American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1878-02-09


She came-such vision of youth and
happiness as might melt any layman's
heart; but the churchman's heart was
not to be laid at any woman's feet; so
it had but little consideration for her
stockings.
Beatrice, here is a bill.'
eyes, uncle DEAR as she slid down
like sunbeam, and shone up at him
from low stool at his feet.
g Stand up, Beatrice"
She stood up, hands behind her, as
when she was little girl.
"A bill for-stockings.
g Yes, uncle"
-Four dozen pairs of stockings at 200
scudi each.''
Is it too much?'
g Too much! It's the price of this
gem that will live forever, and speak
and teach men as long as it lives,n he
said, taking up an exquisite little pic
ture that he had lately bought. alt is
the price of that beautiful marble there
so beautiful it brought tears to the
eyes of a young artist who saw it the
other day, and he went home and work
ed the better for it. Too much" and
he nearly fell into one those ejacula-
tions, not out of the prayer-book, again.
81 only sent, uncle, for the finest
the very finest stockings that could be
made.''
"Bring the stockings here to me-"
Beatrice obeyed, returning with a
small parcel. The Cardinal ordered,
s'Open it.''
Trembling she opened it, and taking
out a pair of stockings, slipped one Of
them over her hand to show the fneness
the other over his hand.
g Now, why did you spend 10000
scudi for these cobwebs? or, more to
the point, what do want of such things
at allP'
"Why, uncle, to cover my feet, to be
sure''
"But they don't cover your feet. They
are delicate as veil. I can see every
blemish on my hand through them.
Now, then, answer, what was your
idea?'' he questioned, sharply.
elf you please, uncle,' his niece fall
tered, you didn't object to the dresses,
nor the laces, nor the jewels, and
1.-The dresses are beautiful, and lend
stateliness to your presence; the laces
are wrought with art, and will last long,
and be curious objects even when they
are old. L have costly collec-
ton of old laces that 1 prize. Jewels
are not for the moment; they PLEASE the
eye for centuries. The abundance OF
linens, soft and cool, accustom your
touch every day to what is fresh and
dainty. You have a thousand orna-
ments, trimmings, odds and ends, and
pretty nothings that make your fairness
fairer. There's nobility in the extrav-
agance that can do any thing for US
delight the eye, educate the taste, ele-
vate the senses-but extravaganza that
is only for the sake of spending and
abusing is mere vulgarity."
You said 1 might have every thing
fit for a princess, said Beatrice, begin
ming to cry.
And 1 say these stockings are not
, fit for princess, . Numbered the Cardi-
nal "See, it is skill misapplied-the
delicate work of the loom in an article
to which such extreme delicacy is inap-
propriate. Those exquisite frescOes on
my ceiling are in place, and it's worthy
instinct that makes me delight in them.
If 1 ordered them painted on the floor,
and trod on them, defaced them, put
them to base misuse, my instinct would
be coarse and contemplate. A Car
dinal must walk, but he would be fool
to walk on frescoes. A princess must
walk, and that gracefully and freely,
too, but she couldn't walk an hour in
such things as these. Seei" and he
thrust his long finger right through the
frail web at the toe. IS Your stockings
are not fit for a princess. They are fine
in texture, but coarse in taste. They
are inappropriate; they are vulgar; they
are not decent"
g Oh, uncle!''
g Not decent, L say. They are esthet-
ically improper; they show the extrava-
gance of the plebeian, not of the noble. y
He grew more excited with every word.
His eyes flashed fire. g Your training
has not made princess of you in heart
and mind, and, corpo di Bacco! your
marriage shall not make a princess OF
you in name, and you are none of mine. .
With grasp he swept up the bundle OF
stockings. Your trumpery here shall
go back to the fools who made it, and
you shall go-I don't care where, but
out of my sight. Away! I'll none OF
you.''
The Cardinal gathered up his skirts,
and, crossing the room, passed out like
a whirlwind. The girl screamed aloud
in her terror of the old mans fearful
passio /; for much as she had heard OF
the violence of his disposition, she had
never been made the victim of it before
But the scream never checked the firm,
relentless fall of his steps as it died away
along the corridor; and there lay little
Beatrice, shaken with heart broken sObS,
prone across the footstool, where she
had fallen when in his violence he flung
away from her. She lay there long
time, crying and wiping away her tears
with the unlucky stocking she had been
displaying on her hand, and in the
spasm of her terror had been crushing
and rolling m until she forgot If was