The Portland daily press., 1881-02-05

Whitehall Revisw.l
The New Cinderella.

Those made by the Widow Spicer were sin
gularly light pastry; before the honeymoon
was over she forgot she had made any, and
thenceforth her maternal care of me was
dead letter.
My father was an embarrassed man. Mrs.
Spicer brought him nothing but ready
made family; one son, Jack Spicer, already
in the army, and two daughters. When
they first joined our domestic circle, Corne-
liza aud Adelaide Spicer looked to my juve-
nile eyes, full-grown women; and yet it was
a curious fact that five years later, when l
had changed from child to a ''missy" of
twelve, they were still in their teens, and
five additional years only seemed to have
the effect of making them younger.
The Spicer girls were no beauties. They
took after their mother; they were large
nosed, shrill-tongued women, like her; they
spent their lives dressing and dreaming of
possible marriage, but every year seemed to
make the struggle more hopeless. Between
them they led my father miserable life.
He had always been a meek little man, but
the moment he fell under the yoke of the
Spicers he seemed to lose his identity and
be merged in them. 1t was quite enough
for Mrs. Spicer to say in her stentorian
voice: my girls must have season in
town, William. Cindy's schooling must
stand over for another year; and SO it stood
over altogether. How picked up a desul-
tory education, Heaven only knows. The
only branch that received any attention was
millinery; the Spicers conceived that had
nice taste for trimming, and kept me pref
ty busy; and by-and-by Clementine, ,kthe
French maid, transferred her work to me.
She could not stand the temper of secs
uteltes files, she said, and after she left it
was not found convenient to fill her place.
The constant drsius made by the Spicers
generally on my fathers purse were begin
ming to empty that long enduring article.
The seasons in town were becoming mat
ters of great difficulty and each took a slice
out of the poor residue. My stepmother
was killing the goose with vengeance, and
the golden eggs were spent for no good.
Each season saw the return of the Misses Spi-
Ger crosser, older, thinner, sourer. Some
times they would bring with them some
man who was supposed to have taken fam
cy to either Cornelia or Adelaide, and it
was hoped that country-house life might fan
the languid fame into healthy fire; but the
old saying: opportunity and Importantly"
seemed to have the contrary effect on the
Misses Spicer's admirers; they made greatin-
roads on the larder but no progress toward
matrimony.
During these visits had strict orders to
remain In my own room. My step-sisters
had strong dislike to any of their so-called
admirers seeing me. Men have, unfortu-
nately, preference for fresh young faces,
and in spite of all the nostrums that the
Spicers spent little fortune upon, each
day Increased the difficulty of keeping up
the fiction of girlhood. To do them justice,
they worked hard. If they had been a little
kinder to me could have found it in my
heart to pity them, for surely no laborers
put in severer days toll. Morning, noon
and night they were digging in ungrateful
soil, and the harvest seemed never ripe.
Adelaide, being the youngest, was the
most gushing; she adored dancing, lawn
tennis, picnics and billiards. Cornelia, on
the contrary, was, as her mother remarked,
steady as a church. She haunted the recto :
ry, where the Rev. Alfred Pringle dwealt, a
solitary widower. She made his life bur-
den to him, and marriage with her almost a
necessity; it was miraculous how he held
out.
MY eldest girl is such help in the par
ish," my stepmother weuld say, her wide
nostrils snufing the air; ''she leads the
choir, and teaches the infant school, and is
president of the mothers meeting, the coal
bag and the Christmas dinner; you'd find 1t
hard to get on without her, Mr.. Pringle."
Its wonderful how the children obey
Miss Cindy," the reverend gentleman says,
shyly. yT 49,,
daughter, Mr.. Pringle2 That girl is a
heart-break," answers my amiable mother.
"All the pains my girls take seem to do her
no good"
''She's perfectly incorrigible," says Cor
nelia with the air of a martyr.
"A perfect tomboy," chimes in Adelaide.
"A hOrrid little bear, continues Corne-
la with more acrimony than before. She
has an intuitive feeling that the rector does
not agree in these structures. Something in
his expression rouses the jealousy which is
always burning in such natures as hers. No
sooner is the door shut upon the rector than
she bursts out
Mamma! that odious girl has been tam
pering with Mr.. PringleP'
Nonsense, Cornelia; as if he would look
at such child. Men of his age like a SEN
sible woman for wife,
"They do no such thing, and you know
that very well. What's the use of making a
fool of me that wayp'
"Cindy is as forward as she can be-" re-
marks Adelaide viciously; "and she's not
such a child, either. I noticed old Pringle
watching her at the school FEAST
And why didn't you tell me?" retorts
Cornelia fiercely, "and I would have sent
her home. It's just like your i'll nature, Ad-
laide. You are as jealous as ever you can
bep'
Jealous of such buzuz as old Pringle !!
Oh, thank you. l hope shall get something
better than that"
'Sour grapes, my DEAR" returns Cornelia,
laughing scornfully. ''Oh, you needn't be
SO proud. can tell you old Pringle doesn't
care twopence for you, there"
"Youi uill-natured creature - cries Adelaide,
dissolving into tears.
Hold your tonguesp' says the mother
hurriedly; there's some one driving up the
avenue" At once the Spicers fell into
position. Their training was perfect; the
generals widow understood washing the
family linen in private.
just about this time young Lord Laven-
der came home to the Hall. Report said he
meant to give series of festivities-balls,
lawn-tennis parties and what not. The
whole neighborhood was in futter sYou
must call at once" my stepmother said to
my father; "there's no time to be lost. We
must get no dinner. Old Lady Tumble
towers told me he is musical-Adelaide, you
haven't practiced lately"
II wonder if he will take any interest in
the schools2" remarked Cornelia musingly.
Jack Spicer winked at me-he was always
teasing his sisters, and there was no love
lost between them. liked Jack; when he
was at home my life was shade more en-
durable, and the few treats that had enliv-
ened my childhood were due to him. To
him owed the first revelation so pleasing
to every woman. Returning after a long
absence OF three or four years, he blurted
out: "Why, mother, Cindy has grown
regular beauty-bring her up to town next
season and she'll make you all the fashionp'
"Don't fill the child's head with nom
sense" said my stepmother Grossly. 1t
wouldn't have suited her for my head to be
filled with anything but the making and
mending of her daughters clothes; the or
dering and arrangement of the dinners, for
which Cornella and Adelaide got the credit
OF being such famous housekeepers; and the
floral decorations which attracted even Lord
Lavender's fastidious eyes and drew from
him the remark that they must be the work
of perfect artist
"My girls are both thoroughly artistic"
said my stepmother. She hadn't quite made
up her mind which of them should 90 in for
the prize. He was little too young for
either; but, after all, few years more or
less doesn't matter in the long run. ''Ade-
laide is our musician. She has a wonderful
voice-three octaves, and the register
smooth as velvet. She has every advantage
masters everywhere. You like music?'
Doesn't care rap for the finest voice in
creationW cries Jack, who is great ally of
the young lord. Lavender don't humbug
my mother. He'd rather have jolly waltz
with pretty girl than examine PATHS reg
lister: By-the-by, where's Cindy?"
Gone to bed, hope" returns nv STEP
mother in icy tones