Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-05-24
OUR EVENING PARTY.

me, and my slippers 80 nicely aired on the
hearth But was sure of il when my wife
said. smiling. 81 hope YOU like the tea dear;
pat an extra spoonful in. because it's such a
bleaked night for yOu:'' and when INV eldest
laughter Molly laughed 20 very heartily at nv
old story OF the Chinese missionary, which
think 80 good that i take every opportunity of
repeating IL.
Now. Molly" said I, took down nv
neershaum after tea; now, Molly, what is
What Is what, papa?'' said Molly, what is
it?''
What is what, Papa?'' said Molly: but she
blushed and laughed a conscious little laugh all
the same.
Come retorted. ''let Us haveit. What is
Il You want TO coax out OF me now?''
Wen. Molly, "a papa seems 20 cunning at
finding ~ out, think we had better tell him
what We have been talking about" said nv
wife, with slightly nervous litter.
- A great deal better, YOU most artful OF wo-
men" said i with all the sternness / could
muster; land no more compliments to my SUI
IerlOr wisdom. N you please. l am quite aware
you are only Oiling the machinery to make il
run round your own way. All attempts too To
bTIbe the Court with more mullins will only in
Jure your case. Proceed. therefore,"
Well james. replied NV wife, ''the girls
and have been talking all the afternoon, ami
ahemt-"
.AIl the morning. too, I have no doubt So
lar the Court quite agrees with YOU, madam -
castle wreaths OF smoke.
= These poor things. James. 10 50 want Won
70 give them an evening party-something a
little stylish. Won knOw-like her peOnIe NV
wife continued. hurrying on like the stream
when u has come to the brink OF the precipIce.
" An evening party.' repeated in amaze
ment.
..Oh. YES. do. papa sail Molly. sitting
down on the haS>Ock at my feet, aud putting
her rosy cheek on my knee. She is an aimra-
ble hand at CCaSing. i Molly.
Z" Yes. dear. why should we not he like orr
neighbOTs, at least sOmetimes-Hke Mrs Vvner
Tor instances" pursued my wife skillfully sing
hng out an acquaintance who was my pet
aversion.
We'll, because we can't if We tried: we
haven't got the money" | replied. ..YOu must
surely see what nonsense il il TO talk of our
heins hke yner, when his partnership in
+ Double brings him in a couple OF thousand a
year. and have barely "a many hundreds"
Well, but We might just show Mrs. Vyner
We know what's what
IL was mean advantage which NV wife Jane
vas taking, and she knew IL. Mrs. Nyner was
from the same county town a. myself, and on
the strength of her father having had a thou
sand year IN land. (and heaven knows how
much more in rustic stupidity?) had ALWAYS
considered herself entitled TO PLAY the part of A
superior being toward us. Nor was she content
with thinking this, but was determined we
should admit her glorious supremacy in STYLE,
house, furniture, and belongings. In word ,
she was nv special adherence; and if there was
one thing j should have liked, il would have
been 10 see Mrs. Nyner brought down peg. -
Jane knew this weakness of mine very well.
ard i consider il an ungenerous action on her
III. TIE
present resisted the temptation firmly.
In truth, the notion of our giving an evening
party was a very ridiculous one. / was Sec
IetaIy TO city company, with about three
hundreds year. We had already sacrificed to
the graees of London society-appearances-by
taking decent house at Noting Hill, and had
hard work, what with Ned's schooling, and the
hnlshlng OF my two daughters, to keep our
heads fairly above water. So, like a sensible
man, had hitherto insisted on dining at =
and had never received my friends otherwise
AT tea mi in. Ell.
'.piain ways II they liked 20 drop in at such
times, (and many of them did, we were always
delighted tn see them, and under these circum-
stances had many Pleasanter chat and laugh
dare say. than fall to the lot of grander
houses. The very freedom of this kind OF yisi-
ting, the knowledge that you can come and
20 when you like, do and talk YOU like, and
that the more you please yourself the better you
Will please your host, suit my constitution ex-
aetly; and believe that in liking il am only
one of a vast majority of London gentlemen.
For the ladies dare not speak.
When went to bed, however, my wife re-
turned to the attack, and did not leave me till
she was victorious: Her chief argument now
was that We fought to give Molly a chance: and
Molly thought 80 herself There young
Kelly looked very sweet at her; AMI how could
We expect respectable young fellow like him
70 come forward unless he saw we knew some
body and were not quite out Of the pale of good
sCCiety?'
MY dear" said ]. ''pray dontput these silly
notions into MOlly's head. Kelly ALWAYS
seemed 10 me TO be rather spOOney on Ellen
Nyner, ana not at all on Molly?''
All, the Nyners always try 10 make out
mat he Ia quite devoted to them; but I tiatter
myself know white from black when see il
Yes. YES, 1 think 30 indeed"
Well, II you really think we ought to give
Molly this party" sail /, reluctantly.
Yes, that would be a good excuse for begin
nlng. But think We ought to give one every
year for the future"
grOaned in spirit and said PRAY let rs
get safely over this before we talk of any more
confess think the whole notion absurd-the
expense, the trouble, the probability of a
breakdown with such servants as ours. But 4
suppose you must have your way"
Accordingly, IN the morning my wife and
two daughters formed themselves into perma-
nent committee OF WAYS and means. They
decided that things could not possibly be got
ready under a month, and for the while Of that
pme We were in a state of disturbance. First
ii was found out that the drawing room cur
tains were old and shabby, and We must have
m ones; then, that the dining-room carpet
did not suit the fuTniture-''and you would not
Bish people 20 think We have no taste, dear'''
I'D my wife. Now, IL was my old bookcase
Unnf bad To he showed into an unobtrusiye cor
-, where had To go and hunt for my papers
mfhe dark; next, one nearly broke ones neck
over a new music stand which had arrived that
morning and been left in the passage, 'only
Just for a minute till the carpet was put down.
oen IL any friend came in there was scarcely a
ongle place where one could sit down. In a
vord, and our quiet. hOnely, comfortable ways
vere at an end; and what with upholsterers,
Gst as bad as n wewere fitting" was heartily
Ghd, therefore, when they at last declared
themselves ready to send out ''the Invitations
Then the consultations there were about The
day and what people We were TO ask! MIR. Dis
r2eh, forming new Cabinet for the govern
ment of a fourth part OF the world could not
have pondered each name for a longer time OF
more anxiously, and 1 am sure he would not
= have looked half 70 gravely important over IL
4 For part, watched the proceedings with al
amused eve, for my opinion, like an eminen,
physicians, was only taken as a very last re
source.
The nrst name written down in call the lists
Was, Of course, Fred Kelly's-to catch whom
lin plain English) our party was given.
I never could quite understand how thi
young Kelly, who WAS in the Civil Service, con
triyed to make 30 many mothers and daughter
gun after him. Perhaps, las quantity Is oftel
preferred 10 quality IL was only because Their,
vas 30 much OF him, for he stood over six feet
but then he thin a lath, and nearl
Is white, with feeble attempts at the '.straw
colored mustache and hay-colored beard" tina
Thackeray speaks of. More probably the rea
son Was that he had in PERFECTION the coo
. Oiibbeway manner of the man about town.
that affectAfion Of stony Indifference whic
passes for the height of fashion in all except tn
best circles, where people can dare to be ma
turai He was never genial-never animated
never even interested; indeed, to ny mind b