The Portland daily press., 1874-08-08

always admirably successful in concealing
them. In a word, he was quite the hero OF
certain modern novefists; and the very olin-
Guilty of thawing this fashionable iclce, made
Molly and several other young ladies attempt
the enterprise; but as yet the icicle remained
an icice. and would melt to no warmth they
could apply.
Next after Kelly in our common list came
the names Of the Vyners-tather, mother
and two daughters-without whose eyes to
observe our success in securing Fred, the
triumph would scarcely be complete. All
the rich people of our acquaintance followed;
singularly enough there was not shadow
of doubt about any of these, nor about that
tawny Young idiot NOrthcoat, who knew
the Younger son of n lord. Two bldding
barristers from the Temple were also passed
mem. con.-"they moved in such good socl-
ety." / suggested asking the Prince and
Princess of Wales, but found my little joke
received flor the first time, must contest
with chilling silence, as the awful gravity OF
the occasion required.
There was also charming unanimity
abont asking some Of our less Important ac-
quaintance. Thus poor Miss Graham was
asked because she was so good natured,
and ''never objected to play any quantity of
dance music" Then Tomlins could carve,
and Vickers talks so well. Mrs. Grubbns,
too, and the three Miss Grubbinses, would
be MORALLY offended if they were left out--so
''there was no help for ii, we must have
them"
Other Mares caused more discussion.
was obstinate when | found my wife and
Molly were positively thinking of leaving out
my old schoollellow, Dick Wotherspoon-
the best of good fellows, only rather rough in
his manners, as most of these enthusiastic
J. Naf l,ax.
account so much that my wife dlsiked him,
as the fact that. though over terty, he seemed
TO be making no Roadway at all in Lille, and
was himself beginning to think he lad mis-
taken his profession. Indeed, he was so poor
that had frequently lent him a five-pound
note. But now overruled my wiie's OBJ
ections to him and insisted on his be ing
invited, With his name our list OF forty-fiye
was complete. that number being ten OF
fifteen people more than our rooms would
really hold; but then. as my vile said, "Ihey
would be sure. some of them, to be engaged :
and so we might as well have the credit OF
inviting them all as no."
To be in proper form, we gave ten days
invitation, and the interval was luled over
by the mlliners From morning to night
there was nothing but consultations about
blonde and muslin, mauve and magenta, Or
critical examination Of ratterns or lifting
on" For my part, undertook to look after
| the tea, supper and attendants, for all OF
which it was absolutely necessary to contract,
since we only kept a fat maid servant OF TWEEN
| ty (whom my wife, on the strength OF being
| liable to boil potato es hard and reduce mutton
chops to cinderS, dignified with the name Of
s'cook'), and one little slut of thirteen
scarcely able to lift a slop-pail, whom WE
called our ''housemaid."
I mist saw I meyer felt myself in Such n III
dicrously mean position as did when wa:
| bargaining with the unctuous upholsterer il
the next street for stylish supper on hreC
| dishes, to be handed around by three imta
ton tootmen, Being the upholsterer's assist
ants. The whole thing did seem such sham
| like playing the peacock with borrowed Heath
| ers.
The all-important nigh. arrived at last, ant
the fever OF expectation and anxiety, which
had held my womankind all the month
reached its height
Long shall l be in forgetting the prepare
tons and fuss Of that dreary evening-th,
| hurried tea, the laborous dressing. the sol
emn single knock of the upholsterer's men
like the undertaken bring a coffin; the fran
tic appeals to Sarah to "come and fasten me ,
the rustic Of skirts in the passages; the fly
ing about of distracted cook and housemaid
the staid. methodical movements of lopg-vis
aged walters. But as the clock struck tn
fatal hour of nine we were all assembled il
state ready for the first conner, my wife but
toning her white kid gloves, and still red il
| the face with her nervousness and eXertons
AS proof that her eXertions had been at
tended with some success, may state that
overheard one of our young barristers tellin:
| Northcoat "she looked very handsom;
Dutch Venus indeed
I,.l .1t, {aIr Al
hearth-rug when loud rattan at the door
and a hearty voice in the passage announce,
the first arrival. "Mr. Wotherspoon! wits
| pered my wife to me, with touch of annoy
ance in her tone; che at any rate takes car,
to be punctual-knows no better, suppose
| When he was ushered in by one of the mi
| tation footmen, he took much the same view
| of our proceedings as | took myself, and be
gan chatting me in his free and cas-,
way. "Well, now, Miller, to think of you
coming out in such q swell fashion! What OF
earth possessed you to begin giving state par
ties, eh?" But Mrs. Miller, with that in
crease of dignity which the peach-coloret
satin always gives her, cut his audacious lev
ily short by asking sharply, "Well, and VIII,
shouldn't we give a party like any one else
| Mr.-a-Weatherspo The assumed for
getfulness OF his name was masterpiece
and capitally done, considering she had new
el practised the art OF snubbing before. A
all events, poor Dick seemed to have thu
| ground taken from under him at once, and b,
subsidized into a corner near Patty, where h
| seemed to be better welcomed
| Bat bark! the roll of Wheels-"the brazei
| thunders of the door'-soon not intermit
| tent, but continuous-and We were presently
in the thick of it. Kelley came about ten,
| little sitter than usual, but not till half-ras
| did tba NVpprS ipiO fhn III re
Vyner Overwhelmingly courteous and pat
ronizing in her black velvet dress. But sht
soon contriyed (withCut saying sol to make
| us understand that she considered it no littl,
condescension on her part to come.
There could be no doubt that my daughter
Molly and Ellen Vyner were the prettiest girl
in the room. Yet it was amusing to note the
difference in their style aid appearance. Mol
| ly, whose good-natuIed, rosy face, above hel
| light blue dress, seemed like cherub's float
| ing in the sky, was radiant, full of life, ant
| sweet as new blown rose; but she was a lit
tile too eager to please, and tried too evidently
| to make everything go off well. Miss Vyner
on the other hand-pale, slight, land with fine
ly chiseled featrres-moved through the
rooms very statue of dignity and self-posses
sion. Quiet, perfectly well bred and polite
she rather discouraged the advances Of hel
admirers, including Kelly; but her very dis
couragcment seemed only to make them more
attentive. fish had fault, it was that she
evidently knew her own value SO well; she
migbr have been dukes daughter instead o.
a r's-though, indeed, believe Vynel
and many of his business think a brewer or a
banker nowadays greater grandee than any
| nobleman.
| am glad to say the party itself, notwith-
standing our misgivings, went off without any
particular hitch. In fact, it seemed very like
thousands of similar affairs given by people Of
the middle classes who know no better.
There was the same stiffness and reserve a!
first, since in such a miscellaneous gathering
very few Of the guests were acquainted with
each other; the same gradual thawng as we
got up little dance (which, with hypocrisy
that deceived nobody, we pretended to eX-
temporize); the same intense heat in the
rooms, the same jamming in the dcorways,
the same fororn groups in The corners, groups
that looked as though they ought to be enjoy
ing themselves and were not.
And, when the novelty of the position wore
off, did not find it very difficult to-play the
part of host. So 1 tried to say pleasant
word to any guest that seemed dull, arranged
a couple OF whist tables for the elderly people,
and in fact worked hard generally at amusing
everybody. My wife, however, as the hours