The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1880-02-13

for health as much Is for pleasure"
well, shouldn't mind travelling 70
health, too. But one must Be- ch 10 d
that nowadays, when, as you say, price
have risen SO much everywhere
YES" I replied, incautiously; sit
shocking the way in which prices hav
risen. 1t is the fault of those American:
| Now at Naples, where was for a shor
| time
"Oh, were you at Naples ?-were yo,
| really at Naples 81 exclaimed Flora, tn
bride elect, who had hitherto seemed {.
take less vivid interest than the other
IN my humdrum travels, being very nat
urally preoccupied with her own ap
preaching honeymoon trip. "Oh, tel
me did yoA see an"
AN eruption of VesuVius? Yes,
said l, with all . travellers satisfaction
in finding the conversation drift so nat
urally toward the most impressive poin
! of my narrative "You would like Il
| hear about it, Well"
"Oh, very much; butt was going Il
ask, did you see any very pretty cora
when you we're at Naples! Can vol
| tell me about the prices there? People
| say you can pick up things for nothing
and in this country, you know, coral il
| so expensive
IL
| mortification-for l could see from the
really grave anxiety in the girls face, rs
she waited for 0y answer, that the gran
| duers of the volcano had little chance sc
sides this trumpsry question of coral
Il can't say thai found one could pick
up anything quite for nothing. But il
you are going to Naples" l paused
thinking what shops Icould reconmend
"Oh no, I'm afraid there's no hope oil
getting so far. But one could commits
sion 1.-THE coral, l mean. The truth
is, she added, cOnfideatially, zone ofmy
uncles has given me some money as a
wedding present-it's just ten pounds
but thought l might get SEINE hand
some coral ornaments with it, Unfortu.
nately I've got so little jeWelry amongst
my presents, and one can't do without
jeWeiry now, you know. Now would
you advise me to write to q friend OF
mine who is coming home from India
through Italy to buy me ten pounds
worth of coral? OF course l should ex-
pect to get q Gerry nice set for that money
SHOULD your said I, doubtfulIy.
well, l should advise you not to give
your friend the commission" | was
thinking Of the difficulty l had had in
executing a very similar one with which
| had been charged by friend fer whom
had brought home some coral orna-
ments, which, however had cost more
than the sum named by Flora.
But why not? Do you really not
think, Miss Fairgame, that ten pounds
will buy nice coral, even in Naples >
Then what in the world am to do win
Il: And do so want jeWelrv of some
kind. Only think how provoking it is :
people have given me such heaps of use
less things-traveling clocks, I've Just
got three; and six inkstands, and two
sets of salt-ceilars; isn't it too bad ~
Was silent, partly with surprise at
the number, partly, l must own, with
alarm at the cool and practical estimate
which was evidently put on friendships
offerings. A dim distrust was rising in
my mind about my own present. Would
II not also be classed with the useless
things?
Couldn't you give me some idea,
Miss Fairgame, Of what l could do with
ten pounds? l don't care for trumpery
garnets, for l know one can get them
cheap enough"
Really II can't advise. Only don't
send for coral" said l, emphatically, as
our hostess moved, and we rose from the
table. Bat what were ny sensations
when, as l paused on my way to the
drAWlng-room to look at a family Dor
trait, l heard hurried whispering in the
passage behind me: "Oh, do you really
think so: How lucky you haven't spent
Uncle Jshn's ten poundsr' and Flora's
answer: Yes, I'm sure of it. She told
me 1ot to send FOR coral. wonder if
shall get it this evening. I'm dying TO
see 1t. But perhaps she hasn't had time
TO unpack it"
1 fed to the drawing-room before it
could be discovered that I had overheard
them. Here, alas! was mdmistake num-
person have done the same? Besides I
was too COMPOUNDED to consider what |
was about.
Now what had said or done to lead
Flora to imagine-what rioht had she TO
imagine-that meant to beetoN on her
any thingso expensive as coral, or iewelrv
OF any description? can not remember
what happened during the first ten min
utes after making this horrible discov-
cry. found myself at last sitting star
ing at photograph book which some
body had brought me, and wildly irving
to recall what had passed At dinner. 1t
flashed on me that I had been spoken of
as rich" and that had not repealed the
lnsinuation. My heart sank as remem.
bered every trifling little boast | had
made about the places had gone to, the
sights had seen. I shrank like de-
tccted thief when some of the girls came
about me, admiring my lace, studying
my Few ornaments, 1 felt as if my value
was being calculated, my goods apprais-
ed. glanced fearfuly at Flora's inteIli-
gent face, expecting 10 read in it her
knowledge that actually had in my pos
session the very coral she coveted
For so 1t Was. I WAS taking it to the
friend who had commissioned me to
bring 1t for her, and whom Twas bv.and-
by going TO visit 1 meant to show il to
Flora that she might judge of the value
Of coral. But could l do so now?
For the rest of the evening I was real
iy miserable. / know how silly it NAV
appear to say so, but ! must tell the
truth: / hate to disappoint people, and
L can't bear to seem shabby There are
women am becoming almost inclined
to envy them-who are not troubled by
such sensitive scruples; women who
VIII go into shop, turn over everything
and buy nothing; women who will nav
on their obligations to servants and rail
way guards with q bland word and a
oraZen-faced smile; women who even
prlde themselves on getting through the
world At anybody's cost but their own
or such Becky Sharps am not vet one.
L confess my weakness, and seek not 10
pslliate it.
The evening passed on. To cover the
discomfort which had seized me, I tried
to talk. The wedding now was the sub.
Ject to which everything else converged.
lo-morrow,o said NY hostess, ''you
must see all Flora's presents. Dear
childl-our friends have been "a kind
she really has got some lovely things
and, With few exceptions, all very use
fui or course there are the usual du
pl1cates- Some people seem to have no
ideas beyond these everlasting writing
table sets, and hideous ormoiu candle
sticks; and there are q few bits of
trumpery, which one must make the best
OF, you know" she added, laughing.
but, on the whole, the presents will
make . very good show on Thursday.
Thai, You know, is quite one of the fea-
lures Of . wedding nowadays, and
indeed don't know what We should do
without it Sometimes. Such a relief to
the dizziness and gene which used to pre-
vail. Now there are the wedding pres
ents to look at and talk about-and. by
the-bye, that reminds me, Mary Ito the
second daughter), I'VE must write those
cards tomorrow. Cards Ito mel with
the names of the donors are put on the
presents, so every one knows what every
body else has given. The difficulty is to
arrange them so that everything is prom
erly seen. 1t wouldn't do at all if peo-
pie were to 60 about saying, 4 see moth
ing from the So-and-sos,'; or, Il wonder
what the Somebodies have givenp
$50 that is the fashion now" said !.
family, trying TO smile. Its so long
since happened to be at q wedding.'
"Oh, then, assure you, you'll find a
great change for the better"
That depends, aunt, /" laughed bride
maid cousin who was staying in the
house. AT the last wedding i was at
you remember, Flora, when you and /
were julia Macfinn's bridemaids-what
a business We hadl You know the Mac
inns, don't You, Miss FaIrgame: Yes,
I'm sure We heard them speak of YOU
No doubt she had. A guilty. blush