Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1860-05-16


The apartments of the two sisters at Bedin-
field Hall adjoined, and Mistress Gilbert passed
from one to the other attending on the young
ladies. There was company that day; es-
pecially, there was one young gallant named
Sir Henry Cavendish, whom either Of the girls
would have been proud to captivate; for, not
only was he handsome, brave, and accom-
plished, but he was also wealthy. Mistress
Lucy stood before her mirror, fully dressed !;
but there was dissatisfaction on her counte-
nance-she had small delicate features but
her skin was cloudy, her eyes were lacking in
brillianee. Mistress Elizabeth was even worse
favored; for her visage was long and lean as
well as colorless, and her eyes were not so
perfectly set as they might have been. The
waiting-woman had suffered something from
their tongues that morning, as her chafed and
hurried manner betrayed.
"You viii soon be no more use to us than
a mole, Gilbert. Can you not see how thick
my complexion is to-day" said Mistress
Lucy, pointing at her own reflection in the
glass; she always laid the blame Of natures
defects on her abigail, ESD
"Yes mistress Lucy, see" she hesitated
a minute, opened the door to look into the
passage and then whispered, hmriedly, 81
have powder that got from Mistress Tur-
ner in London; but if let you have some,
my lady must never know"
q All, good Gilbert l will not tell her =
speak low, that Elizabeth may not hear
How does this powder affect one ?"
" 1t preserves youth, makes the skin smooth,
and gives it bloom like a little child's; but
it is highly dangerous
" How dangerous2 Is it poisOn?"
Mistress Elizabeth, overhearing the mysteri-
Gus whispering, erept stealthily behind her
door, watched through chink, and listened.
The arrival of Sir Henry Cavendish had sown
jealousy between the sisters.
ait is a mineral poison; but with care and
in very small quantities, it is safe. Ina week
or two you would be as fair as Rose NichOll
VIII you try it2 or do you fear the risk y
"0I I will try it. | would try anything to
have face like the young smiths wife; but
promise me not to let Elizabeth have any"
Mistress Gilbert gave the required pledge
and then stole away to her chamber to fetch
the powder. The watcher waited for her re-
turn impatiently. When Gilbert re-entered
the room, she brought in her hand small box
of ebony, which she opened with key at
tached to a chain hidden under her ruff. Eliz-
abeth listened breathlessly; but she could not
quite catch all that was said. But she saw a
small packet given to her sister, and by her
after portion Of its contents had been extrac-
ted for immediate use, deposited in her jewel
box. How that taken out was used, she could
not see; for Mistress Gilbert carried it TO where
stood the ever and basin, and thither Mistress
Lucy went to apply it but she heard the wait
ing-woman say, at will sink-mingle it well
with the water" so she conjectured that it was
something to be swallowed, and determined
that she herself would soon have face as fair
as Rose, the smiths wife, if it only depended
on taking the powder hidden in the jewel-box
The application of the powder made no
perceptible improvement in Mistrdss Lucy's
face that day, ,5.and Sir Henry Cavendish was
by no means charmed out Of his senses but,
in the course of the week, there was certainly
a change for the better, and Mistress Elizabeth
who had not yet found an opportunity to
lay her hand upon any of the powder-became
moresand more eager to profit by its beautifyin
effects. One evening Mistress Lucy left her
chain with the jewel-box key fastened to il on
her table, and her sister, who had never ceased
to watch, aEailed herself of this chance to
possess herself Of good portion of what re-
manned Of the powder. She Immediately
mixed little oft with water, and drank it.
Very soon she was seized with pain, nau-
sea and sickness; but not so severely as to
enforce greater caution in using the powder,
for she repeated the dose daily. She suffered,
but her skin acquired a clearness which it had
never worn before, and this would have recon-
ciled her to anything short of martyrdom-
Her store being exhausted, and the key fall
ing no more into her possession, she was
obliged for time to desist from her beguiling
experiments Mistress Lucy, however, ,steadi-
ly continued her applications, used the
water in which the powder was dissolved, as q
cosmetic,-but, though her complexion be-
came clear, it did not gain the much-coYeted
bloom of the village smiths wife. Both the
sisters would occasionally visit her in her cot
tage, and as Roses beauty was always
on the blush when they so honored
her, they went away each time more emulous
and more enYious than before.
At last Mistress Gilbert's ebony box was
empty, and no more of the powder could be
obtained until Sir Roger Bedinheld went up
to London with his family, when the eele-
brated Mistress Turner might be induced to
part with more at a price something like twice
its weight in gold. Mistress Lucy was very
impatient of this delay, but at length, though
Mrs. Turner was then in trouble for the mur-
der Of Sir ThOmUs 0verbury in the Tower, a
supply was obtained from another person, and
the identifying discipline was recommended
by the elder sister at once. Whether some
more deadly ingredient was now mingled
with it, or it was unskillfully prepared or
what IS still more probable Mistress Lucy
used it incautiously, and too often, it now be-
gan to work on the muscles of the face ana
the miserable girl awoke one morning with
hermouth drawn on one side and frightfully
disdgured. Mistress Gilbert, terrified at her
appearance, and rightly attributing it to the
cosmetic, to shield herself from all suspicion.