Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1867-01-03
SELECT STORY.
FROM "IoNDON SOCIETY"
SOMETHING TO MY ADVANT NTAGE

4 . Ir Miss Christina Smitl, will appl, in
person at the Office Of Mcssrs. Ridge and
Finch, l0i Legality Lane. she my hear Of
something to her advantage
Twas busy packing hamper Of new-laid
eggs to send to our cousins, the Smiths of
Westminster There was something in the
hamper, too besides eggs. A line turkey, a
goose even vet more distinguished for fat
ness and tineness, and | forget how many
pounds of ircsh-churned butter. We were
country Smiths, Smiths famous for our
produce ol these things, which We had the
idea were not 10 easily come 10y in West
minister. Al all events the Westminster
Smiths, with whom our relationship was
almost Il tradition. ior that branch of the
family had long been settled there, ,and We of
the country had MOI sen the town for two
/ generations, while il was almost a. long
sinos Westminster had come down to Dew
onshire. Well. ! was going 10 say, that
these unseen, unknown city cousins Of ours,
| though at other times We heard little of
them, always responded gratefully and
speedily on receipt of the hampers, which
twice in the year. for as long rs | can re-
member, and great deal longer, too, dare
say, IL waa the custom Of us Dcvonshirc
Smiths to send them. There was the Mid
summer hamper and the Christmas hamper
No matter what commonly filed the farmer,
il was the Christmas hamper was now
packing, and its contents have already told
| you.
The best nnd safest way Of packing eggs
is to wrap eneh one separately in paper, and
as you put them in the hamper, to fill up the
crevices with straw, or, better still, sbreds
of paper OF all the hundreds sent, neyar
was single egg of my packing known to
break on the long journey to Westminster,
IN Our cousins testified with wondering ad-
miration.
Well, had just torn off IL piece of news
papers wherewith to cntold the egg had in
my hand, when the paragraph have already
transcribed caught my eye, riveted my atten-
ton. md caused me to suspend operations
entirely. Suspend operatious it made mt
do worse than that Made me drop the egg
In my hand, which Immediately smashed on
the iioor No matter, II was only the stone
floor of the kitchen, where it would do no
harm. though even had it been OH the new
Brussels carpet in the parlor | don't think
that should have needed ii. My thoughts
had flown far away beyond the considera-
tts.r .ts s.t ..,.d .....,I b..
Alnaschar, that unlucky downfall did moi
rouse me from the vision Of my dream.
"Christina Smith," That was my name
az II had been my mothers before me
There were many Smiths in the world; IL
my own brief and narrow experience knew
of many who were nothing akin to us. Bai
Christina, that name was unuqe in our viii
lage, and, since my mother died, | did MOI
believe there lived another Christina Smith
either there or anywhere beyond ii. In thai
the paragraph plust be addressed to me.
But Messrs. Rudge and Finch, how should
they ever have heard of me Poor it'll,
rustic me. Much more likely, it seemed
that should have heard of them, eminent
London attorneys, yet | never had. Thei
emincnce was, by the way, pW ct sinipi'
the gift Gi my own brain. Then, how
should get to these gentlemen? "Apply
i'm person. the advertisement said Her,
was !, living with Aunt Sarah, all by myself
nearly two hundred miles away from l.on
don, how should l manage so 80 tiiere. l,
who had never been out OF my na'''' 'e,
ousLrp all my life sct, on the othef iiahu,
-.oN, nating heard of that something to my
advantage how could keep away? With
the wondrous, the intimate grace Of the un.
known, that something enchanted and Gag
zled my view. Did it mean wealth and
how muchs Enough for my fancy to build,
without the help of genii, Il palace beautiful
as Ahddins. | had read with delight the
Arabian Nights, and they were always a
ready book OF reference for my day dreams.
Though had never seen, OF course / had
dreamt Of my fairy prince before now.
was nineteen years old. Eggs and poultry,
the matter-of-fact realities of my everyday
life, the absolute seclusion of our pretty cot.
tage home, embosomed in its shade Of trees,
none of these things had sufiiccd to shut Out
the vision. My prince was not, however,
like my palace, after the copy OF Aladdin
| had always rather objected to the tailoi
parcntage OF that hero, as well as a few 9TH
er things. But the ideal prince would be
sure to come to tho ideal palace, and ideal
happiness would follow in his train, not foi
myself only, but for everybody loved.
''something 10 my advantage Again
read the advertisement on the piece OF torn
newspaper. and had just decided to carry i
to Aunt Sarah, and hear what she would say
about it, when Martha came into the kitcb.
en-. Martha was our maid -of-all-work, a
good honest soul as ever was, but plain in
person, plain and practical, too, in mind
She was young,-almost as young as was,
but do not believe she had ever dreamt
OF prince, or even Of an dcnl butcher, ba-
kcr, or farmers man. She was fond of me,
though, and thought would tell my good
fortune to her before went to Aunt Sarah.
| Marthas eye had lighted at once on the bro
ken egg on the kitchen floor.
eyes did ii but never mind Martha,
you can get cloth and wash it away, and
the floor viii be no worse, and eggs will
soon be as cheap al dirt to us, so ii doesn't
matter for one broken.
''Lor, miss" said Martha, staring, "then
you won't be for sending any more on 'em
to LondeI town. Folks don't reckon much
of presents that's no better nor dirt to them
as sends EN-"
This was not worth reply,
''Read that, Martha said, giving her
the paper but she blundered so in her spell
ling after she had passed the familiar letters
Of my name, that snatched ii away impa-
tiently, and read it myself aloud. ''There,
what do you think of that = There was
triumph in the tone of my question, but
Martha's reply dashed ii just little.
4 "Think, Miss Chrissy shy think as |
should like to punch that Mr.. Rudgos head
for him if only could get a sight at him.