The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1867-09-25
An Evening With a Shoddy Fam
From the Cornhill, written by a New
York Lady,

-- tS3 -
From the Cornhill, written by a New
York Lady.]
Before the evening was over, I found
myself in smaller apartment, gorgeensly
furnished, and rendered truly remarkable
by the aboninable showily,tramed paint
ings which nearly covered the walls. A
human quartette was seated on the sofa. a
la Kenwig, and it needed no second look
to convince me that I saw the children of
myihostess. Feminine treble and mascn-
line, bass were represented there in equal
parts, but thai effect WIS pnfelySa matter
of faith, as nothing in their faces betrayed
that they had ever uttered a sound, Soon
the mother appeared. "Lor, Mrs D., you
here9 Well, had to get out .of the par
lors for a minit-it's so suffocating there
This is our family setting-roDnl. Ellen,
stick in your shoulder. missp (This was
characteristic, directed to the sofa de-
partment.) II see yon are lookinA at the
paintin's. Well, we have got lots of them
that's certain. / tell FIR. G.,we'll have
picture gallery before we know it-ha!
ha but that's nothing--for the mans
bound to have everything that money can
buy. (Here a radiant, satisfied ripple of
expression ran across the quartette upon
the sofa.)
/ tried to say something, but alas the
allusion to the possible art gallery had
jeopardized my gravity to such an extent
that / ceuld only cough pathetically.--
This ereibig picture" pursued Mrs. G. sis
q landscapes landscape by - children,
is this landscape by9" "Mr. Benson y
they all answered in q breath, closing their
mouths instantly, like. four traps Eyes,
Mr.. Benson. He's o Western man, Mrs.
D, and don't charge more'n q quarter
what these New York painters ask He
paints pretty, though. Amt that white
fence too nathral7 2" letting her head drop
sideways with its weight of admiration
Alas, the fence was too natural, but did
not trust myself to say so. ! merely bow
ed, aud stared yacantly at an ideal work,
representing, as suspected, Cupid and
Psyche, since the blue damsel depicted
therein balanced a huge butterfly upon her
shoulder, and her youthful companion had
the inevitable wings and quiverof the, mis-
schievous God of Love. "That picture"
broke forth Mrs. G., standing in superb
disdain beside me; faint MY taste Mr.. G.
bought it, It's fancy piece, you see;
Cupid and children! What did your pa
say was the name of this picture Z" Cupid
and Peesitchr' answered the two elder
ones, simultaneously, "Dh, yes! Cupid
and Per-sitch. But, Mrs. D., yon must look
at our portraits-we've had one artist for
a year past doing all our family painting.
Here's Mr. G. and me. You may think the
yellow gloves in my picture amt mates
any one might-but they are the artist
was bound to put up one Of them in shad-
der, in spite of all could say. This is
Daniels picture. {Sit up straight, Daniel,
and let 90 your sisters sash.) Its like
him, all but the hair. The naughty boy
Cooking severely at Daniel burnt off one
side of his curtis last week, and we had to
cut of the rest. Here's our youngest boy
Tommy--the end one on tho sofa there
most beautiful boy! Always just as sassy
and lively as you see him in the picture
amt it like him, Mrs. Dr." Every like
without venturing to take second look
at the original! "Mr. Benson said he new.
er saw harder child to paint, it was SO
hard to get his expression. (Alack! j
should think it would have been very diff.
cult.) He took him at first with one shoe
on and the other layin' on the carpet; but
WASN'T going to have a child of mine
lookin' like tliat-so I made Mr.. Benson
alter it quick. / told him to just change
the shoe on the carpet to kitten, or some.
thing of that kind, and then to put good
Balmorals on the poor child. It's bad en-.
ough to have your young ones looking like
wild about the house, without having theil
likenesses took all in a muss!"