Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1865-12-23

| $50 you think this letter will do ?"
| "Certainly." .'"i.. a'' .ln,E .f.
"Now isn't 1t silly? ?" "a- il., ,'.. .H'
| "No, not at all" .'' .''lltI I-. 30 a'
! "Bnt do you think l shall get an an
swer?" -
"Most certainly. Now give me the letter,
there, sealed with the white wax and with
the satin paper, 1t looks quite aristocratc.
| / will put stamp on 1t, and then take II
myself to the postoffice."
so spoke Adele Jones, day scholar In
the great grand French school Of Nine.
Morvilie, addressing herself to Mary SOM
ers, a boarder in the same establishment.
Adele and Mary were intimate friends
such friends as schoolgirls are at the gid
dy age when they do not even know the
| meaning of the word, and think IL means
a pleasant indulgence for each others faults
and caprices. i' t'-Nl" y1 }
Adele was this very day givingher friend
Mary Somers what she called proof OF
friendship; she was conveying letter to
young and favorite singer, whom the girls
had both heard at recent concert, and
with whom Mary had fallen what she call
ed desperately in love.
Be it known to all who have daughters at
these grand boarding schools, that the day
scholars are always mediums OF communi-
cation with the outward world, whetherfor
unwhOlesome sweetmeats or dangerous
sweetbearts. Mary Somers had no secrets
! from Adele. At the concert they had sat
side by side, and together had discussed
the lovely eyes, and sweet moustache, and
the melting voice Of the young tenor, VINO,
used to homage from girls as foolish as
themselves, scarcely vOuchsated to cast
glance on them but of course these girls,
utterly ignorant of the world, judged this
man by themselves, and imagined. he would
be delighted to know that the lovely,young,
and romantic Mary SOmers, was In love
| with him. .. ...
Putting their two wild heads together
next day during the time of the recess, the
girls had come to the decision that the only
way was to write love letter, which ac-
cOrdingly had been concocted, written,
signed and sealed. OF course, being the
time of the recess, when no lessons are go-
ing on, it was nObody's business to see
what the girls were about.
| Now Adele Jones was girl of peculiar
cunning and OF much worldly wisdom.
Her father was only book-Ieeper in the
large Wholesale dry goods store Of the rich
Mr.. Somers, Mary's father; and her mother
was a poor, vain, sickly creature, whose
beauty and jaunty manners had, in an evil
hour, when he was twenty, and she sixteen,
tempted honest, hard-working John Jones
to make her his wife. ... .......
Her beauty had long since gone, her
health, too. and with both of these the
temper that makes amends for youth, health
and beauty.
She seemed to have but two objects in
life-one was that of complaining constant
ly to John of his want of means to indulge
her taste in finery and luxury, the other
was to try by every means in her power to
rival in dress and appearance the rich Mrs,
Somers and her daughter.
OF course this was impossible, and OF
course itlead to all sorts of meanness, and
all sorts of deceit, and all sorts of annoy
ance to John but the worst of all was that
it led to making Adele her mothers con-
fidante Of little deceptions she practiced on
him TO obtain few dollars; it led to her
daughters plotting and planning with her,
and inventing schemes of her own. The
carelessness and neglect of the teachers at
school, completed this education of evil.
II was Adele who had planned her going
to the same school as Mary SOmers; it was
Adele who had planned the friendship
which united the two girls apparently, but
which on one side was but calculation and
deceit.
Mrs. Jones sat sighing and rocking her.
self hopelessly near the window, groaning
over every exhibition of gay dressing that
passed il, when Adele rushed into the room
and, dropping her books with great floI
on the floor, exclaimed, "hIOther, mother
what do you Think" .......- ...
30! | don't know; nothing pleasant
though, I'm sure, for nothing pleasant ever
does happen to u.s."
"Oh! it isn't anything Of such great i'm
! pOrtance one way or the other, but it's fun
Here. look here-this is love-letter to
Signor Zralldi, l am to deliver, and Mary
Somers wrote it."
"Mary Soniers!" Mrs. Jones took the
note, and turned it over and over, much
disappointed at the sight Of the seal, and
thus she ruminated, speaking her thoughts
aloud l.,...... 49,.
"Mr. Somers would give good sum fol
this; we, might put real guipure arounc
our cloaks." ... -i.,....
"Nonsense,, mother; betray Mary?"
b sBetray Maryr' exclaimed Mrs, Jones
4 looking up in surprise. 80. -. - ...
= al mean for so little. No, no; there:
. more to be made out of this than paltry
guipure trimming. Just let me manage
I this affair, and Warrant you I'll make &
fortune out of It," urI1 .e. rr.s.ag.
"Well, Adele, You know best; dear, dear
how much young folks do learn at school
J. | never had such advantages as you have
hope you will never marry such poor
HELPLESS man as your father and be like
I'your poor, poor mother. Oh, dear, / wish
\, could have a nice carriage ride" So say.
r ing Mrs. Jones restored the note to hel
= daughter. ft.4J ...ag. 10 gJl.
. The next day Mary received, through
@ the hands of her friend. a glowing epistle
h appointing meeting, which, owing to cir.
cumstauces connected with Mary not be-
= ing able to get free before, had to take
place after dark, at the back gate. of Mrs
Jones' house, opening into an alley where
no one passed. 1t was on Saturday---a day
,. Mary Somers was supposed to spend with
4 her mother,l but which she really spent
with her friend, either In yperambulatine
- the, streets, going to the matinees, or in SCI
% cret combinations on the mysteries of life
:. with Adele, all,alOne in Mrs, JONES' little
uncomfortable parlor. H 8 81 laq5 glol
Z Mrs. Somers ought perhaps to have pre-.
( ferred that her daughter should be with
4 her; but then as Mrs Somers was q relig.
: ious woman. an active member of a fash
ionable church, a leading name on all char
: table committees, institutions, and char.
tiles, she had no time t0 ttheud to Mary
beyond sending hen to tllc fashionable
school, to which all ndlhers With husbands
IN the high social position of Mr.. SomerI
3 sent their daughters. -lfuefg sd
s Mary was, therefore, not afraid of being
4 discovered by her mother, but Adele said
: her mother would never forgive her and
3 would betfay them both il she came to
j. know of themeeting therefore had she con
Y trived that it should take place after dark
l1Ja. 49,