The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1862-07-17

irecreations and environments of life for sin.
"No merry makings were allowed, or eve
talked of in our house, but nevertheless, | ha
a knowledge that such things existed TIL
majority of our relations numerous as the.
were in Gloucestershire, had grown cool, .
been quarrelled with ON account of methodism
bat We lad an aunt with two grown daugtors
living in the Cathedral Close, in the ancien
city of Gloucester, with whom correspondence
} was still maintained. My aunt was a widow
l. with rather limited means. Ny two cousins
Grace and Alice, were handsome girls, talle
than myself, some years older, anxious abou
ttheir looks, their society, and their settlements
When my aunt and cousin visited at our house
they were always serious, wore high, dark
coorcd dresses, plain bonnets and no curs.-
They could all talk good deal of Methodisn
TOO, though don't know how they learned it
but when the girls and 1 were alone together
they gave such accounts of the plays, parties
and balls they attended in Gloucester, that
thought them the happiest people in Europe
Whatever young folks hear of their neighbors
having, which they themselves have not, they
are apt to crave after-the taste of the forbid
den fruit, suppose and this was deep in my
mind in spite of the serious bringing up, and
the good example I had in the old maids. My
mother knew nothing of it; the gay revelations
: impaired to me by Alice and Grace were given
under promise of strict secresy from mamma,
which besides being bound in honor to keep,
was necessary condition Of hearing any more
Of the kind; and no forbidden novel could give
greater delight to the heart than did those pr
Agate reports of the Gloucester beau monde to
mine. / don't think my mother was quite con-
WINGED Of the genuineness of their piety; my
aunt's husband had been a canon; there was
a brother of hers still in the Church; but still
the whole family came seriously, to the hail.
and executed every kind of small commission
| for her in Gloucester, which was eur chief
! town. SO my mother hoped they would be ed
flied by the Wesleyan preachers, invited them
on long visits and sent them well filled ham,
| pers from the orchard, the poultry yard, and
the dairy. In return, she went to see them
| sometimes-not often, for mother was greater
slayer at home, and her time was much occu-
! ped with the poor and the travelling preach
ers. The doubts have referred to made her
unwilling TO let me visit them. except in her
! own company, when We always found the high
! dresses on, hymn books on the table, and the
whole house in state of great sohriety. There
was nothing else to be looked for in the pres
ence OF mamma, and on going without her for
me, until certain lucky chance, as I thought
it, furnished the long coveted opportunity.
II had caught a severe cold at the begin
ming of the winter; the cough clunp to me
week after week. my poor mother grew anxious
about me, and our family doctor advised my
removal from the cold, bleak air of the Forest
to that warmer part Of Worcestershire called
the Vale where the town of Gloucester stan S.
My aunt happened to be visiting us at the
| time, and to my b0undlesS Joy and gratitude,
she at once suggested her own house as the
most suitable sojourn. There was no place in
all the Vale SO warm and sheltered as the Ca
thedraI Close-such a geRteel, such quiet
neighborhood where nothing was to be heard
! Ia ayIn NJ fbo IL.
of the psalms. Sophy would get quite rid Of
her cough there, and they would teach her
! that new sampler-stitch. 1t would do beauti-
fully to work q pair of slippers for that dear,
good, moving man, Mr. Grimshaw-a powerful
preacher with Yorkshire twang, 10 wnom
my mother had taken a special fancy. My
cough Increased amazingly after the making of
tnat pre- posal, and 1t succeeded in overcoming
my mothers scruples against the Cathedral
Close. was allowed to return with my aunt,
eDJoned to get quit ofthe cold, learn the sampler
stitch, and net allow myself to be led into fri
Volites. Of course, l promised everything,
and 80 did my aunt and to DO us both Justice |
we had some intention of keeping at least the
letter Of our promises. Things went OIL very
soberly for some time after my arrival in
Gloucester; my aunt and cousin thought seri- |
business Il good thing, and wanted to please my
mother. / saw the sights of the quiet old |
town-the mineral wells the Assembly rooms
that is to say the outside and matters went
on III the strictest line of duty till about the |
middle of December, when the whole family |
got an invitation to Lady Tracy's ball.
81 shall never forget their faces round the |
breakfast table when the maid brought in the |
note. Left by Lady Tracy's footman, mum,
said she. Ny aunt broke the seal and read it |
trst to herself, then handed it to Alice who |
read and passed it on to Grace, she being the
proudest Of being in good society, and before |
anybody could stop her, she read 1t aloud
You'll never have sense Grace" said her !
mother
here is the use of making secret Of |
You know we must go and we will GO
Wash tit kind of her 10 invite Sophy r. said
triumphant Grace.
Yes, had been invited with my own
ears heard that Lady Tracy would be happy
to see the young relative, who she understood
was now visitor at their house.
sit was kind of her, said my aunt having
got over the first shock oft; and I'll allow it
would be nice opportunity for Sophy to see
genteel life; but what would her mother say"
"She needn't know any thing about IT," said
Alice. That suggestion broke down the last
barrier OF conscience between me and the de-
nouneed flivolties. To see a real ball at the
house of Gloucester fashionable-to look on
the dresses, to hear the music to behold the
dancing, TO go down TO supper, and up to the
mnuet, as my cousins had so often described,
these things were TOO strong a temptation to be
resisted by the virtue Of seventeen
Il am sure mamma need not know - said
and should like to go just this once, if you
will let me, aunt felt the tears come into
my own eyes, knew my cousins liked me,
and my aunt too was good natured to fault
81 don't think it any harm myself, and l
wouldn stand against your going Sophy, she
said; but, my dear, you have no bail dress
| there is hardly time to get one, and am sure
your mother would not allow the money for it,
"Oh! dear, we forgot that" said Grace and
Alice with uncomm0nly blank faces. l knew
they had nothing to spare, and would find it
rather difficult to get their own fnery up but
resources were always my first thought.
pulled out the little purse containing all my
pocket money, and emptied it out on the table
cloth.
Only two guineas and g half said the keen
| sighted Grace; my dear, that would never do
Your mother might have allowed you more than
that, coming to Gloucester, but she can't sup
| pose, giving so much to those Methodist
preachers. But, stay a minute. Mamma,
might not Sophy get dress quite cheap and
good enough for one evening from MRS. Jen-
kins, the wardrobe woman? Miss Smithson's
maid told our Sally that she got that beautiful
gauze We saw at the quadrille party there
Il dare say she ight, and we could make
it fl her but l am afraid Sophy can't dance"
said my aunt
1T was true, 1 could not the exercise in
question being regarded as special piece of
the Old Serpent's policy, had been of course
forbidden me but Grace had not exhausted
her expedients.
''NeYer mind III teach her minuet, that
easy one they cali Mecklenburg- Queen Char
otte's, you know-she'lI learn it in no time
Alice, you'll write to accept the invitation
Sophy and l viii go off to Mrs. Jenkins,
want bit of lace TO make US fuckers and trim
your cap, mamma but 1 should like to see her
frock got first"
/ My active cousin and I repaired to Mrs
Jenkins shop it was very respectable one
of the kind the good woman boosted that she
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