Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1878-01-04
THE BELLE OF BLOOMSBURY

I
THE BELLE OF BLOOMSBURY.
| A New Years Story.
| English Magazine.
CHAPTER l.
1t was New Years eve-the snow fel
fast and thick on the frozen ground Ii
Bloomsbury Square the trees and law
were white and crisp with frozen snow
The crimson curtains and the blazing
| fires made the dining rooms of the hand.
some old-fashioned houses of the souar,
seem earthly paradises to the house1ess
bare-foOted outcasts, whose rags o1
wretchedness" were blown aside by the
keen east wind. The cruel wind drove
the snow-fakes in their pinched, blue
faces, and covered their tattcred gar
ments and lean, sallow flesh with what
was at one moment white ovcrcOat
and the next an icy bath.
With what wolfish eyes those shiver.
ing, famished step-children of fortune
glared first at the dining tables, covered
with the snowy damask, and glittering
with glass, china and silver, on which
the freight was reflected like rubies
and topazes, and then at the clean, cozy
kitchen, where before the noble fire the
turkey, the saddle of mutton or the sir,
loin was roasting
One of the houses in question belong
ed to Mr. Pomfret, solicitor with fail
business in the city. He had snowy
handsome wife, a very proud, preten-
tious and pedantic woman, and subtle
and sly, withal-a very tyrant where she
dared, and ruling Mr. Pomfret, who do.
ted on her, but who had a great idea of
mans supremacy, by pretending to obey
him, always the while craftily managing
to have her own way in everything
They had six children-two boys and
four girls. The eldest, boy, was four
teen; the youngest, girl, was four
One poor, pale governess-Miss Moss
educated the four girls, and had charge
of the two mischievous boys-MasteI
Wellington and Master Nelson-during
the holidays.
Mrs. Pomfret was of warlike spirit
and was very fond OF heroic names
Her father had been Captain in the
Marines-and she had herself dubbed
him Colonel " after his dccease-
she was equally attached to both the
army and navy. However, the great
boasting- piece of the family was Mr.
Pomfret's younger and only brother, Sir
Henry Pomfret
He was barrister in good practice
had written law book, which had be-
come an authority, and was so lively
and gentlemanly and popular that he
made friends wherever he went.
He was so bright, SO genial and so low
able that even those clients who had
weak causes he could not gain retained
him still as friend, and continued their
"refreshers' in the shape of good din
ners and choice old wines. On the 9TH
cr hand those clients for whom he gain
ed by his eloquence and learning all
important verdicts, positively idolized
him.
One among them, nobleman Of polit-
ical influence, obtained for Henry Pom
fret Colonial Judgeship with the hon
or of knighthood, and our brother, Sir
Henry Pomfret, the Judge" became
Mrs. Pomfret's boasting- piece, in con-
junction with my father, the Colonel
Sir Henry had been abroad for three
years at the time of which we are writ.
ing, and was about thirty-fve years of
age. 1t was, as we have said. New
Years eve, and snowingt3ast. Mrs
Pomfret was in full dress. Mr.. Pom
fret had promised to return from his Of
fee at five to dinner, in order to take
herself and the children to the playa
great treat this. for Toole, the comic
genius of the age, was to delight the au-
dience with two of those rare concep-
tions of mingled mirth and pathos, fun
and feeling, which made him the ac-
knowledged genius of the grotesque and
graceful. grand master of the sources of
smiles and tears.
Mrs Pomfret was hungry, cross, and
was watching for her husbands S cab, and
scowling at the ragged wolf-eyed out
casts glaring at the roasting turkey at
the kitchen fire, when suddenly from an
upper window few pence, wrapped in
paper, fell at the blue feet of the out
casts.
Mrs, Pomfret redeemed with anger
and rushed up stairs. The schoOl-rOom
was on the second floor. She suspected
Miss Moss of the offense that had exas-
peratedsher, She wanted to vent her i'll
humor on some one-the safest person
in the house was Miss Moss, the gov
erness.
Miss Moss was a second cousin of MIR.
Pomfret's, an orphan and quite desti-
tute, she had only been received by Mrs.
Pomfret, boarded lodged and paid twenty
pounds year, at Sir Henry's request,
on condition that the relationship was to
be. kept secret and never alluded to-
Another cousin of Mr.. Pomfret 's-Del,
la, commonly called Dahlia Domvile-
also lived with the Pomfrets. She had
been so named by an Irish suitor who
naturally pronounced Della Dahlia, and
her style of beauty and her gorgeous
velvet dresses gave her a close resem-
blance to that splendid flower the Dab
liza. The Irishmans blunder was uni
versally adopted. Miss Domvile also
lived with the Pomfrets. Mr.. Pomfre1
was her guardian. She had some for
tune, and paid f100 per annum for hel
board and lodging. She was great
belle and great firt, and having a higf
spirit, Mrs. Pomfret was as obsequious
to her as she was overbearing to Mis-
Moss.
On the landing of the second floor Mrs
Pomfret met Masters Wellington ant
Nelson, giggling.
"Who dared to throw pence out tt
beggars, against all my rules and or
ders?" asked Mrs. Pomfret. 1T wa.
| not you, am sure, my precious littl'
lOves?"
Il know-'twas Miss Moss, mamma,
said Master Wellington.
She's always giving to beggars," sale
Master Nelson.
Mrs. Pomfret, red with wrath, entere'
the schoolroom.
Who has been throwing pence on
Of the window to those beggars? sh
asked.
II did," said Miss Moss. 'The poo
creature seemed starving with hunge
and cold
have soup tickets at your service
and indiscriminate charity is the specia
aversion of Mr.. Pomfret and myself
BY encouraging street beggars, ala
robbers, Miss Moss, you risk our bein
murdered in our beds. Pray do not re
peat an act SO very annoying to me, an
worst still to Mr.. Pomfret.
Miss Moss bowed her head in token Q
submission.
| U NJ. 49, <x.... Il -.~..A :~,nI