Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1871-11-18
Ootavia Hadleigh's Story.

where and how shall 1 begin It? Unlike
Canning's knife grinder, 1 hare a story to tell:
bu' 10 iiNe thing and TO relate il are 80 differ
wonder il the humble moth, safely sheltered
beneath the projecting greencTy of some house
hold cabbage, ever feels a thrill of envy whom
Inc gorgeous butterfly, with wings all ablaze
with Yelytty maroon and gold, ali ghts close by
him. II -, the moth must feel Just as / felt
when toTUe.ia BydeNter sat in our poor little
IariOr that November day, with her chains and
rings ana .oOped-up draperies of cashmere
anu prlInroSe-eOlored kid gloves buttOned with
links OF gold.
1t was rather hard; for / could remember the
old days when COrnelia and l went to school to-
gether. and wrote her compositions for her
and looked out the hard words in the French
dictionary. There Is no republic like a school
and COTnelia was thankful to be allowed To sit
next TO me then; and now she actually pre-
suhed 10 patrOnlze me: no, not exactly that
either; for COrnelia Bydexter, notwithstanding
her lack OF brains, was an honest, warm hearted
sort OF glri But the poor are sensitive; and al
though was pleased to see nv old school mate
the pleasure was not unmiNed with bitterness
=, Yes, we ,reTs poor; and the fact stared me in
ihe race wherever L yentured 10 look. That We
had been rich was no manner of consolation
i he room was filed with ill-assOrted relics of
furniture that had once been splendid in rose
WOOD SHINE ana CLEANS of satin and brocatelle
The carpets, now worn threadbare were of
rOyaiyelyet and Administer, and the whole apart
ment bore vestiges of that shabby gentility that
poor pref 'nse of newness and freshness. which
i more pathetic by far than the undisguised
front OF poverty. was tired of arranging the
tse inner folds, i was weary OF putting glued
chairs in he least-used corners, and setting
mended china vases in the shadowy hooks OF
mantel and table. Where was the use? Did
not every body see through miserable de-
vices? We were poverty-stricken, and there
was an end of it.
And yet poor papa sat there in that forlorp.
secOnd-rate little room like viscOunt in his re-
ceptiOn chamber. Dear papa! ever since his
i aIalytie stroke ne mad seemed to believe In
hlmSeli TO degree could not possibly attain
to, and to imagine that the world also put faith
IN him Nor would We have had it otherwise.
And dear mamma, who could not look aught
else than a lady in spite of mended laces and
otttUTned silks, never told him of the daily con-
tests with unpaid butcher, dissatisfied baker,
and ciamorously insOlent candlestick-
And ,Jeannette and /, Just at the age when life
ought-accordng To all We had read and heard
to wear its sunniest aspect, grew up in the
shadow, CRY ing softly to ourselves when it was
bltterest To endure in sience-for it was a part
OF our domestic creed to keep all the disagreea-
bleS from poor papa.
YES" said papa noddng his head as he sat
in a gorgeous Turkish dressing-gOwn by the
window, his Shppered feet on embroidered
ottoman, and one white slender finger inserted
between the pages of the book he had been
reading all the mOrning-"ycs, you are quite
right, Miss Bydexter; Octavia as growing very
And I could feel myself blushing scarlet. be-
tween my delight at receiving "A compliment
from papa andmy embarrassmen at feeling all
the family eyes-Miss BydeNters included
turned upon me.
cts a shame she should be shut IN here"
Stitl MISS BNueNteT. IN ntr Sbft soprano voice,
t.when al the world l. getting ready to enjoy
itself. Come, Octavia, what 30 you say to going
with me to New York this winter?''
wife said papa, lOftly-SOmehOw the man
her was Just as natural to him a. the air he
bTeathed-'why don't We send our little girl 10
New York? Miss BydeNter's kind offer ought
Tot to he sighted, and il really would be great
advantage, socially speaking, to the child"
Visions of Broadway seen through the sun
shine Oi a December day. OF the Firth Avenue
and Central Park. Stewards and DelmOnicO'S
OF brass bands and lighted bathrooms, shot dz-
zily across my brain for the instant, as a hungry
man dreams Of unlimited food. felt the burn
Of the kindling lights in my eyes as l looked
from papa to mamma. And then common
sense. for moment frightened off her throne,
came back 10 me, and knew how impractical
Bile, not to say impossible, the plan was. But
,Jeannette uttered a little apturOuS CIV.
on. oct..yia. wOuldn'titb DC nice: Ii we only
had the money"
.Yes--if." mamma answered. with that soft,
moonlight sort of smile she has at times. - But
But papa would not allow her TO finish the
sentence. deep, mahogany flush
mounted TO his forehead, and his br0ws
sIf Octayia wishes" he said. 81 can very
easily draw check upon the bank for her ex-
Mamma breathed quick and short; Jeanette
opened wide her honest blue eyes.
e ltwOUld be delightful" said Miss COrnelia
EydeNteT. 10 whom one or two hundred dollars
was no more than they would be TO the lilies Of
tie field. v hO ''toil not, neither do they spin
Anu POOR mamma, Who knew very well that the
\. Tativey needed for the already overdue rent.
-kiNfuliN engineered the conversation away
from the rocks and shoals which pOrtended the
sliI-wrCck OF our domestic peace.
Yes. indeed" said Miss BydeNter. uncon-
ScioCS'y following mamma : lead, ana plunginl,
into the great service channel. - I've been
very badly treated; but servants are thankleSs
race. Louise has left me, the ungrateful thing!
Forty dollars month was paying her too
THAT l. great sum 10 pay" said mamma;
and knew the Fang with which she was think
ing that that was exactly the sum in which we
we're indebted 10 DIR. NOrtimOre. Not large
amour; IN itself, TO he sure, but enough to make
IL >ETlHk from encOuntertng him Had not
gone a good quarter OF mile out of my way,
only Yesterday, to avoid the necessity OF passing
his door? Alasi do the rich ever dream OF the
thousard barbed arrows OF modification which
daily and hourly pierce the souls of the poor? l
well" said Miss Byjexter. playing with the
handle OF her diamOnd-stHdded eyes glass, ..she
waSnt exactly a servant, You know. Mrs. Hal
leigh: more OF a companion. She real to me-
ard did my hair Sweetly, and kept all nv laces
IN such charming order. shall never. never be
able 10 replace Louise. offered her fifty dol
lar TO stay on with me. for / didn't know how
ON earth was going 10 manage without her
Just a. was gong 10 New York too. Bat She
had got "A pack OF silly nonsense into her head
about some Young FTcnchman or other that she
wanted TO marry: Marry, indeed: Such peO-
PIE haven't any business 20 marry. and L am
sure Louis, will live tn repent it,
Thus Miss Cornelia BydrXteT ratified on, quite
certain that the triyalities OF her daily life must
possess deep interest for her auditors. for no one
Lad ever ventured to tell the milliOnaire's
daughter that she was a fool. / heard her with
cut hearing. although | listening AL the
tme-the pan which had flashed into nv head
seemed - ritlculOusiy visionary and vet 20 sim
PIE And when she rose to take her leave rose
100, trembling slightly and ciasPing my hands
uervOuSly together.
Papa, ! began, . II have been thinking
about II, and II you and mamma do not OBJ
iect-'
= Well"' Papa looked little surprised, per-
kaps because II was 80 seldom that ventured in
lis presence to express an opinion of INV own
- should 20 much like to 20 TO New York
with COTnelia,"
smiling. and patting my hand with her mother
oi-peaTl-hantled fan: ''yOu will be exactly like
taiT princess"
Where the similarity existed nobody knew,
nor did Miss BydeXteT take the trouble to ex-
PLAN She was accustomed TO have people take
Lei meaning for granted.
Mamma looked at me in bewildered way, a
SOFT reprCach shining out of her ewes / con ID
read her race as II IL were an open book. Before
papa she dared not say out the truth: We
want the money for our rent Oh how can