The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1876-12-13
A CHARMING coTERIE.
A Tale of a Modern Area adia.


A Tale of a Modern Arcadia.
For many years OF my life l have spent
eleven months OF them in endeaVorlng
to make, invest, collect, save, and gen
orally scrape together such sums OF
money as win enable me to meet jovial,
but rather expensive, Father Christmas
with frank and open countenance, ana
something approaching to the semblance
OF welcome. This having been my main
object from all the fifsts OF january l
have known until all the twenty-ffths
| OF December that l Can remember, need
| record ii here that the few days lett to
me for undunned indulgence in The tes-
| tive afCer-dinner nap-reckless extfaVa-
| gance in the matter of attempting to
enjoy myself in the noisy bosom OIL my
! lamily, and wild flngs into the mad de-
baucheries OF cakes and ale generally-
| find me in such a state OF exhaustion
from my futile annual eff lrJ 70 make
both ends meet that l pass them as
rule in torpol?
Now, torpor is a very good thing i'll its
way-a useful invention when the
enemy in the shape OF dull friends, dis
agreeable topics, family feuds, lowering
blils, and other such unpleasant subjects
are on the "tapis." The time arrived
when | came to regard it as an unwhole-
some, unwelcome accompanisT to the
| ricn, spirit-stirring song real holiday
ought to sing into my life, during all
| the days OF my responsible being l nave
| worked hard, earnestly, necessarily.
| Hitherto my reWardha been that have
been enabled to keep the wolf from the
door-to keep the ravenlng creature
from my own door, and from approach
ing the portals OF those VINO were dearer
| to me tAan myself. ....-.-.....- -,.....
! But the time has passed for me to take
active pleasure any longer in the pass
live. O liKotIc enjoyment. l have bal
ance AT my bankers, l tell myself with
pride, The few weeks thai intervene
between my settlement Of the bills That
have harassed me all the year round,
and my incurring fresh bills for the
year TO come, shall be spent in trying to
| realize some OF the dreams OF my youth.
1t will hide me from garish, gay, selfish,
heartless London. (fnougn | say this
] Iail to recall any special instance OF
either heartlessness or selhshne6s on
the parts OF any Of my London friends)
Ill will respond to the friendly zeal Win
(which my friend Harwood has pursued
me. with cordial Invitations, ITO 20
4 down to Charcnester, anu take them dit
| / find them In his homely quarters"
Twill, in short, take my Ldrdy-earned
winter holiday i'll a place that has been
described TO me as the real elyslum on
earth-an English seaside town, bim-
ming over win good society aud good
ffeeiinC.
"None of your petty iealousies, ant
lignoble squabOles and vie scandals
down with US at Charclester, JACK =
Harwood had said to me, heartily, Whel
Inviting me down to his "ilLtle place.
RI In @ M "a II
I"You London people iced at each others
tables, and go straight away and Gu
each others throats, and laugh at eacl
others tolb,es. Now that's not my idea
OF hospitality and social life. say, Sir
!. when man eats another mans salt,
! and SO on, and SO on, dd llbituI1a... oil. >,
10 the best Of my abuILy l explained
to my Arcadian Trend that my memory
, might De bad, but that still l thought i
would have served me had any "sucl
sanguinary proceeding as that at Whicl
Inc had darkly UNITED taken place in ou
Lopuoncoteiie. But before | had con
cluded MY appeal on behalf of some
thing like moderate belief i'll a decen
feeling eElstlng between us, Mrs. ii al
woods silver Dell-like voice struck i'll :
"Ips positively shocking to me, MIR
IBelsiZe, to see how satiated the youn;
alris OF your set are with everything
, Miss Belfsr was critical last night abou
line way the colleen Bawn' was put OF
the stage. She mentioned, too, that Del
,, port's vile had run away from him be
} cause he hit her on the head with
, poker. She must be quite young still
| but she mentioned these things with al
4 air of confidence and authority tha
: / shocked e--7positiyely shocked me-"
..Mary Belfer is as good end sweet
girl as ever -breathea," / replied; ''bu
She has lived IN a hign-pressnre atmos
: Ihere. Her father is editor OF an i'm
portant daily. Sne hears the play dis
cussed before, dt is acted; she learn
: from side-wing what is said OF the sta
, of the theatrical season at rehearsal
Delport and his wife both visited in he
, set: how can she avoid knowing tina
lhey are unfortunately separatedP' 4..
II call 1t most demoralizing atmos
phere," Mrs. Harwood replied, severely
"No wonder that you look weary .ant
worn out after living in it SO long. Come
n to Charcnester, and FIJI introduce you tt
dozen girls quite as pretty and as cley
er as Mary Beller-girls who don't man
Gle cele brated actors regulations, OIL
4 Give YOU The latest news from the divorce
Court" -
"Yes, yes, come to us, Jack," Har
wood struck in heartily; ''and well
show you what country life is in ;
charming eoterle."
4 Now the time had come for me TO avail
myseif OF all this kindness; and l start
Ell with head lull OF pleasant antieipa
tions, and heat brimming over witt
peace, goodwill and LOVING kindnesl
TOW ards all my fellow-creatures Mary
Belfer had hidden me God-speed on MI
Journey in the heartiest way possible
/ Nevertheless l felt That il would have
been m IRE gratifying mad she shown
more modified satisfaction at my de
parture.
l "Good-by, jack" she said, as W.