Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1863-04-10

the tobacco was all nonsense. Here are
my Grape shaws, the white and scarlet
but you've seen these, and they're SO
common nowadays, l never think oi
wearing them"
The camphor chest held quite collect.
ion of foreign boxes and packages the
dull, silkcn covers of the Chinese cases
being the most prominent. The shawls
which had been replaced in Mrs. Brad.
fords affections by the still more costly
cashmeres, were folded as smoothly. and
in as excellent state Of preservation as
when they first arrived. Stewart Of Beck
would have taken them at very little dis
count from the first heavy cost but Mrs.
Bradford would not have dreamt of sell
ing them, though she probably would nev-
er wear them again, now that they were
+" common"
/ Mrs. Mason could appreciate the rare
shade and delicate texture of the cash
mere, proudly submitted for her inspect
ION. In her fashionable days, a cashmere
was the desire of her heart, Here was
just the style it would have suited; it
would have been much more becoming to
her tall, delicate figure than Mrs. Brad
fords's broad shoulders. She could Tot
restrain an exclamation Of pleasure as
she gathered the graceful folds in her
hands, and was conscious Of the feminine
wish to . try it on'-a lingering vanity
she did not suspect herself Of before.
Now, how much do you suppose l
~, D..lI,-1
" just look at the border Of this scarf,
aud such q lovely shade, too | hap
pcned to u at Stewards the morning
they were opened, and | considered them
great bargains. Only nine hundred for
the two
Mrs. Mason had seen more than the
border when the scarf was held up to
light, She might be mistaken; she hoped
she was; but she thought she dlscovere
the minute traces Of mothhoes +! Yes,
there were, and the dusty rolls clingng
to the thick woof Of the border were seen
in another instant by Mrs bradford her.
self. The shawl, too, when 1t came to be
examined, had been attacked by the same
insidious enemy, Mrs Bradioro tore open
/ her fur-boxes, and shook the costy y cape
and muif in the sunshine. Alas tor cx-
periments. the black feathery particles
/ tiew out in a shower, and one OF the rich
] tips came of in her hands.
1t is catastrophe that put all thoughts
of visits and shopping out of the question
! her chief treasures had sustained irrepar-
abe injury, and paltry pair OF embrold-
! cred mocca,ins, purch ,sed at Niagara the
year before, had be.n the cause OF all the
cause of all the mischief.
Mrs. Mason felt her lingering love for
such perish,blc finery rcbukcd, as her
sister iamcnted her folly and its conse-
quencc, particularly as she bad intended
tle shawls for llarrys wife at some tu
ture DAY, aud SO thought them good in-
vestments of the large sums paid for
them. The suit Of sable purchased only
the winter before were, in their way,
quite as choice and costly.
As dlnner-time approached, Mrs. Brad
1 ford was summoned TO the thousand and
one preliminary annoyances Of hostess
on whom every detail devolves, and whose
heart was set on having every arrange
ment perfect She could not trust even
the French cook to arrange the costly
dessert of Dollhouse fruits, and then the
silver could not be giyen out till the last
moment for fear OF thieves. They had
such a fright She told Mrs Mason, I" at
the time the oyster-boy carried Oft all the
spoons and forks in his can while the
cooks back was turned. New York
thieves were getting so ingenious. y
Five O'Clock was the dlnner-hour and
the whole laborous day had been passed
in looking over the valuable woollens IN
the press bewailing accidents, and making
ready for guests that were almost eLtire
strangers and very uninterestlng people
their only title to Mr.. Bradford's courtesy
letter Of introduction. Mrs. Bradford
was obligel to be polite and entertaining
when her thoughts were with the careless
waiter and the elegant dessert set, sull-
en-, unounc ual cook, and her fastidious
husband. The host, depressed by the
losses of the day and the hazards of the
morrow. noticed every delinquency with
double displeasure, to be poured out to
the much enduring Mrs. Bradford as soon
as the visitor had depurted.
Mrs. Mason thought she had never had
so exhaustng day in all her exertions
for the poor and the sick, as Mrs Brad
ford had undergone for people who would
never think of her again. Besides, their
claim, notwithstanding her sister did not
allow it, was to her sacred and loving
bond.
She told her husband of the mishap
to the cashmeres as they retired, weary
with the platitudes they had been COM
PEELED to listen to through the evening.
"Well," he said. with very unsympa-
thizing Indifference, a don't suppose
Ellen thinks.
| ''Tis better to have had and lost.
Than never to have had at all.
There's j ohm been lccturing me this morn
ing for not coming back and going into
business again. He says there never
was better chance for people with cap
ital at command. What do you think
about it
Oh, no Mrs Mason said, earnestly
4" Just see how John is swallowed up In
business and business care from morning
till night Ellen says herself that he
scarcely takes time to breathe and fairly
talks gf it in his sleep. He looks twice
as old as you do, SO haggard and ANXIOUS