The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-01-13

all those friends who loved her with such devo-
ton, who made Maria Theresa of her? Why
do not some Of her lady friends come forward
with advice, countenance, comfort? Why does
not somebody scold Mrs. Morninglory, pull
Clinquant's nose, and threaten Clarissa with
the stocks ?"
And the answer, dear reader, is, there was
none to do it. Relations she had none. who
could be called upon in such an emergency.
And her friends in society? She had MANY !:
but, tell you, it was bold man would tell
Gar Nicholas Of the pasquinade nailed to his
palace gate. Her real friends,
Those friends she lad, and their adoption ,risd.
were not properly q in society,"" SO called; and.
remember, this chapter relates particularly to
the doings and sayings of " our set,1 so far
forth as Mrs. Fleming was portion of il. !
take it, one has no bosom friends in society.
We move too much in glass cases there, to be
permitted that generous freedom and uncon-
strained confidence necessary to generous
frlensship. !, And Mrs Fleming, the queen
abroad, the introyertive selfsustainer at home.
was peculiarly disqualified from having free.
spoken friends, particularly among her own
sex. She had elected TO stand alone in her
hours of triumph, and she was left to stand
alone in her hour of danger. 1t was but the
strict justice melted out by Nature, in accord
ance with her universal law of compensation.
She thanked herself that she ,cas able to stand
alone and did not in any wise repine.
The evening for the ball arrived, and at the
conventional hour all the world was there.
This ball, which was given in honor Of a certain
distinguished celebrity then in their midst, was
one OF that hybrid species Of amusements, lying
between and partaking OF the clements both of
the public ball and the private reception in
other words, an assembly. Being such, coming
off in public hall, and having for its managers
selection not made up exclusively from {" our
set it comprehended as we have said, all the
world. Not only all who were recognised as be.
longing to "our set" but also all whom each
individual of " our set recognised on his or
her private responsibility. Hence there was a
large attendance for not only the body of the
robe was there, but also its lining and its frin-
ges As your lord of the manor has all his
poor cousins TO the grand Christmas dinner
though not one of them would presume to pay
his addresses to the heiress, so here, all the
several acquaintance of "our set were ad
mitted, though none of them would have ven
tured to entertain a thought of being invited
to the receptions of "our set A very conve
nient thing, this arrangement; for g our set,
being so highly bred, is a little cold -blooded
and needs occasionally little recreation. Mrs
Browning lines on Lady Howe apply exactly
| "If she's somewhat cold
Who wonders, when her blood has stood so long
In The ducal reservoir she calls her line ~
Well, we below call " our set fools; and i,
our turn are similarly epitheted by those lower
down in the scale. What, then, does it prove
Anything? We are all snobs, SAYS Mr.. Thack
cray, and the sayer not less SO, perhaps, than
those he says it of; in point of fact, one is
] Lei I'D IL, - L
cause he has so acknowledgement to organize
society in terraces Above you, he above me
! "Thus runs the world away"
| Mrs. Fleming and her ibewildered escort ar
rived in due time, and, after spending tht
proper number Of moments in the transaction
of those toilet Id ysteries without which nc
woman deems herself presentable, the Queer
entered the ballroom, by courtesy escorted o
Mr. Classic, but ID. reality herself the escort
Her appearance created what is styled in the
fashionable dialect "a sensation" and, even
apart from the extraordinary circumstances il
which she was placed, her appearance was such
as might reasonably be expected to produce a
decided effect. There had been bets made
! among fast young men that she would not be
/ there. But she was there, and there in splendor
Old men, who remembered her first triumphs
in society, looked at her through their eye
glasses, fused under pretence of near-sighted
ness, but in reality to remedy failing vision,
and swore lumbagoed oaths that, demme, sir
they had never seen her so handsome never
sir, by Cad: Young men, forgetting intended
sights, and recklessly regardless of maternal
admonitions on the subject, FASTENED up to pay
their respects. and to have word with the
Queen, ere she was dethroned. And regally
she stood there, receiving those attentions. The
old men were right. Never had she shone as
on that evening. She was complete mistres:
of the art of dress, not the reredling art of Mrs
Morninglory, but the art of making what she
wore appear to be just the thing she should wear
and as if nothing else could possibly become hel
so well. What her dress was | am unable to
say" Jenkins having failed to transmit me
his copious notes of this memorable occasion :
except that her colors were dark and rich-that
the ruby on her bosom famed back the daze Of
gas-light defanty-that the grand camelia
nodded more proudly than ever in her magnif
cent hair. 1t was not rouge that gave that in
imitable soft glow to her check-though Mrs
Morninglory said it was-nor belladonna that
made her deep dark eye to fash forth such
wondrous life and fire. Too brilliant was her
eye, one thought, yet what glorious excess
was that too much
"She reigns yet" whispered Mr.. Clinquant
W HIS I utll Il ucpOSc Was hTS
Morninglorys response
This deposition did not seem very probable
Just then. For the sight Of Classic had created
a new feeling in many breasts-that of incredu-
lily. Poor Plato standing there in thy uncom
Portable new clothes, with thy kid-cased hands
seeking In vain other resting place than thy
pockets, into which they repeatedly subsidized
only be drawn ont in haste again with thy
homely, embarrassed features covered with
bushes, and twitching with fright; well for
thee that thou didst not hear the divers com.
plirnentary remarks then and there passed upon
thy appearance. /" Is that that the man! Why
he is a gawk, an old dried up anatomy, and
looks as if he were frightened to death You
are joking. 1t Gait be him. II certainly is not
true. woman of her tastes and her refine
mcnt could never love such an object as that
oh NO it is impossible" In this way the words
flew about among Inc crowd, some laughing,
some wondering, some sneerng. The Partlsans
and whippersin Of the Umg M9rninglory
cliqe were assiduous i'll meeting all such things
with proper arguments, new facts, and startling
revelations, as the need was. Amid all this
hustle, one man moved calmly and quietly, a
philosophic observer, who noticed all things,
but kept an especial eve to Mrs. Fleming Not,
however to aid her, did he observe her, but to
study in her an interesting psychological Phe-
nomenon, and to feast his shrewd eyes upon the
wondrous spectacle of such strength as She was
then evincing. This was Mr.. Digest, attired
CONNIE IL taut and looking upon the scene be-
fore him very much as the puppet-master
watches the motions of his wirestrung man
nikins. Yet he worked for her in his way too,
for he was continually going near Mr.. Cinquant,
and exciting that worthy into terrible fits OF
rage by his significant smiles, while his sneers
at those who spoke of Plato as her lover, and
his open contempt of Mrs. Morninglory, with
her clothes down her back, and her fragrant
bosom" helped the cause of Mrs. Fleming con-