Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1860-06-09
A wOMAN,S mo -

Il never hear a lady protest against matri-
mony, as you are now doing" said Mrs. Vii
lers, that memory does not travel back to
the Misses sharpe"
''What about the Misses Sharper" asked her
niece. Il hope they did not enter the holy
state Ofmatrimony after saying no positively"
"a woman no means sometimes yes, Lucy"
''NOt in my yobaculary, aunt; but pray give
ss the veritable history Of the Misses Sharpe"
We'll, let me make myself comfortable first.
Give me that cushion for my feet, throw my
shawl a little closer around me- and put an
other log on the fire; there-that will do. Now
for the veritable history Of tbs Misses Sharpe"
when first l became acquainted with the
Misses Sharpe they were not young; Lucinda,
OF, rs her sisters called her, Lucindy, was not
fat and fair, though she was forty. Providence
called by her sister Provy-was several years
her senior. Lucindy was certainly not as lovely
as poets dream She was small and thin, and
took no pains to appear aught else. Her pride
was to appear natural Her hair, black and
viry, was her own. She never powdered or
painted; never squeezed orange juice into her
eyes, like the Spanish women, to make them
bright; never used henns, like the Turkish
women; had not even as much as heard of
Paris masks for the mplexion-- Vestris paste
or tale. She was a true child of nature without
sham or pretense. She wore her bornets very
close and her dresses very short; she wore no
of those people who see sin in every thing they
look at; who cry out sin at every sight and
sound that gladdens this beautiful earth, and
fills the heart with silent ecstacy. She had even
been heard to reprove the young pastor for
laughing too loud. Hush, my dear she
would say, in an awful tone, don't laugh too
loud; it is q sim When in her presence you
creation; that you had twice much original
sin and twice as much acquired as any one else
My dear, she would say, in freezing tones Il
saw you during prayers look up several times
from your book at Mr.. Harvey Now, Mr..
Harvey Is very handsome young clergyman;
but the young ladies of the church commit a
very great sin when they look at him during
prayers L never look from my book. Inever
see any one in church
" Now, your eyes may have wandered to
MIR Hsrvey's face during the prayer, not be-
cause you were anxious to look at him. but be-
cause you were perhaps listless, or you could
not give up your whole soul to devotion as you
should have done. You may have been mourn
Ing over this deadness, down in the depths of
your hlgh-backed pew, shut out from mortal
eye You may have been bewsiling your cold
ness and striving to recall your wandering
thoughts, when, struck by the fervor Of the
MINISTER'S tones, you raised your eyes and
looked at him, praying silently in your heart
that you might have the power as well rs the
wish to give yourself wholly uB to the spirit of
prayer as did Rev. Mr.. Harvey.
1t was sin with this sinless child of
earth to act and think contrary to her ideas
OF right and wrong. 1t was a sin to read any
other books than the Bible, Prayer Book. and
the Whole Duty of Man. She was a great
churehwoman, whose creed was no salvation
out Of the church catholic, which is Protestant
Episcopal. She had never been to a Uaeeting-
house in her life, but had always sat under
Of ho
descent from the Apostles. Sidney Smith
himself was not more intoIerant of Dissenters
than was Miss Lucinda Sharpe.
Providence Sharpe eschewed being alto
gether child Of nature. She consented TO
wear very brown braid, suggestive Of per-
petual youth, and adorned her person rather
more lavishly than her sister She was rather
milder In her mode of speech than Lucinda,
but, like her, equally despised the lords of
creation. we'll remember the evening that
Grace, the servant girl, had an admirer I
was taking social cup Of tea with the Misses
Sharpe, at their snug little mansion at the
corner Of the street. We were gathered around
the tea-table; the hospitable board was well
spread mullins and tea smoked before us. the
preserves were Of their own making; the beef
of their own drying. A fire burnt in genial
glow in the well polished CRATE, before which
lay two fat, well-conditioned tabbies, enjoying
a charming siesta.
Now, this is what / call comfort. Miss
Providence / said, as / looked around and
about at the charming prospect
eyes, my dear, she answered, blapdIv.
and the greatest comfort of all is, there is no
man here TO mar our enjoyment
Men" exclaimed Lucinda, raising up the
plate OF mullins suddenly, and putting them
down again; they are
'Wretches,' put in Miss Providence.
'Wretches' PROXY, don't mince your Ian.
q fhnwra H.. *
%, not all, interrupted, feeling solicit
Oss about my brothers, uncles and cousins.
Yes, all, My dear, you don't know them
as We do. Ha, hs. men, and Lucinda gave
series Of defiant, eonvulsive shrieks
=. Men" echoe PROXY, 'hs' ha,' And she
picked up knife, and waved it about in the
air like bloody cut-threat thirsting for his
victim.
of religion, to begin with
"A set of atheists responded PROXY.
'Deists" continued Lucinda
Turks without their turbans" CALCULATED
Then their morals, o, my dear, NV dear,
and Mis- Lucinda raised her hands in a mnte
expression Si horror. Just look at some of the
Popes. Look at Henry the Eighth, Francis the
Second, Louis the Fourteenth. Then, in mod.
ern times, look at Byron-the butcher over the
way-the baker round the corner. Why. there
is no end to the disgraceful catalogue. God
may have made man in his own image. but
now be has fallen so low that he is not 1t
+" To wait on my dear Tabby GRAY inter.
rupted Miss PROXY. Take another dish of tea,
Barbara, love"
Il handed up my dish, that looked yery like
a cup, and Miss Lucinda remarked:
Mr.; Harvey is very partial to tea
u, is he?' / asked. You have him to tea.
then, though he is that biped called man. i
wish you had asked him tonight
Miss Lucinda frowned, and said. dravino
nerseii up As our pastor, he takes a dish Of
tea with Us, by special invitation. twice a wear:
but We conhne him entirely TO spiritual con,
versation We do not suffer him 10 roam into
worldly pastures where there ia no food e.
the soul Before parting, we alNsvs reousst
him to read the penitentisl psalms sIond
I'VE do not invite him more fraonor,,r
observed Miss PROXY, for it might ssoa -.
effect Of Gathering his vanity. Men. av.n Ho
least worst OF them, are so vain. UAlI ;s '
ity about them, as the wise king ssvs u,
ha men, men, echoed Miss Lacinds. Ia
these two high priestesses of Diapa's tsmnI. Ia
kept up their 'hs ha - and their men mar -
until they scared the two fat tabbies ont ~
their slumbers on the warm rug, and thew he
gan TO stretch their legs and open their sieenv
eyes In manner quite wonderful.