Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1881-10-25
MRS. HOUNSLOW,S EXPERIMENT

A daughter had been the hope of Mrs
Hounslow's life. Thinking, when Law.
renee was small, of the beauty of a lit
tie girl, tco, with her curls running ou,
in rings under the lace and ribbons o.
her cap, she had beenobliged to change
the thought to that of the maiden who
should become Lawrence's bride, and
give her all the conf rt and none of The
care of a daughter.
She had alwayslbeen a lonesome body
an orphan at first, and then so few years
wife before she was widow, with hel
unruly boy at school aud she had look
ed at mothers with their little girls, anC
envied them the companionship, the
opportunity of making charming dresses
for the pretty darlings, the power to live
their lives over q. ain in their girls.
When Lawrence came to stay, she
had, of course, much comfort in him
and if the young man ''enjoyed his
fling" she knew nothing about it. Yet
Lawrence's filing" was not bad one
as filings go; he drank his wine with
model alton, from epicuIism-it was sc
pleasant he did not wish to pail; he
drove fast horse, and he loved game
dinner. When the exuberance of youth
passed, he would settle into respecta.
BILE citizen with bank account. To her
eyes, to-day, he was paragon.
Settle. But not alone. 1t followed az
the night the day that Lawrence would
marry-a very pretty girl or very rich
one. Neither would be to Mrs. Houn.
slows taste; the pretty girl hardly the
companion she sought for herself, the
flighty head turned by vanity, the ap-
petite Unsuitable for flattery; and the
rich one mastering Lawrence, aud con-
sequently herself. She had chosen her.
self q charming young girl with as sweet
q nature is ever shOne out of blue eye
she frequently had her there although
to no effect except in her own dreams
In what dreams Mrs. HOunsl0W fndulg.
ed by the evening fire apropos of Louise
MaDdell! Somehow the young girl al
ways seemed sitting on the other side OF
the fire, its light dancing In her eyes
on her dimpling smile; and sometimes
Mrs. Hounslow saw that light glance
on little golden wedding ring, and
sometimes on q little golden nesting
head and Lawrence was always stand
ing on the rug between the two, look
ing, with equal tenderness in the dark
eyes, at one side and at the other. That
was her evening dream. In the morn.
ing Louise moved about the house with
her, cutting flowers, filling vases, con-
cocting dishes-what q mother-in-l law
she would make! How happy she was
going to be In this dear daughter! She
had even gone so far as to buy an open
phaeton in this dream for Louise tt
drive her out in on sunny evenings, and
was Just settling on the'color Of the silk
On canopy, when she awoke to see thai
great luxurious hazel eyed and hateful
blonde, Flora Furlong.
Mrs. Hounslow's son and Furlong
There was no worse blood in the land ;
money enough; family enough; and ye
nothing too interruptions of which tt
suspect the men too selfish, silly, SLOW
emily, stupid, spiteful, of which to accuse
the women.
Young men do not pause to think o.
such things. What Flora Furlong coule
work out as to his salvation did not Oc-
casion Lawrence q thought; but bel
luminous. black. dashed eyes, With hel
long white lids and the way she had O.
lifting them, her melting mouth ant
velvet skin, her hair like fine spun gold
her luxurious flesh-all that was I
fascin alton aud If he was not passion
8I0ly III 0dTucSts LIZ W 90 AZ q A1sAA Wy ~
he 80. why, she's nothing but clay
rose leaf clay, flesh and blood! dom
believe she has soul, or anything tina
answers for one !" cried Mrs. HounsloV
to herself. "a Furlong never did,"
Flora Furlong to fill the measure o
these dreams of hers to make her boy
home! II he was to have a wife, sh'
was to have daughter and the daugh-
ter was to be her acquisition or her bur
den all day long, and Lawrence's deligh
but an hour or rtwo--Lswrence's burden
too. instead of his blessing, by-and-by
If it should be the Furlong! And sh
had as good right to assert his; sh
knew the best and were not she ant
Lawrence one, after all SO ran be-
reverie.
Foolish Mrs. Hounslow! The win'
bloweth where it listetb and you mig
as well try to turn that wind baci
whittier it came by blowing against II
as to turn the young mans fancy o.
any breath of yours.
1t was Flora by whose side Lawrenc
was ever to be seen. 1t pleased bis sens
of beauty to look at her; 1t pleased hl
sense of pride to be seen with her; u re.
his budding passion to feel the magni
ficent creature by his side. He squan
dered his money In flowers but wnel
with her It never occurred to him tina