Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1872-12-06
The Leisure Hour.
DESTRRSSE.rGLX. .vB.IT.

An invitation to visit Mrs. George Stan
ley, formerly Mary Kirk, an old school
companion of mine Mary had married
young and was now mistress of fine es-
tablishment. "What nice visit this will
be for me-" l said to myself, and so all the
time was making preparations for it, with
the assistance of my right hand maiden,
Fancy" l was mapping out wondrously
pleasant chart of my intended excursion,
which was elaborately finished and hung
in a gilded frame in the gallery of my
mind, when the carriage that conveyed me
from the cars landed me before the tasty
and rather imposing establishment of my
friend, Mrs. George Stanley.
"This compares well with my "lancy
picture" | said as / descended from the
carriage "but | wonder if Mary is not alb
sent from home, the house has such a shut
up sort of look ?" My mind was relieved
from this unwelcome surprise by the APP
pearance of my friend at the door, in an
swer to the summons of the bell. l recog-
nized her at once, though ten years had
gone by since her marriage, and she recog-
cordial. | followed her into the nicely
furnished hall, when she paused with Il
troubled look, and said -
"Will you he kind enough, Hattie, to use
the mat, as it is rather dusty ont, and
have perfect dread of dust"
| complied with the request, thinking
that it must be dusty indeed, if in stepping
from the carriage TO the house, sufficient
dust had adhered to my boots to soil the
carpets and then she led the way into the
back parlor. / followed with a sort of
uncomfortable fecling-a sense of restraint.
| Here I found the stuffed chairs, ottomans
and sofa, closely covered with linen, the
heavy tassels that looped back the rich
| damask curtains from the windows, placed
| in muslin bags to preserve them, the piano
covered with two coverings, the outer ono
of linen, while the legs of the instrument
were dressed with the same untasty ma
terial, the paintings, which should have
| adorned the walls, dsfgured with three
thicknesses of tarlctan, the rich Wilton
carpet upon the floor dotted here and there
with wooden booking, and the gas fixtures
were as carefully dressed as might be. L
took me some time to discover ali this, fol
the inside blinds were as closely draw
down as the outer ones.
"Mary," l said in half laughing way
at is dark as Egypt here. Come, give mi
little more light, for ! can scarce tell how
you are looking, and I came on purpose t,
see you"
81 cannot yet," was the cool answer
"By-and-by, when the sun gets below th
hill, I will, but l never draw the blinds il
the broad daylight, and l always expec
my visitors TO conform to this rule. Yol
see | am the same plain-hearted Mary
was when girl. Now | will show you t
your chamber
That was a nice, conmodious chambc
into which | was shown, with not only tn
comforts, but all the luxuries of moder
taste 3; il was altogether too nice to suit m'
for there was no sense of freedom there.
looked upon the bed with its costly COY
erings, and thought What If l should g
a fold or wrinkle upon those delicate Fl
brics-what If should in any way distur
the upper drawer look of the whole apar
ment." l longed for my own simply
furnished chamber at home, where | coul
be at liberty to throw open my blinds an
windows, and enjoy the heaven born gi
of fresh, pure air, and glorious, health-gi'
ing sunlight But it was in vain for me
wish this, so dressed myself as well as
might in the artificial twilight, and d
scended below stairs, whore | found n
friends two children, Harry, IA sweet pre-
ty, dark eyed boy Of eight, and Luc
a sweelly fair girl of six, just entering Il
room.
, There wAsa restrained, half fearful way
they came in and men their mothers quic
inquirng glance, that was painful to see.
"Harry, there is chalk mark on yo
pnntaloons, and your collar is awry, al
Lucy, your slippers are dusty go out nj
wipe them carefully. / am ashamed
your carelessness."
The two children left the room to do
, they were hidden, and could see that tn
felt keenly the censnre cast u 9on them
they had como to think they could do not
ing more rcprehensible than to appear wi
a speck or benish upon their dress or pc
son in their mothers presence.
Soon after, Mr. Stanley, my friends hi
band, came in. He was of large bull
noble and manly in his appearance, and
said to myself "There is too much chs
actcr and independence in him to subn
or be swayed in the least by this mania
his wife," But he had not crossed I
apartment before / was convinced by /
! glngerly step. and his uncertain manr