The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-09-04
From the Household.
CITY AND COUNTRY.
BY SALLIE A. SMITH.

BY SALLIE A. SMITH.
| WE ARE plain, country people, living
on farm over thirty miles from Boston,
but once during the year pay my cousin
Bessie visit, and she passes a month or
so with us in the summer Cousin Bessie
lives on Boylston street, in an elegant man
sion of brick and stone, with long flight
of steps leading to the entrance, the interi-
or as imposing and magnificent as the ex-
terror plate glass windows shining in the
sun like vast mirrors, and then the Won
derful draperies shading these same win
dows, the lace seems like frost work, ming
ling with its foamy pillows, are amber silk
or azure hangings that CLEAN and glitter
in the semi-twilght of the vast drawing
rooms, like a rainbow amid the storm
cloud. Then the furniture all gilded and
carved, with coverings of satin, and the
statues and vases and costly trifles that
must have cost fortune to have collected
together, while the library, music room,
private boudoirs, chambers dressing rooms
etc, are perfect picture Of luxury and ell
egance. The servants, and there is a small
army of them, put on more airs and dress
more finely than some Of our first people
at Cloverside.
Uncle Alden, fathers brother, made his
4 money in the late war selling shoddy. My
father cared nothing for wealth, his only
ambition was to be the owner of nice
farm, and he has had that ambition satis-
fed would not exchange our old house
for all the palaces in Boylston street And
then the farm, | love every tree, every
blossom, every inch of ground. 1t is sum-
mer now, bright, glowing August weather,
the afternoon shadows are falling softly a.
thwart the two tall poplars in front of our
house, over the distant hills pale mist is
shining in the golden light; in the fields
the yellow buttercups have closed their
, ewes, and the purple clover droops its
graceful head in the heat, the soft summer
sky is fecked with lazy, fleecy clouds float
ing idly along, while a living fragrance in
the air speaks of wild grapes in the cool
: woods, and of thou,and sweet flowers
: blooming in rich luxuriance.
"Ellen, where are your Aunt Alden and
and Bessie are coming this afternoon to
; stay through August and September and
| want you this very minute to help with
the baking" and mother, her face flushed
with the heat of the kitchen, came out in
I the Garden, where | had been busy weed
ing my flower beds
"Have you received letter from them?'
y asked as sat preparing a squash for one
of mothers famous pies.
: sYes; father has just got back from the
: office, and brought one from Maria; she
! and Bessie have been to Long Branch, but
n q
6 change of air would benefit her. so they
o concluded to pay us visit; then you are
to 90 back with them and stay in Boston
through the winter months"
t "But, mother, how can | leave you sc
|, long? and then my wardrobe, | need sc
/. many new things. can manage very vel
S here, but TO 90 to the city and to see such
!, fashionable people as one always meets a
S uncle's, | do not think shall accept the
invitation" but l sighed as ended the
sentence, for although loving my owr
Il country home far more than the fine city
D residence of my relatives, yet always en-
I joyed my visits there, and felt pang O
. disappointment in giving up the thought
d OF going.
$ "Now don't worry about me, you know
there is not much work to be done in win
j. ter, and our family will be small, only faith
= er and me, for your brother William is de
termined to go to Kansas in the fall, say
Z he can make a fortune tarmm9i and al
3 for your dress, have little sum stowet
s away that will be sufficient for all you
d wants; now hurry and beat the eggs, go t.
n the lower pantry and get the milk, butte
and other things, for we must bake NJ
\
= something nioe for poor little Bessie"
ave will soon have the roses blooming
= in her pale cheeks, mother, and with you
= good nursing the invalid viii not long b.
II , ailing."
|, At sunset long shadows fell across tn
is highway from the pine forests, dec
e brooding stiffness reigned broken onl y b,
the sweet song of the robin and the oriole
" who had built their nests in the old pop
. lars, our doors were all ajar, the soft south
o ern breezes sweeping through the parlol
' stirring the muslin curtains that l ha
d, ooped back with sprays of ivy, the settinj
u sun shone on the threeply carpet the hair
ir cloth furniture, and all our plain, ,comiortabl
1T surroundings. In the dining room the ia
'e bic was set for tea, and prided myself O
my cake, jellies, etc. We had some G
N mothers cream biscuit and squash PIE
- rich, yellow cheese, and balls OF sweet but
~ ter then had added dish of Transparent
a Jelly and basket of golden sponge cakt
~ y, not forgetting to put at cousin Bessie
Is plate bouquet of her tavorite heiiouop'
e. scarlet seraniun, and mignonetta
ID ID In the twilight greetings, l hardly note
= the change in my pretty cousin, bAt whe
U the lamps were lighted, saw that he
ne ewes were dull, her rounded check waste
ie and pale, and her petite form airy and tra}
IS lie. Bessie and / were nearly OF an az
n, but looked much older. She is beaut,
IN with soft, hazel eyes, golden. brown hal
and delicate color in cheeks and lip
ia while with her slight form and childis
~ ~ ways her twenty years seemed scarcel
~ ~ sixteen. I, on the contrary, look twent.
10 five, with my tall, well-developed iorr
he black X eyes and hair, and round rosy tace'
we we In the privacy of our chamber, for Be
- - sic and always shared the same rool
'e we had long confidential talk, we r
d hearsed our school days at the seminar
w our sports, our youthful loves, etc, the
ed Bessie spoke of brother William.
lie "What pity lie chooses the life OF ia
zee mer," said my cousin, with his fine educ
a oaJ e,,,b n f,ca and form he ought