Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1868-12-25


! You may next time. Well, her
is money for your Christmas tree
You can buy it a florists shop"
She threw it or rather droppe,
it, half carelessly, half YEARLY upol
the pavement. The child picked i
up, stood still, spd besitated.
Well, have you anything NOR,
to. say?" asked Miss Blanchard, hel
hand Upon the check-rein
81 was thinking, ma'am, that
wouldn't buy a Christmas tree, after
all, if you'd just as lieye,"
q I just as lieve! Do what you
choose with the money. What do
you want more than the tree 7"
" Some things for mother. She's
sick, and / was thinking maybe
you'd tell me what kind of things
to get. She never had any, so !
don't know"
"YoH are somewhat bold, my
child" said she. 1T is enough for
me to give the money, without adj
vice. But, stay; you come to my
house at ten o'clock tomorrow
morning, and you will have some
food and clothes given you, with
other poor persons who viii be
there. Here is the address on this
card. Ten O'Clock, remember.
Drive on James -
"Drive on, / should think If
that ere off horse inst down sick
tomorrow, I'll lose my guess,
that's all :" muttered James, indig-
nantly, and drove home at such a
pace that his mistress had not found
time to forget her late interview be
fore she entered the house.
Dinner was served, but before
she sat down, Miss Blanct -rd sum-
moned Mrs. Bliss, her silent, sober
housekeeper.
You sent for me ma am p
eyes. The flannel and calico are in
sOmeparcels in the carriage. Have
them taken to your own room, and
divide them into the usual quantities.
Is the bread baked and the joints
roasted, as l told you? p
. /" Yes, ma am. 4"
every well. Each of the twelve
women is to receive a gown and petit
coat piece, a loaf, and a joint, as
usual. Take down their names,
and see that they have not been
here before"
g Yes, ma'am."
Besides these twelve women, |
have directed q little girl to call
ten o'clock. ! wish to see her my
self, and you will, if you please,
pack a large basket with articles
suitable for a sick woman, 10 give
her. l should like, also, to give her
some clothes. viii you look at
some Of mine? or, no, you had bet
ter 90 out this evening and buy
some cloth. Mary viii make up
the things
"What sort Of cloth, ma am 2
asked the umoyed Bliss, whom no
orders confused or discompOsed.
Il do not know exactly. Some
thing warm and strong, of course,
and Indifferent suits for the different
garments. CIothe her from head to
foot, and get a cloak and hood. You
may take James with you. That is
all. / believe. You have provided
gifts for the servants"
Z. " Yes, ma am"
Miss Blanchard dined alone, as
usual. The dinner was perfect, the
service and attendance in the high
est style of art, and the lady sus-
tanned her part in the domestic pa
geant with the selfpOssession and
docility to established forms, as IA
miliar as their breath to such
women.
When all was over, even to the
tiny cup Of cafe NOR and the finger
glass of rose-water, she walked
slowly from the room, paused mo-
ment.in the brilliantly lighted draw
mg-rooms, then went up stairs with
the crisp, elastic tread of suppressed
but intense nervous emotion.
Entering her dressing-roOm, she
locked the door, passed into her
sleeping room, and also locked the
door Of communication between the
two. The room had no other ap-
proach, and was divided from the
one behind by two closets, both
opening into Miss Blanchards cham
Der. The occupant Of that chamber
could secIude herself from her house.
hold as completely as if she lived in
another world; and this was not an
accidental arrangement.
The door secured, Miss Blanchard
lighted the gas burner concealed in
the alabaster lilies beside her dress
ing olsss, and unlocked her writing
table. From its private drawer she
took a casket, and then opened il
with a key attached to her watch
chain. 1t held two pictures and a
! few worn and yellow letters.
Miss Blanchard read her letters
all through, pausing now and again
over some tender phrase, some
! lover-like extravaganza, some as
surancc of deathless faith and con
stancv-read them all through, and
! folded them with scrupulOus care
inhaled with white, hard-set lips The
faint fragrance still eXhaling from
them. then laid the packet back II
the box. and opened one Of the pic
lures. 1t represented q young man
! moderately weIl-looking, but wit
/ furtiyC ewes. n sensual mouth, AM
a weak chin. The face Of one q
the men whom such women as thI
love. because they are thcmselye
too far above them to cOmprehcn
their HttlencSs, and can, Of thei
own mmifccnce, weave a mantle {
clothe the idol, who, remainin
thenceforth 50 enshrined, like tn
dead Solomon in his regal robes
presents the semblance of royalt!
though the reality become mere co
ruption and nothingness.
Replacing, at last, this pictun
e with the letters, Miss Blanchal
p took up the other. 1t was the lik
ness of young and beautif
c woman; it was the counterfeit
that loneliness which Rhadama