Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1873-08-15
uY MRS. OLIVE STEWART.

THE THREE CONFESSIONS.
rr MRS. OLIVE STEWART.
II all the world were of one mind, the
aame of life would soon be blocked but
there being great diversity in the tastes,
opinions. and motives of human beings, the
game goes on. and will be continued when
we the present players are no more.
However. this is not dissertation, bat q
story. Once upon a time-rot long time
aro-there were three ladies, boarding at a
very select boarding house in very desira-
Die locality in the mighty city Of modern
Gotham. Traly has it been said, 81 One
touch Of nature makes the whole world kin,
and these three ladies. very unlike in some
respects. had been drawn together in bonds
of a close, confding friendship by two con-
ditions common to each of the three each
was unmarried, and each was mistress Of
fair and well-inyested fortune.
Mrs. Wylic was widow in the full zenith
of her charms, without any symptom Of de
cay or decline. F:om her appearance, es-
recially when in the costume known as full
dress, She might easily pass for twenty-five
ar even younger and as for her heart
well, that was as young as ever it had been.
and that Is not saying much for its youthful
ness, She having been from infancy ola calm,
calculating, selfeentred temperament. She
Was stately blonde, large, handsome wo-
man, with a bearing that could, according
@, hcr viii, be naughty. graoiously patroni-
zing or bland, nay. more, positively melli-
aaol~, If one may use the word with refer
eu-e to department.
Miss Major was young lady cf twenty
eight. with no relations nearer than aunts.
aucles and cousins the whole band of whom
she eschewed. save one uncle, who was her
guardian and her reyered friend. She was
Of rather more than medium stature, but
slight and 1.-the hair dark, and features
good. though the face was perhaps the least
br long for its width She had very mo-
bile mouth, and a peculiar, moeking, dark
bue-gray eve: an eve the iris of which was
aiI one hue. not shaded nor mottled like
many but it would, under strong feeling
seem to grow larger and darker, even while
you looked upon it. She was highly educa-
ted. and had travelled. therefore she was
easy in her manners; indeed these were 50
simple, 50 utterly void of pretension, that
some people mistook her self-possessed SIM
plicity for shallowness, and 50 on making
with chuckling conceit an attempt to over
reach her, they would find themselves de-
fa;ei in a way that left them in doubt as to
who might be the simpleton.
Miss Blossom. the youngest of the trio,
was a somewhat gushing damsel, Just turned
OF eighteen. She was short, plump, and
would have been of dumpy bald, had she
not contrived by means of stays and tight
dresses to give herself the very questionable
~hapeliness of a figure resembling pillow
tied in the middle. This tight girdling,
moreover, performed for her a second good
Office, uasmuch as aided and abetted by the
candies which she consumed in almost unlim-
itei quantities it had changed her naturally
ruddy complexion to a tallow white, a color
which, oddly enough, is coveted by many
girls as being more lady-like and interesting
than the relness pertaining to youth in TO-
baSt health She possessed an abundance Of
coarse. tawny hair. cunning little ears, and
small. rosebud mouth, from which not
even the tight belts and the candies could
chase the raby current. Her eyes were Of a
-reani~h gray, except circle or border Of
iudiso-blue around the outside of the iris,
and they were innocent, sweet-looking eyes
when She left them to themselves but She
bad 90 affected trick Of rolling them up
ward, partly to express an ecstacy Of senti-
ment. and partly to display her long eye
.a>ae-. BY the way, eseeye-lashes, ,wheth-
er by nature or art, she knew best, were
several shades darker than her hair
Behold then, the three ladies, who became
intimate. confding Friends during the winter
spent by them in Mrs Perkinss very select
boarding holse. They often went in COM
Iany to the opera and other places ofamuse-
ment, and higher still in womanly compan-
'on~hip, they went shopping together, in the
+h, Eraf Of
May, they separated to 20 their several ways
ior the summer, having agreed to meet again
on specified day in the beginning Of Oeto-
ber' at a certain hotel of the city, then and
there to make arrangements for the winter
campaign, and faithfully to recount to each
other any and all adventures. hirtations, in
short everything relating toadmirers, lovers,
and heart-afairs of any possible kind
The-ap2ointed day brought our trio pune
tually to the rendezvous. It must not be
forgotten that by mutual consent they had
not written to each other since parting,
three months previously, this silence being
intended to enhance the pleasure of reunion.
The first greeting consisted, of course, of
such reciprocal compliments as, - Oh, you
dear, how charming you do look - and,
You little darling ,youl you grow rand
>weeter you look good enough to eatr'
and, 4" well, really, never saw anybody so
much improved why, your arms are quite
plump, and your eyes are like diamonds -
All Of which ene0miums, be it noted, were
not Aattering fibs, but very agreeable truths.
The next thing was to ascertain if each had
followed the route laid out in the spring, as
they had agreed not to cross each others
paths, bat to hold separate courses. Then
they adjourned, to lay aside travelling robes
and dress for dinner, after which they were
to give general account Of themselves,
finishing with full and free confession Of
love affairs on the part of each.
Dinner being over and the three new cos
tunes sufficiently admired and discussed,