The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1862-01-02
Mrs. Strings Reception.

And so we are really settled in our OWL
house 1t seems too good to be true, doesn
Iit?'
| AS John Strings pretty wife was speaking
she let down the soft, heavy falling brocatelit
curtains of the handsome room, half paror, hal
library. where she sat with her husband turn
ed on little more gas, 80 that the Italian peas
ant girl and the dark, bright Spanish woman OF
the alabaster shade of the drop-light, might dls
play their beauties yet mole glowngly; am
! then seated herself in a little easy-char, BESIDE
the lounge, where her husband lay stretched ou
in the enjoyment of the masculine comforts
evening ease and household sovereignty Ia
king up a ainty bit of bright coored knitting
! she went on
1t was very nice, to be sure, boarding. a
mothers but it was sort OF vacant lie aite
all This is so much better. have something
! to do now.
John Stirling smiled
| Aud something to govern. After all, be
! lieve it is the love of power which makes you
women so delight in homes of your own. dom
doubt. gentle as you women seem, that YOU
servants find you as austere as the Great MO
gull
I declare, John. you are too bad l never
seod, and I'm sure everything has gone on 81
nicely since we've been here
A whole week, ano all the brooms new. Blu
des.'t look sober. have every confidence II
your ability to keep the wheels moving
/ She sat silent while, until her husband be
can to want to hear her voice again, and rallied
! her for her abstraction.
What is it, lstle one You seem to be IL
brown study about something. Remember, i n
! YOUR prime minister, and must know all tn
I state secrets and cares Of government.
! Il was only wondering, John whether yo'
would see certain matter as do. Do you re
allze how many parties we went to while w
we're at mother'sY There were the Hurburt
! asked US three times and the Graysons twice
aad you know we went everywhere
John Stirling knew that very well. some
what reserved of nature save to those OF DIS OWL
household, and not fond of general society, go
ING to u continual round Of parties had been on'
Of The fist sacrifices he made during the frs
winter of his marriage, to please his gay little
7 wife The idea crossed his mind as she spoke
tkxt she, too had wearied OF so much excitemen
=, d was going to propose for the future qul
e'er " he answered, 1 know we went out {
c.rea, de- al. but thought you liked it.
Vas T liked it, she said, with little EN-
bar,assment, for her wo 'nan's intuition dlVlne'
the course his thoughts hsu 'aKen. l was was, On Il,
~ thinking, john, that, hayl..o ~ ,aor,
many invitations, every one would say "s W. W.,
mean if we did not give at least one large p.
in return. 1t would. be just the best time now,
don't you see? Everything we have is so
fresh and new-our drawing rooms are really
elegant l should so like to gather our friends
round us, and give sort OF house warmiug!'
That's q primitive, comfortable sounding
term, Nellie. How much would tins friendly lit
tie affair cost us p
Oh, We thought thai all over. We should
have to ask every one we know. 1t wouldn't do
to slight any. Besides, the more the merrier
you know. We could have Smith get up the
supper and furnish the decorations. His bin
would be about three hundred and fifty-say
fifty more for music, and new dress for me-.
Five hundred do liars, eh, Nellie Z?
Yes, could make FIVE hundred do it hand
somely. 1 could send out the invitations Tor
week after next
We'll. dear, you must let me dream over At
/ really didn't know receptions were such ex-
pensive affairs. Five hundred dollars for an
evening entertainment, and the prospect OF a
hard winter and much suffering among the poor!
Well, I'll tell you in the morning If l can
make up my mind that il IS right,you shall have
the party
The rest of the evening was little constrain-
ed. The young wife, seeing that her husband
did not care to talk any more about the recep-
ten just then, struggled bravely to avoid the
PSoSCoSAOAA VI
all her thoughts, was rather an abSent.minde ed
companion.
That night after his wife was quietly asleep
beside him, John Stirling spent an hour of not
untroubled thought. Unlike Nellie he had been
brought up in quiet country home, where hive
hundred dollars would have been thought by
no means inadequate provision for the support
OF the whole family during the entire year. w al
it right, could it be right 10 spend it all upor
one evenings entertainment tor the sake, too
of people who would be in no wise benetltte'-
,hereby-whose choicest pleasures were so com
mon that they had already paled upon their
seuses? But then, as his wife suggested, they
had been out so much-would not this drawing
back from return of civilities look very mean!
and John Stirling shrank with all the pride
OF u sensitive man from any imputation OF mean
ness They were not rich True. his capital
was his own and his business was good, but he
had not felt that he could spend over three
thousand year on home expenses and here was
FIVE hundred extra, npon which he had not
counted, coming at once, upon which he had
not counted, coming at once. Surely he could
not dare, for such cause, to stint his contribu-
tons for the relief of the suffering? Gould he
afford it without? Nellie, the INDUCED child
of wealthy parents, knew nothing of such anx'
ious thoughts, for she only heard the result IN
the morning. Before he gave her his good bye
kiss, he said, in tone little more sober thar
he meant it should be
Well, dear, you shall have your party You
can begin making your arrangements at once
Here is a hundred dollars for the feminine adorn
ments L will pay Smith and the music after
wards
That was all. John Stirling had sunny un
selfish temper, and when he had made up hi
mind TO grant to his wife the indulgence sht
craved it would not have been like him to spoi
her pleasure By any indication of dissatisfaction
SILL, rs ] have limited, her intuitiorS were
strong and her nature sensitive and impresslole
aud she had certain sense of having persua
ded her husband ag ainst his own wishes, tba
rather disinclined her 6J commence prepara
tons. 1t was nearly ele ven o. clock before sh'
dressed herselftor her shopping expedition. Sh
was just tying the strings of her elegant fall ha
when she heard rinf. at the door,and present..
a servant came in with the information that
little child who had brought home sewing, want
ed TO see her.
Mrs. Stirling W as motherly by instinct, ant
her heart warmed at once to the shy little crea
ture who came t mildly in. 1t was girl nc
seven years old quite too young-Mrs. ctil
ling thought, to be trusted, alone in the streets
but then she h erself had been brought under tn
successive rule of nursery maid and goyernes.
She took tn bundle from the child's hant
anu Sasu, WITH the same Drlgnt, KIM Shiiie '
had wiled job q Strings bachelor heart away
Where did you come from, and how d!d 70
fad your way here alone, you poor little thing
! Sister An ME sent me- ma am. She had dol
your embroi derry, and she thought if she coui
/ get the mon ey for 1t, to pay Mr.. Jenkins, mayf
he would let US stay in The room till she got
little better
She is sick then 2
.Yes'm. She didn't feel well enough
come. II has been hard getting oil all summe
for the ladies' she works for are most ali OUT
town and most OF them owing her and pc
the worry and the not having much to eat
it, ma'am.'
Mrs. Stirling lean ed toward the little crea1 -
and looked at her wore closely. Could II
hunger, she thought, that made those blue e 81
look so large and the SKIN so Transparent! "
this little thing actually suffering for preau'a
she going to spend five hundred dollars III