Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1879-04-15
DEMETER'S DAUGHTER.

of people to hear white-haired man
of lofty artistic pedigree read. She was
fond of patronizing talent When Mr..
Kemble had given his Sir Anthony Alb
solute and Sir Peter Teazle, Mrs. De
Lettante went about among her guests
and explained that she had still another
pleasure in store for them: Miss Hilda
Wiese would now recite. Miss Wiese
was a debastante, but they would see
she had great possibilities. Mr.. Kem-
BILE had spoken to her of the young
lady, who intended to become a pro-
fessional reader; he was enthusiastic in
her praise.
So, after a brief interval, a young
girl was led forward, who recited por-
tions of Elaine's beautiful and touching
story with native ease and grace. She
stood in the third of the suite of rooms
that opened one into another. Behind
her was a background of white flowers
arranged on graduated steps, mass of
hyacinths chiefly and daffodils Gt was
spring.. She was flower of spring
herself, with the ineffable glory and
charm of youth about her: serene, wide
brow, from which heavy dark hair was
swept to one side; the outlines of her
| ia pure and harmonious, and strong
rather than delicate; in her cheeks the
| fresh, steady color that rarely outlasts
girlhood She wore quantity simple
black silk gown. the sleeves cut to the
elbows and fieecily ruffied with white !;
the same white effect at her throat.
Her voice was rich and soft and full
Her recitation charmed; there was a
murmur Of pleased surprise. When she
had done she simply fell back a step or
two against the tiers of flowers. She
helped herself to daffodil, and stood
carelessly swinging it, listening to some
thing kind which the elocutionist said
to her.
Presently Mrs. De Lettante came up
with a tail, fair young man of studi-
Gus aspect, whom she made known to
Miss Wiese as DR.. Douglass. As this
young man bowed in Acknowledgement
of the introduction, he said to himself.
out of sweet rhyme-book of his sisters.
"You gave me great deal of pleas
ure,n he said, with a touch of the self
confidence of youth in the worth of its
own praise.
did I? l am very glad"
LAS for Mrs. De Lettante, she is
;airly ruf1ied with complac"ncy at hav-
ing sponsored YOU"
Mrs De Lettante has been very good
% me-"
woman in search of a mission. Look
1t her now, magnetizing that little dark
nan with those restless hazel eyes of
hers.n
"She is very gracious and handsome"
Extremely so in her sweeping satin
robes-Nile green you ladies call that
,olor, do you not stately, dark-haired,
air-skinned. l wonder who the ugly
title man isP'
"Mr. Kemble told me. He is a
Frenchman, duke. His father was
made a duke by the emperor at Sol
ferino He inherits the title.n
Pasteboard nobility"
There has to be beginning to every
thing Bravery is its own pedigree.
Did you ever hear what Nadir replied
| when 'Delhi's throne inquired the an
cestry' of his son?
o. My child is noble, for, though lowly born,
He is the son and grandson of the sword"
| Her simple enthusiasm was contagious.
"No doubt you and Nadir-is that
his na1nep-are right. Here comes Mrs.
De Lettante with her duke He is like
Jacob-he halts on his thigh"
The Due de Bonne Fortune was pre-
sented in his turn. He was not an at
tractive parsonage, upon the whole; as
you have gathered, little and dark, and
very lame. He was a man who had
| lived in the world and for the world, and
his life had left no impress of any lofty
impulse upon his face; on the contrary,
there were lines of craft and guile around
his mouth and eyes. He was no longer
Young, but he looked older than his
| ho oh <af
the old-world civilization he had sprung
from; there was a gay sparkle and
vivacity about his conversation which
disposed Hilda in his favor. All women
! like to be amused. Besides, in her up
right vigor she felt "divine compass
sion'' for his ir trinity.
DR.. Douglass drifted away with Mrs
De Lettante, who said, going: "Do you
know Mrs. Wiese? There she is, all by
herself in that corner. Of course she is
almost a stranger here. asked her for
the daughters sake. / wish you would
talk to her.
Douglass agreed readily. Douglass
was not singular in his alacrity to be
civil to the mother of beautiful daugh-
ter. And Mrs. Wiese proved to be
charming on her own account-literally
charming, with the unhackneyed and
fresh cheerfulness of child. She had a
primrose face'-a phrase like to bor-
row from Owen Meredith to describe a
certain type of face that never entirely
loses its youth-with ready smiles, and
changing color, and clear eyes, add, in
her case, sunny chestnut hair (the color
ing should be bright. An electric
spark was struck between Douglass ard
herself. She liked young men in de-
lightful, motherly way, that always
bore in mind her own half-grown boys.
And young men invariably liked her.
She talked frankly to Douglass; among
other things, about her husbands deli
cate health and failing sight. Douglass
had made speciality of diseases OF the
eye, and lent an intelligent interest. He
said he should be honored if Mrs. Wiest
would permit him to call upon hersel
and her husbands he did not add, "anc
your daughter" although at that very
moment his gaze was resting on thu
calm young Persephone in the mex
room, who, still idly twirling her snow,
daffodil, was talking to the pasteboart
duke.
Later in the evening Douglass fell il
again with Mrs. De Lettante. 1.-THE,
tell me-" he said, indicating Hilda
"that that beautiful child is destined 70
the stage. | confess l am sorry to hea
it.n