Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1866-12-14

III tile rear of the house, between it and ;
hill that was crowned with couple of ru
med towers, the fragments of what hao
been the abode of the family when til,
Norman king gave the estate to the frs
Pomtret, the founder Of the race. Their,
was an American garden. and lake, ant
the lOyeliest winding, tumbIinc, turbulen
stream neandering through the ground,
tllat was ever seen. Bnt all these thing,
| knew afterwards. All | could see nov
was that the house was stately looking
but full of bright lite apparently for froi,
every window there strcamed flood o.
| light, and voices full OF warm, hearty tones
were borne out into the cOltncss of the De
cembcr air
1t was all so much more grand than
had expected, that felt terribly ncrvOue
about walking in through that pondcrous
door, and facing the Pomfrets alone. Blu,
it had to he done so did it without q
sign of the hesitation felt. | know now
that the entrance. hall is furnished mo:c
like il banqucting hall, with its bullets and
huge tankarls of silver and gold (rathcr
different these to poor Guys iuug,) its big
leathcrll couches and capacious chairs
its yrandly pancllcd oak walls, hung with
shields, and adorned at regular intervals
with liie-sized figures of men in arlnor,--
and its Heor luxurously carpctcd with Per
sian rugs, and tiger. and bear, and deer
skins. | know all this now,-as | know
myself, or better perhaps; but it was all
lost upon me then, rs lowered some
where i'll the rear of the big Swiss who act
ell as porter, who went on and announced
me to some one, who forthwith came Uu:
from a room and made me welcome.
This some one was a kind looking.
small slightly dcformcd lady, who came
up and kissed me, saying
Good gracious can you be Georyiana's S
daughter. My dear child; you're as old as
she was when | saw her last Then she
hustled about a little, rang bell. and fl
nallv sent me to nv room, under the care
of her own maid, Pcrcival
Before amy OF my fears an shortcom-
lngs can be accepted by the reader as nat
urai. it must be fully understood that.
though | was town-bred girl. had seen
nothing of 's0cicty.' had lived Bohc-
mlan lite with my brother til he married
and after his marriage had lived in ALSO
lutte quiet with his wife; so now had not
single precedent to go upon at the Tow
trS,-notlling hut my wonlanlv instincts,
and | feared that these might prove insult
licient
For example, felt ahcct before PEREZ
val. as she, after having my box unstrapp-
ed ny subordinate, proceeded to unpack
1t. knew what it contained, and knew
what she would thinli of what it contained
and wished hadn't come to the Towers
III breath. Then wished she would
speak me; and then remembered that
1t was not her part to volunteer spccch.-
And then looked in the cheral-.lass, ard
saw myself reflected ut full l"mstll, and
"iShed. askln%lr, thai | was not so much
more substantial looking than that brill
iant .l.llt apparlton in velvet and .rebe who
ths station. ''''"" brilliant apparition at
Presently some tea in IL grayiSl,- WA.
cup and soma shavin5s Of hrcad and but
ter We're brought to nc.-a deep, fat arm
chair having been previously wheeled
round to Tie fire, and Il table placed be
side it, by Pcrcival. Then that opprcS-
sivc person announced her intention of
leaving ne for an hour. till it was time to
come back and dress for dinner, and | was
left alone
Alone at last and how very small |
felt. to be sure, in that lofty room, wIinSc
corners were lost in shade, for all the wax
candles that were lavishl, burning them
selves away for my enlightenment on the
mantci- piece and dressing table What Il
mantcl- piece it was. too carved into a
hundred quaint conccits and tlowery fam
cics in such rich looking dark oak. As
sat there, tired, and warm. and excited,
began to make out stories for the many la
dies of the house of Pomfrrt who must
have sat where | was sitting now, and
warmed themselves in other days,
Those other days-ali how the romance
of them grew upon and bewillcred me as
sa' lost in the depth of the chair, look
Ing round at the dressing table that was
80 different to anything had ever scei. be-
fore out of Wardour Street. No muslin
covered its biz carved oak lrgs.-no little
tancitnl arrangement of quilted ribbon and
ilutcd lace ran round It's border. 1t stood
uncovered i'll Its dark, hard beauty; for
know it to have possessed that latter at,ri
butte, now that am aware that Gibbons
Imagination and hand both worked npon
it. Whata massive silver framed ola glass
it Was that stood upon i: am unhccom-
ing old glass, too, remember, for all It's
graudeur,-a glass that made me look
green when | stood before it, and that
threw my Hose into Il queer line that Icat
ure never had from nature.
For had to rouse myself from my deep
dreamy ialclrs, and stand to be dressed
before that old glass at last. Percival
came back, and | gathered my disordcrcd
mind together under her auspices, and sat
myself down before my stately toilet altar
tu be dressed for my first Christmas even
ing in Il country house.
felt very much depressed when, the
foundation of fine Starchcd skirts and silk
slips Laid, Percival, the terrible only old
maid had ever had to wait upon me,
brought out my prize drcSS,-a ilcccy
thing; all cloudy white tullc and puincSs.
that Helen had taken special pains with.
This had been designed as II sort of crown
ing glorv,-a thing in which to appear at
same great county hall,-a robe in which
to be seen by the 'p@incr Charming who
VA, to he seen aud conquered by me ,lurl
iny my visit, And now lc,cival took j.
out for me to 70 down tn dinner in. |
spoke ut last, suggesting mildly that there
Was no company, was there.
Only the company etaying i'll the house.
-.about twenty rrrcival replied, Stand-
ins before me like II respectable Fate, with
the tulle dress gathered up over her arm
Then will wear black silk, contriv-
ed to say, firmly. So at last got dressed
in that with IL great white gauzc cloud ov-
er me called IL scarf, And then my hour
was come, and | went down rs wtll us /
could to the PontrctS' drawing lunm.