The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1878-01-02
zAIDEE WYNNg's BRfpAL

broad stone window-sills of Mapleside;
but the Joyous hustle and stir Of anticl-
patton went on, As If there were no storm
aud darkness; and the fire, roaring and
cracking In the "WesL r0om," seemed to
nave entered iuto special contract
thau no such disagreeable realities
should be so much as thought Oil the
biggest of pine logs, and fame, and
smoke capefs OF all Kinds cou.d d exclude
their remembranoe-a fact that ought
not to eX, ite surprise, wnen ii is taken
INTO consideration that The "Hest room"
was the only spot in all roOmy Maple
side left by the spirit Of innovation
where Wood-hTe of any pFetenslons
could come out and exert itsel', and
snow off what it was capable of under
favorable circumstances.
| No mmon, whlte-Walled, staring
chamber, with all the moderu .conVeul-
ences, was the "West roOm"-sOle relic
of the times when The Wynnes were the
great family OF tue county, and wore
| powder aud hoops, aud roue 10 church
| in a coach and four, and were maguli-
Gently and cuurteuusly, buG lmmpVably
and hopelessly, exclusive and arlsto-
| cratic.
| A practical woman was the present
Mrs. Nynne (nee Saran Mu chkins j
| but she knew The vaiue of family trau,-
tluns (especlahy when one mas three
maria ,eaOIe daughters, with small
| dowries y; and wnen MapIeside was
palAted and stuCoUed, and made spruce
and modern, she kept the "west room'
AS it was-lUw and oak-ceiled, Wtth
small, deeply-set windows, aEd Il ch HI
ney that monepolzed unto ltself half one
side, and was glorious Ill Carving,
smu muke-bldckened, and wonderlul In ou-
| fA hn nl lnoro in
tangible. Aud there, on Christmas Eve,
she sat, with her three handsome
daughters, in the dear old room, AWAY s
gay. but noW-What with the TACT OF
Deins a room thai had kept Christmas
almost a hundred years, and seen such
| Yule logs, and bowls OF punch, and
! genuine merry-maklng as our degenerate
moderate times can never knoW-WhaG
with the circumstance OF being just then
a sort OF feminine sancLum, and given
over TO all manner OF muslin aud en-
Droidered mysteries-bright and coZy,
and inviting 10 an eX ent past all mas.
cullne prehension-unless they
could have seen it as'1 did, through my
spectacles.
Tucks, founclngs, airy beribboned
lace windows, gorgeous head-dresses,
distracting slippers, oobWebs OF various
matters to be creations in Point d'A4sn-
con and MechIIn-and, best or worst
fof all, a stiff white "moire," and a long
vail, sayorlng most suspIciously OF a
| wedding, draped and covered ana turned
INTO chaos the staid old room. Around
the fire were the Misses Wynne, pref
tier, perhaps, Ill soft merino wrappers
/ auc careless bandeaux than in rustiing
silks, and with their hair Pimperatricp,
but most unmis takably still III morning
costume, though TWO hours ago it was Sc
dark that you could not have told the
lawn from The river. BY the bedside
stood Mrs. Wynne, practical always,
now so feariully SO, in a business-like
double gown. aud with care on ner prov,
as she pinned and repinned the orange
blossoms in the center OF a-What do you
call il, ladiesS "a berthei
| LottIe and Mabel, the two oldest girls
handsome, because they were young,
fair and fresh, and had always eaten
drank and slept in refined sort of way
and as yet haa met with nothing to carve
unseemly lines in their smooth faces, or
draw down the cOrners OF their rosy
Molths, or pinch and sharpen and hard
ca their expression, surveyed the pin
ming process with eyes Of approving con
noisseurship, and joined in the little 8 81
|
) stepped back few PAGES and looked a
the refractory bouquet, head on ont
side, like critical bin.
"fherel THAT'S done at last" bfeathet
Mrs. Wynne; "And now, LAY, it's higl
time to dress"
Z4y, the youngest and the loveliest
with no wrinkles, or plDched and worl
, expression, because she was 50 young
/ vet with bitter, uudying anguish look
) Ing out of her clear eyes and darkeniDj
, her calm brow, never stirred, but still
l stared into the hGe, as though Mrs
Wynne HADN'T spoken.
/ "Pretty bride-eIect, isn't she?" salt
} LoLtie, scorniully. "Lnere she mas beel
Tor the last hour looking at the fire as i
it were MIR. Cotton Bats himself.
, wouldn't be afraid to wager my rub
, ring that she hasn't heard a wora o
: what we have been saying; and if sh
we're brought up and examined, couldH
/ tell whether the flowers on her berth
= are pink or yellow"
Here both Mabel and Lottie laughed d
= with ever 80 little an evident tinge Q
spite at the younger sister, Wno wa
. hat night to be married before then
and to the wealthy Mr.. Cotton Bats
Mrs. Wynne, however, thought 1t Il
laughing matter.
'Zlluee WyAne," She SalQ, 6ternly
t s'tuIs behavior is disgraceIul in gil
{ who ought to be on her knees thankln
3 Heaven lor her good fortune. Get W
and come here, and manifest a prope
and becoming interest in your tr0usseau
: | don't want any Lucy Lammermoors-
or what DO you call them Pin III
family"
i zAldee pushed back the dark hair fror
her wan face, and, like one III ner sieet
, went to the bed, and looked fXedly d
, tue rustling SIX and floating vail, 0
over Cnem-lt was hard " tell which.
"Wellp said Mrs. Wynue, Inquir
4ngly.
II don; see the cofiu, or the pail" sal
, the young girl, absently.
i LotGle and Mabel gave little scream
"Zay, how dare you? You are posi-
; lively heathenishV exclalmed ME-
Wynne, reproYingIy, but pale and shak
ing, in spite Of etseit.
"Why, motnefl You have provide
,, these LhinRs Tor the luLure Mrs. Cotto
, Bats; why not, then Cir only in de
ceucy) cerements for The dead an
buried Zty."
1t was some moments before Mrs
Wynne could recover her brea h to an
swer, 80 greatly was she taken by SUI
prise. Zty mad all along been plasti
as wax in her hands, leaving her 10 al
range all thugs, from the marriage "a
10 the ornamentatlon OF the cake an