The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1873-09-06

/ ute tlll the carpet was put uoWH, theh IL
any friend came in there was scarcely a
single place where one could sit down. IN
a word, all our quiet, homely, comfortable
ways were at an end; and what with up
holsterers, carpenters, pianotuners, and
others, it was Just as bad as if we were
eiitting." l was heartily glad, therefore,
when they at last declared themselves
ready tie send out "the invitatens.'
Then the consultations there were about
the day and what people we were to ask.
Mr.. Disrael, formiag new Cabinet for
the government of a fourth part of the
world, could not have pondered each name
| for longer time, or more extensively and
| am sure he would not have looked half
so gravely important over it. For my
part, l watched the proceedings with an
amused eye, for my opinion, like an emf
nent physican's was only taken as a very
last resource.
The first name written down in all the
lists was, of coulse, Fred. Kelly - to
catch whom lin plain English) our party
was given.
| never could quite understand how this
young Kelley. who was in the Civil Ser
vice, contrivcd to make so many mothers
and daughters run after him. Perhaps
| las. quantity is often preferred to quality
it was only because there was so much of
him, for he stood over six feet; but then
he was as thin as a lath, and nearly as
white, with feeble attempts at the straw
colored mustache and hay-colored beard -
! that Thackeray speaks of. More probably
the reason was that he had in perfection
the cool quibbeway manner of the man
about town-that affectation of stony in
difference which passes for the height of
fashion in all except the best circles, where
people can dare to DO natural. He was
never genial-never animated-never even
interested indeed, to my mind he was
more like machine, that had been
taught to talk a little, than a man; because
to save himself trouble, he seemed to have
pet phrase for everything. All persons
below the Civil Service were 81 aw, those
cads the depths of his reprobation was
"not good from. you know the height
of his approval was expressed by "tol-lol,'
meaning tolerable;" though once certain
ly heard him go SO far as to call thing
"rather jolly" My younger daughter,
Patty, who is very observant, used to laugh
and say that Kelly was very wise to be
lackadaisical about everything, because, as
| lao l., Eel o,,l I'D fool ,,l
no ideas, if he was not lackadaisical he
would be nothing. And from pretty
long acquaintance with him, | can safely
say that, if he had any ideas, he was al
ways admirably successful in concealing
them. In a word, he WAS quite the hero
of certain modern novclists: and the very
difficulty of thawing this fashionable icicle
made Molly and several other young ladies
attempt the enterprise. But as yet the
icicle remained an icicle, and would melt
to no warmth they could apply.
| Next after Kelly in our common list
came the names Of the Vyners-father,
mother, and two daughters-without whose
eyes to observe cur success in securing
Fred. the triumph would scarcely have
been complete. All the rich people of our
acquaintance followed; singularly enough,
! there was not a shadow of doubt about
any of Them nor about that tawny young
idiot Northcoat who knew the younger
son of a lord. Two budding barristers
from the Temple were also passed mem. con.
60 they moved in such good society"
suggested asking the Prince and Princess
Of Wales, bnt found my little Joke receiv-
ed (tor the first time, must confess, with
chilling silence, as the awful gravity of the
occasion required.
There was also a charming unanimity
about asking some of our less important
acquaintance. Thus poor Miss Graham
was asked, because she was so good natur
ed, and "never objected to play any guam
tity of dance music" Then Tomlins
could carve, and Niclers talk so WE'LL
Mrs. Grubbins, too, and the three Miss
Grubbinses, would be MORALLY offended if
they were left out-so "there was no help
for it; we must have them"
Other names caused more discussion.
was obstinate when | found my wife and
Molly were positively thinking of leaving
ont my old school fellow, Dick Wother-
spoon-the best Of good fellows, only rath
er rough i'll his manners, as most of those
enthusiastic artists are. 1t was not, how
ever, on this account so much that nv
wife 6isliked him, as the fact that, though
over thirty, he seemed to be making no
Roadway at all in life, and was himself
beginning to think he had mistaken his
profession. Indeed, he was SO poor that !
had frequently lent him five pound note
Bat | now overruled my wfe's objections
to him and insisted on his being invited
With his name our list of forty-five was
complete, that number being ten or fifteen
people more than our rooms would really
hold; but then, as my wife said, ''They
would be sure, some of them, to be engag
ed; and so we might as well have the
credit of inviting them all as not.'
To be i'll proper form, we gave ten
days invitation, and the interval was rul-
ed over by the milliners. From morning
to night there was nothing but consulta
tons about blonde and muslin, mauve and
magenta, or critical examination of pat
terms, or FITTINGS on" For my part,
undertook to look after the tea, supper,
and attendance, for all of which it was
absolutely necessary to contract. since VIC
only kept a fat maid-servant of twenty,
(whem my wife, OH tho strength of her
being able to boil potatoes hard and reduce
mutton chops to cinders digniiied with the
name of "cook, ~ and one little slut of
thirteen, scarcely able to lift slop-pail,
whom we called our "house- maid"
must say never felt myself in such a
ludicrously mean position as did when
was bargaining with the unctuous upholst-
erer in the next street for a stylish supper
on hired Dishes to be handed round by
three imitation footmen, being the up,
holsters assistants. The whole thing did
seem such a sham, like playing the pea