Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1862-08-11
LITTLE BROWN FACE IN THE FIRE.
Or, How Bachelor VIVA Wan

ed old bachelor-at least, 90 he said, and 40
all his scquaintsnces believed; but why he
was 90 was profound mystery.. He was rich
and handsome, Of unexceptionabie family, and
entirely independent Of control. Without be-
ing scholar, be was we'll informed; without
having dabbled in art, he was an ardent ad-
mirer OF its works; and his address, though
not strictly polished, was singularly fsscinat-
ing. L often wondered that he remained 80
gentle and unsfected amid the unceasing
homage which he had received from his birth.
As child, nothing in or put OF the house was
too good for HMars Arthur" and his negro
nurse hid, lied and stole for him in manner
which threatened seriously to confuse his no.
tiOns of right and wrong As boy at school
and youth st college, he won universal favor,
and be had scarcely entered society when he
became an acknowledged idol. Countless
were the superb dresses, jewels and lace that
were selected and worn with reference to his
supposed preferences, and numberiess were
the books read upon his chance resommends-
uOn. Many drawing and singing master
was sided in his tOilsoms way by the recoiiec-
tion Of this fsyorite beau, and his random
word helped more than one sad eyed foreign
er, French and Italian, to fll his class with
renunerstiye If not studious pupils But I
could not perceive thst Arthur felt the slight
esasrpch Of the grand passion, and in time
the girls grew tired Of their worship, and look
ed about for less impracticable subjects for
their charms.
RumOr was busy with the cause of such
marvellous Indifference. The spiteful said he
was scheming for money; the sentimental,
that death had cut of the object of his choice;
and the rOmsntic-owing, l fear, to sly hints
dropped by himself-beieyed he had fallen in
love with portrait In the shop window of q
picture dealer in Florence, and that be was
seeking the original in sorroWful earnest.
Nothing could we'll be further from the truth
than these cODJectures, for the simple fact was
that he had never seen the most loveable side
of womGnhOod. His mother died when he was
very young, and his aunt, wealthy and styl-
ish widow. took charge of the household. She
fancied herself model of fidelity, and she did
really live up to her own standard, which was
not Oppressiyely high. She counted the silver
every Saturday, and busted daily the rare
and delicate decorations Of the drawing rooms,
attended scrupulOusly to the fitting Of the
Rhildren's clothes, and never failed to be
present during their dancing lessons. When
my uncle fell i'll, she 6dgeted about his room
in tasteful morning dress, and when he died
she attended him to the grave in becoming
mourning. Josephine Langley profted by her
Presept and example. She was strikingly
beautiful, and she became elegant and accom-
plished. After reigning in society one sea-
son, she married q millionaire, who would
have sneered at the possibility Of loving his
own wife, and who married her simply be-
cOuse she would be an appropriate finish to
his magnificent mansion. There Arthur saw a
word and deed He saw it in silly extrava-
gance and reckless waste, in time and money
withheld from the poor and suffering, to be
lavished IN self-indulg genee, in petty quarrels,
harsh recriminatiOns and meEH compliances
The spectacle disgusted him, and when, in the
brilliant circle in which he moved he found one
lovely girl becoming more pleasing to him
than another, he recslled some scene witness
ed beneath the roof Of his brother in law, and
the tenderness faded from his dream, and his
air castles vanished So be tried to content
himself with his bachelor establishment-a
suite Of noble rooms in a great lodging house.
His cook, Pierre, was fat, dexterous and thiey-
lsh; and AdOlPh was my abOminatiOn-there
was so much self-conceit under his demure and
Teyerential manner, and such cool cunning
under his pretended eagerness to serve. More
than once attempted to procure his dismissal,
but Arthur said that the rascal amused him;
that be took him for his skill, not his honesty
and that he should keep him as long as he
could maintain undisputed possession of bis
hats, boots and gloves.
Affairs stood thus when Mr. Hamilton, a
distant cennection Of the family, invited Ar
thur 10 spend week with him In the country
At The GrOVe'-s0 he had named his estate
Owing TO q mistake in the date Of the invita-
ton, Arthur arrived soOner than he was ex-
pscted, and all the guest chambers were occu-
pied, 50 that he was put in Jennie Hamilton's, o,
she having gone out for the night. He was
conscious Of peculiar pleasure the moment
he entered the apartment, although he could
not perceive its cause. A cheerful wood FIRE
blazed Oh the white hearth, sending ruddy
light 70 the four corners, deepening the hue
Sf the crimson curtains and giving d mellow
tint 10 the light colOred paper, the toilette
service, and the drapery Of the bed. In front
was a lady's sewing machine chair, and near
il, on rose wood stand, was a brown work
basket, its bag tied with scarlet ribbons, the
long ends Of which fell over the edge with q
coquettish grace. The cover was partially
lifted, for Jennie had been called in haste to
visit poor old woman in the nsighborhoOd
and had left behind her two or three slight
marks Of the hurry of her departure The
desire to examine IL was irresistible and-I
regret to confess it-Arthuf peeped. How
dainty and yet how convenient everything
was within. The very genius Of comfort sat IN
the glittering thimble, nestled in the house
wife with its needles, its scissors of various
siLes, its wax and tapes, and glanced from the
spools smoothly packed in the inlaid spool
box. A new thought came into Arthur's
mind, and the popularity Of q true union be-
tween usefulness and taste presented itself to
hiR for the first time. How wonderful the
revelation appeared TO him In the eagerness
-of discovery his scruples vanished. First he
- Hreg cut q neatly mended stocking. He
handled it as If il bad been some rare piece of
jswelry, and turned il over and over again,
marking every winding Of the enmesAing and
strengthening threads, which at the moment
SlO1e 10 MS eyes Win luslIe Llko tudL VI
pearls. Then he kicked of one Of his slippers,
and perceived that bis great toe was just push
ing through the yielding silk, and that the
second was striving to keep IL company. His
other slipper followed the frst, but the foot
was in no better case, for the heel was visible
through its grsy covering. 'I must buy a
new package Of hose tomorrow" he said, with
half sigh Turning again to the basket he
took up cambric handkerchief hemmed
with mAehine-like precision, but without the
stiffness that machinery imparts 10 its work.
Arthur placed his own beside il, observed the
edge uneyenly turned and coarsely basted and
INDUCED himself in another gentle sigh
Finally he Lifted vest, the size Of which
showed il 10 be Mr.. Hamilton's and which
had renewed its youth under q judicious pro-
cess ef binding, new buttoning and button
holding A third sigh was audible, and Ar
I, thur, after carefully replacing the articles,
ssvsnt to the study table. Upon one end Of il
- were quantity Of artistS materials, and lying
among them was q comic pen -snd-ink sketch