS. HARRIET BEEoHER STOWE

''There is no time Of life in which young girls
are so thoroughly selfish as from fifteen to twen-
ty,n said Edward Ashton, deliberately, as he
laid down book he had been reading, ard
leaned over the centre re-table.
"You Insulting fellow !" replied tall, bril-
liant looking creature, who was lounging on an
ottoman hard by, over one of Dickens last
works.
Truth, COZ, for oil that" said the gentleman,
with the air of one who means to provoke dis
cussion.
"Now Edward, this is just one of your whole.
sale declaratons-for nothing only to get me in
to dispute with you, you know" replied the
lady. "On your conscience, now, Qf you have
one) is it not SO.
"My conscience feels quite easy, cousin, in
subscribing to that very sentiment as my COD :
tession OF faith" replied the gentleman, with
provoking 'sang froid."
'.Pshaw ! it's one of your fussy old bachelor
notions. See what comes, now, of living to
your time OF life without wife-disrespect for
the sex, and all that. Really, cousin, your
SYMPTOMS are getting alarming"
may, now, cousin Florence" said Edward
"you are girl OF moderately good sense, with
ali YOUR nonsense-now, don't you Il know you
do) think just 50 toos" -,
think Just so too 7-do hear the creature !"
replied Florence. ''No, sir you can speak Tor
yourself in this matter, but beg leave to enter
my protest when you speak for me too"
"Well now, where is there, COZ, among all
our circle, a young girl that has any sort OF pur-
pose or object in life to speak OF, except to make
herself as interesting and agreeable as possible
Ito be admired, and to pass her time in as a.
musing way as she cans Where will you
find one between fifteen and twenty, that has
any serious regard for the improvement and
best welfare of those with whom she is con-
nected at all, or that modifes her conduct in
the least with reference to it2 Now, cousin, in
very serious earnest, you have about as much
real character as much earnestness and depth OF
feeling, and as mnch good sense, when one can
get at it, as any young lady Of them all, and yet,
on your conscience, can you say that you live
with any sort of reference to anybody's good
or to anything but your own present amusement
and gratifcation2"
"What a shocking adjuration" replied the
lady, "pretaced, too, by a three-storied COM
compliment! Well, being SO adjured, | must
think to the best of my ability. And now, Sc
riously and soberly, don't see that am selfish ;
| do all that have any occasion to do, for any
body. You know that We have servants to do
everything that is necessary about the house, go
that there is no occasion for my making dis
play of housewitely excellence; and l wait on
mamma if she has headache, and hand papa
his slippers and newspaper, and find Uncle
Johns spectacles for him twenty times day,
(no small matter that and then"
"But, after all, what is the object and purpose
of your lifes"
Why, haven't any. don't see how 1 can
have any-that is, as am made Now, you
L rs kho hohx tap6ipr
herb.tea making recommendations of Aunt Sally,
and divers others of the class commonly called
useful. Indeed, to tell the truth, think useful
persons are commonly rather fussy and stupid.
They are Just like the boneset and horebound
and catnip, very necessary to be raised in gar
den, but not in the least ornamental"
sand you charming young ladies, who philos.
ophize in kid slippers and French dresses, are
the tulips and roses-very charming and de-
lightful and sweet, but fit for nothing on earth
but parlor ornaments"
"Well, parlor ornaments are good in their
way" said the young lady, coloring, and look
ing little vexed.
$50 you give up the point, them" said the
gentleman, "that that is all you girls are good
for-just to amuse yourselves, amuse others,
look pretty, and be agreeable"
swell, and if We behave well to our parents
and are aniable in the family-I don't know
and yet" said Florence, signing, ~ have often
had sort of vague idea of something higher
that we might become-yet really-what more
than this is expected of usa what else can we
doan
II used to read, in old fashioned novels, a
bout ladies visiting the sick and the poor" re-
piled Edward. "You remember "Colebs in
Search ola Wife,"
''Yes, truly that is to say, remember the
story part of it, and the love scenes; but as for
all those everlasting conversations of DIR. Bar
low, Mr.. Stanly, and nobody knows who else,
skipped those, OF course. But really, this visit
ing and tending the poor, and all that, seems
very well in a story, where the lady goes into q
picturesque cottage half overgrown with honey
suckle, and finds an emacated, but still beauti-
ful woman, sitting propped up by pillows. But
come to the down right matter of fact of poking
about in all these vile dirty alleys, and entering
little dark rooms, amid troops of grinnng chill
GreD, and smelling Goldfish and onions, and no.
body knows what-dear me, my benevolence
always evaporates before / get through I'd
rather pay anybody five dollars day to do it
for me than to do it myself. The fact is, that