The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1879-04-17
DEMETER'S DAUGHTER.

Mrs. De Lettante had invited a crowd
of people to hear white e-haired man
of lofty artistic pedigree read. She was
fond of patronizing talent. When Mr..
Kemble had given his Sir Anthony Abb
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 dcbutdntc, but they would see
she had great possibilities. Mr.. Kem-
BILE had spoken to her of the young
lady, who intended to become n pro-
fessional reader; he was enthusiastic in
her praise.
So, after brief interval, 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 background of white flowers
arranged on graduated steps, a mass of
hyacinths chiefly and daffodils Gt was
spring.. She was a 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
fa e pure and harmonious, and strong
rather than delicate; in her cheeks the
fresh, steady color that rarely outlaSts
girlhood. She wore a quantity simple
black silk gown. the sleeves cut to the
elbows and fleecily ruf1led 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 tall, fair young man of studi-
Gus aspect, whom she made known to
Miss Wiese as DR.. Douglass. AS this
young man bowed in acknowledgment
of the introduction, be said to himself.
Demeter's daughter, fair and free, y
out of sweet rhyme-book of his sisters.
"You gave me a great deal of pleas
ure." he said, with n touch of the self
confidence of youth in the worth of its
own praise.
did I? I am very glad"
Gas for Mrs. De Lettante, she is
fairly rutlled with complaC"ncy at hav-
ing sponsored YOU"
MRS. De Lettante has been very good
to me-"
"You have repaid her. She is the
woman in search of mission. Look
mt her now, magnetizing that little dark
man with those restless hazel eyes Of
hers"
"Shc is very gracious and handsome.
| Extremely so in her sweeping satir
robes-Nile green you ladies call that
color, do you not?-stately, dark, haired
fair-skinned. | wonder who the ugly
| little man is?n
"NIr. Kemble told me. He is {
Frenchman, a duke. His father wa:
made duke by the emperor at Sol
ferino. lie inherits the title"
Pasteboard nobility"
"There has to be a 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?
"'My child is noble, for, though lowly born,
He is the son and grandson of the sword"
Her simple enthusiasm was contagious
mo doubt you and Nadir-is tia
his name?-are right. Here comes Mrs
De Lettante with her duke. He is lik
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; a
YOU have gathered, little and dark, ant
very lame. He was a man who ha
lived in the world and for the world, an,
his life had left no impress of any loft
impulse upon his face; on the contrary
there were lines of craft and guile aroun
his mouth and eyes. He was no longe
Young, but he looked older than hi
actual age. Still he showed traces c
the old-world civilization he had sprun
from; there was q gay sparkle an
yivacity about his conversation whic
disposed Hilda in his favor. All wome
like to be amused. Besides, in her up
right vigor she felt-a "divine compass
sion" for his ir trinity.
DR.. Douglass drifted away with Mr.,
De Lettante, who said, going: "Do yo
know Mrs. Wiese? There she is, all b
herself in that corner OF course she
almost n stranger here. | asked her fc
the daughters sake. l wish you woul
talk to her."
Douglass agreed readily. Douglas
was not singular in his alacrity to /
civil to the mother of beautiful daugl
ter. And Mrs. Wiese proved to |
charming on her own account-literall
charming, with the unhackneyed an
fresh cheerfulness of child. She had
! "primrose face"-a phrase like to bol
row from Owen Meredith to describe
certain type of face that never entire,
loses its youth-with ready smiles, az
changing color, and clear eyes, add,
her case, sunny chestnut hair (the colo
}, ing should be bright. An electr
spark was struck between Douglass ar
herself. She liked young men in a d
J lightful, motherly way, that alwa
And young men Invariably liked he
+: She talked frankly to Douglass amol
other things, about her husbands de
cate health and failing sight. Dougla
had made speciality of diseases of Il
eye. and lent an intelligent interest.
said he should be honored if Mrs. VIE
r. would permit him to call upon hers
, and her husband; he did not add, "a
your daughter" although at that We
moment his gaze was resting on t
calm young Persephone in the ne
room, who, still idly twirling her sno,
daffodil, was talking to the pasteboa
duke.
Il, Later in the evening Douglass fell
again with Mrs. De Lettante. "Tl
tell me-" he said, Indicating Hill,
"that that beautiful child is destined
the stage. confess / am sorry to h,
it." .r.-' -
"She has a gift. To my thinking
belongs to the world.n
"And so she will dim her lovelin
behind the footlights, and lose the bio
M of her reticence and modesty."