The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1876-01-14
Miscellaneous.
A LIES REGRET.

| garet, Louisa and Helen, the last namet
being of course myself We reside in a small
villa on the outskirts Of the town of Norton
Folgate, and from all appearances are like
lv to remain for the rest ofour lives, pursuing
what strangers would suppose was the cain
and even tenor of colorless existence.
Our income, though small, admits of oul
keeping two domestics, and when we pay
visits, which, at rare intervals we do, tc
some Of the country families, we jointly sub
scribe and charter a close carriage, which
enables us to make our calls with something
like dignity. Not that my two elder sisters
are lacking in that respect, for they never
either sleeping or waking, I believe, forgot
that our late father descended from an
| ancient and honorable family, and that the
name of Howard, which we bear, is derived
from n source which, even though it does
not acknowledge u.s. is ours Justly; and on
the tree which testiies to our pedigree our
| relationship is clearly set forth. Our late
| mother could also boast of gentle blood, 40
that on both sides of the house our con-
nections were undeniable.
In addition to those advantages. nature
had not been unkind to us-indeed. in our
younger days we had our own share of ad.
miration, and the three Misses Howard had
on many occasions been pronounced the
best looking girls at the numerous balls
which, chaperoned by our mother, we used
regularly to attend. Our admirers were not
few, and we were always engaged for every
dance whenever we went; but there, to all
appearance, it ended, for, after more seasons
than l care to record, none of us were
married. Palmer girls by far, even penniless
ones, in due time made their appearance,
had an interval of gaiety, and they an
nounced their engagements, which duly
ended in marriage; and they would return
in all the dignity of matronhood to patron
ize and remind us in more ways than one
of the wide gulf that separated our unap-
propriated selves from them and their "po-
sitions" as married women. At first it was
not so Calling, but bye-and bye 1 began to
feel keenly,and to long-as every woman
does, sooner or later-for ties of my own !;
but my longings were not to be gratifed. for
the one hateful reason that no ordinary man
was supposed to be good enough to mate
with "a Howard" though one degenerate
descende,t dared to wish it could be other
wise.
by degrees it became known that we were
rI tn rNlo nd Z.
enough of Margaret and Louisa, still felt
so differently from them on the subject that
it was rather hard to be included, but I was
"a Howard" and so had to pay for my priv
iege
Margaret was seven years my senior, and
Louisa five, consequently, was accustomed
to being considered quite a child until had
attained the ripe age of twenty-five when
an event happened, which, but for my pre-
cious pedigree, might have changed the
color of my whole existence.
We had received invitations TO ball
given by certain Lady Ay ylmer, who always
made point of asking us to her entertain
ments; and though l was beginning to be
very weary of gaieties, to decline was out
OF the question so, after some delberation
as to attire, etc, an acception was sent and
when the evening arrived, we, accompanied
by our mother, crushed ourselves into a
hired carriage, and set out for Aylmer's
Court.
We were received as usual most cordially;
and after few dances were over / became
conscious IF the presence of gentleman
who seemed to regard me with some interest
He was very nice-looking man of about
thirty, rather fair, and with small NOUS
tache slightly iuclining to red He was not
tall, neither was he very short; his figure
was good, and he had soldier-like look
about him which | rather admired.
As usual, | was well supplied with part
ners but when Lady Aylmer approached
with the individual l have just described
and introduced him TO me, was very glad
had a spare dance still left for which he
at once engaged me.
| did not catch his name when Lady
Aylmer brought him up, aud when my eld-
est sister inquired who my new acquaintance
was, could only say he was Captain
Somebody ] fanced Bruce was the
name.
"A good name" remarked Mnrgaret: 81
dare say he is a relative Of Lord Bruce"
But ! was doomed to undeceive her short
ly, for on addressing him as Captain Bruce,
he smiled and told me that was not his name,
his name being Bebb.
Bebb, | thought-what funny name !!
However, it did not prevent me thinking
him very pleasant, and being secretly glad
when he told me he was to be quartered
at Norton Folgate for some months to
come.
To be brief; After several meetings, Cap
tain Bebb, whose name had now trauspired
in my family, began to pay me marked at
tention but. although in my inmost heart
liked him, still was we'll aware that for
"a Howard" to ally herself with Bebb
would be regarded as All impossibility by my
family.
His personal appearance was stigmatized
as the most vulgar that had ever been seen
his hair, which was really brown, was al
ways alluded to as carrots; and a shudder.
ing fit frequently overlook Louisa as she
described the horror she had experienced
when, ON one fatal occasion, he had shaken
hands with her, and his hot, clammy clasp
had almost given her fit.
Perhaps, owirg to this, his name degen
Grated from Bebb into Blubber, and severa
times my mother herself narrowly eseapec
addressing him as such, so persistently Wal
he called it behind his back.
A dead pig having been found one morn
ing in the sty, | was strongly advised to &,
down and see the likeness, which, from III,
pa,tia)ity 10 Blubber, my sister felt sur
would be interesting to me, am ashame'
| to cCnle that | had not the moral courag