, 1876-11-05

other person would be considered rather m cx-
t1avagant manner, and IN manner certainly
incongruous with her present occupation It IS
theory Of hers that she Is so exquisitely neat
in all she does that for her there is no danger in
wearing any dress she chooses, either in her
kitchen or elsewhere; and, as she has naturally
O love for handsome clothes, and an aversion to
changing her dress in the middle OF the da7, she
comes down stairs at 5 o'clock In the morning
as If she had just dressed to receive
small dinner party. The clothes that she wears
Just now ho1e, In fact, done duty at past dinner
parties, and arc quite magnificent enough for
q lady at the head OF her table cutting potato
pies instead Of tabricating them, only they
we're little less shabby, and somewhat more IN
harmony with the prevailing fashion. Her
dress is a Undiscovered satin, which punster
would at once acknowledge in double sense IL
be saw the farinaccous scatterings which just
now adorn It; and her cap is so splendid in rib
bons that no writer of the male could aspire
to describe it adequately.
SHE WEARS AN ENORMOUS CAMEO BROOCH,
and a long gold chain whose fancy links are In
tcrzupted, or connected by little glittering oe-
tagonal bars, like the bright glass bugles IN her
hcad-dress. The pattern of her satin is oeca-
Standing Mrs. ogden's theory that she IS too too
neat and careful to incur any risk Of
such accidents. One day her son 1saac
had vcntured to call bis mothers at
an opinion that it MIGHT. perhaps be as we'll to
have two servants instead of onv, and resign
practical kitchc1-wo1k; or clse that, ii she
tcu,tld be servant herself. she ought to dress
like one, md not expose lcr tinc things to in
jury; bnt Mr.. Isaac Ogden received such All
answer Is gave him no encouragement to renew
his remonstrances on subject so delicate.
My dresses said Mrs. Ogden, saEe paid for
out Of my own money, and shall wear them
when I like and 1o1,,a', where l u hke' II ever
Bills for me, DO may try to teach
me- economy, but I'm 'appy to say that Tn not
dependent upon him either Tor what eat, Or
for what drink, or for what put on Tho
Mrs. Ogden, and saw her every day, had closer
instructive feeling Of Whit might and what
might not be said to her, and would as soon
have thought Of suggesting any abdicaton,
however temporary, q her splcndors rs Of sug-
manage without the luxuries Of her statton.'
This is only old Mrs. Ogtlcn's introduction,
but by it can be seen the skill which conducts
her through the book, and makes her so real
and living
AND HERE IS A MOST MARVELLOUS TOUCH
of charaeter-painting, in Lady Helena, John
critics, and admires them; bur he would like to
be delivered from the little tnconvcniences
woman has rather too much the habit
and faculty Of criticism, and John
StanbuTne would rather be believed iu than crit
iclsed. Like many other husbands, he would
pl0uSlY UpuO1N Lu1t 1tt4uE IEllkto[l UA tub
household which sets up the husband ns tho
deity thcreof-a king who eau do no wrong II
these had been his views from the beginning,-
II lie had wanted simple unreasoning submls-
sion to his judgment, and unquestfonng accept
anre OF his actions,-what a mistake he had
made in choosing woman like Lady Helena:
Hewho marries woman OF keen sight cannot him
self expect to be secured from its keenness. And
this woman was so fcarless-sha!1 we say so
proud?-that she disdatncd the artihces OF what
might have been q pardonable hypocrisy. Sho
made John Stanburnc feel that he Tas living In
q glass case.-aay, more, that she saw through
his clothes-thruugh his skin into bis viscera-
into his brain.
YoU MUST LOVE WOMAN VERY MUCH INDEED
to bear this perpetual scrutiny, or she must loVo
you very much to make it not altogether intol-
eFoblc. The Colonel had reasonable grievance
in this, that In the presence Of his wife he found
no moral rest. But her criticisms were inVaria-1
bly, just"
These two characters, so opposite in traitH
aud position, show Hamerton's range, which
think would be unsuspecrel by nny reader or
his previous books. There IS not room to 60
on, but ono might fill columns with touches like
these, which present Mrs. Prigley and Dr.. Bard
" aud Jacob Ogden. And amidst the self con-
scious writing of to-day, where We are constant
" getting glimpses of the author who nods and
wwinks Ut us, and says, II Say, you don't forget,
You know, how dnrned smart am.' It is not
only relief but an education to gil younger
writers to meet with such q story-teller as Ham-
erton, who obeys by instinct the true rules Of
art, one of which, and by no means the least, ts
the subordination OF self. NJ.