Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1881-05-06
The Wreck of a Lady.

- chronological journal.
"
The Wreck of a Lady.
BY MRS. J. D. CHAPLIN.
Three young ladies were taking lunch
with companion and her mother, in
their beautiful home in the suburbs oil
Boston.
While at table the door.bell rang
and peculiar looking woman, turning
deaf ear to the servants remonstrance,
had pushed past her into the dining.
room.
She advanced toward the lady at. the
head OF the table with all the airs and
grimaces of an antiquated dancing
mistress, exclaiming with outstretched
hands
so my dear Cordelia, this looks
really like old times, when you and
were schoolgirls, and lunched, and
supped, and dressed, and danced, and
rode, and played together. I am so
happy that q strange intuition led me
here to-day to be one of this gay circle.
know you will order a plate and q
chair for me, my dear!"
But this is my daughters party,
and not mine, Matilda" replied the
lady, with flushed cheeks. ~ cannot
ask you to remain to-day"
"But you really must. There's no
release for you; for as lunch.t time drew
on, at home, suddenly remembered
that had entirely forgotten to order
anything from the bake-shop; and my
case was Like that of
".Old Mother Hubbard
Who went to the cupboard,
And when she got there,
The cupboard was bare
Aside from our lifelong friendship,
You surely, as q Christian woman of
wealth, will not deny less fortunate
Weman the crumbs that fall from your
tablet"
"No; you shall have all you want,
but will give it 10 you to take home,"
said the lady.
She ordered basket filed with cold
tongue, pressed chicken. rolls, tarts and
cake, and requested the woman to step
the conversation the voting ladies had
Lad time to STUDY The strange attire OF
the intruder, as wen as her person and
manners,
She. was tail, and but for an excess OF
lows, courtesies and tossings of the
head, would have been graceful wom-
an. Her eyes, once fine, were sunken,
and her forehead was deeply lined, as if
by care and sorrow. Her hair, which
had perfect right to be gray, was in
tensely black, and, we are sorry to say,
suggested to my mind sulphur-dye.
Her cheeks, which were thin and hol-
low, were as red as damask roses, and
the color was laid on in the regular form
Of good-sized lozenge.
She wore summer.silk, sadly soiled
and bedraggled by walking two miles
through the slosh; the train and rags
trailed after her as she frisked about the
room.
Her hat-this was in February-was
q very soiled white schip, trimmed with
Over her form, and doubtless hiding
q multitude of rags and spots, was
thrown, very gracefully, Paisley
shawl, once white, but now the color Of
q well-worn foor-cloth, and marked
with evidences of having served as q
shawl by day, and guilt by night.
A spotted lace veil with hole,
through which the end of the nose had
escaped, hung over the poor, faded face !;
ana diamonds, or the semblance OF them,
glittered in the ears and at the throat;
dirty lemon colored gloves, whose every
finger was ripped up an inch, or more,
at the end-each division turning over
like the petals of faded lily-com.
pleted her fantastic wardrobe.
A sadder and more hopeless caricature
Of a fine lady had never seen.
When supplied with her lunch. and
about leaving, che drew ont soiled
handkerchief, bordered with cotton
lace, and fourishing it about, said:
"Oh, / must ask you how you like
my new shawl, my dear Cordelis. It
was given me IL remembrance of old
and happy days. by our mutual friend,
Kate Selden. She had wore it only a
few times; and happened to mention
before her that my shawl was getting
very shabby, and she sent me this. Ny
bonnet is one Mrs. Jay Ferris had made
for the opera, but concluded to give it
to nae instead of wearing it. Oh, l
must not forget to tell you that the
editor of the Morning gave me
a ticket to the opera, and Mr.. Grey
Henderson Jones sent me one to the
grand concert at Music Hall. SO you
see that friends and fortune still shine
on me. / never have any emergency
but is met almost before it comes.
Adieu, Cordelia. dear. Bonjoar, young
ladies'"
The strange creature danced out of
the room and into the street with the