The Owosso times., 1882-01-27

by etiquette at the Lake hotels. Som
of the company, no doubt, are Amer
cans, travelling with mountains of iror
bound trunks. beai ing the labels G
half the hotels in Europe; many ar
hOneymooning couples, arrayed in tn
newest of apparel from the crown O
the head to the sole of the foot. Blu
many also carry their luggag
in their hands or on their backs, an
so swallow tails and spOtless shirt
fronts are out of the question. But tn
etiquette of the table d'hote does lOol
for one thing, and that is black Goa
of some kind or other. Therefore Mrs
Saiway, who for various reasons hat
not felt all her daughters gratitude
was much aggrieved at the presence o.
our hero III his knickerbocker suit no
knowing that it was through his cOur
tesy that he was compelled to appear
in this Ito Mrs. Salway, with whom
form and ceremony were fetishes, from
whose worship rank and wealth alone
were free) disgraceful state. But she
was more aggrieved a. his proximity to
her party, and most of all at her hus-
bands stupidity and mismanagement in
leaving Mary to take the outside seat,
so that the young fellow was next to
her. The Objectionable gentleman did
not see the matter at all in the same
light; but having attacked the young
lady's reserve by the usual observations
about the weather, ratified on So pleas
antly that Mary quite forgot that she
had not been introduced to him, and
was emboldened to say with blush:
l am so much obliged to you for
your kindness this afternoon had you
not given up your seat we should have
dll had to stay
Il was very glad to be of service to
you. Do you stop here long?
"A week at least, / believe.
4 suppose you have private rooms
here, and you will disappear after din
ner?'
oh, no; my father likes to see stran-
gers, land the coming and going he thinks
it a change after home life
Very true,' answered the gentleman,
with look of content on his face which
was not lost upon Mary. She began to
feel that the Lake holiday promises to
be at least as agreeable as she had ex-
pected. Women are quick, very quick,
to read mems thoughts when they are
turned toward themselves, even such a
shy little Hampstead maiden as Mary,
just released from the gOverness' thral-
dom, and still suffering good deal
from repression at the hands of her
mother and sisters. She steals look
at him while he is engaged with his
enJree. He is not handsome; she set
ties that at once. He is not tall, with
black moustache, flashing dark eyes
and imposing manner; only keen, sun
burnt face is his, with small black
whiskers, and with eyes bright enough.
but of no particular color. But if his
clothes are old and shabby, he seems at
home in them, and perfectly at ease
with his company, she is certain that
he is a gentleman, not because he gave
up his seat to her, but by hundred
Tiny proofs. And she enjoys her first
hotel dinner very much, and wonders
whether the same seats will be reserv-
ed for them every evening.
So when she rises and he bows, Mary
is inclined to view the world through
rose-colored spectacles. Not so her
mother. Mrs. Salway has, during din
ner, been talking to an old gentleman
who chanced to sit next to her and
whom she does not know from Adam;
but nevertheless on the road to the
drawing room she puts before Mary
the enormity of talking to gentleman
to whom she had not been introduced,
and begs her to behave herself like Ag.
nes and Laura. who, having been wall
ed in from such approaches by those
heavy flanking parties, Mr.. and Mrs.
Salway, have had no chance ef SHINING
in the same way. Her father is in
structed to see that Mary is not allow
ed to Outlie the party another evening;
and when the Objectionable young gen.
tleman actually has the audacity, to
quote Mrs. Salway's words, to enter the
drawing-room in his knickerbOckers,
and looks inquiringly round as if for
some particular person, he finds Mary
penned in a corner by her mother and
sisters, who regard him, and especially
his neither garments, with looks in
which wonder and scorn are finely
blended. That richly dressed matron
having set the example, he finds him.
self rather cOolly received in other
quarters, and soon retires from the
scene in search, if may make a guess
of the smoking room.
But strict reserve in the club-likt
life of a tourists hotel is difficult Il
maintain. If you do not meet YOU
bugbear Tor vice versa, for it is more
polite to suppose that you, reader, ,stan(
in Mary's place than in her elders
upon the coach to Ullswater, you will
do so most probably next day on tha
going to Coniston; if not in the draw
ing-rOom, then in that favOrite resOr
the verandaf; IL not at breakfast, thei
at dinner, or lunch, or lighting bed
room candle, or on the steamboat, yO,
will be sure to find him or her OPPOSITE
TO YOU. So it was with our younJ
friends, and Mary suffered in conse
quence. The sisters persisted, as sis
ters will in such n case, that Mary EN-
couraged him, but 1 believe that b.
needed small encouragement. Nov
and then too he suffered little: Mrs
Salway would be rude to him, and tn
girls overlooked and sighted him wit
a naughty contempt that was certainl
felt more by Mary than by the perso
} for whom { was chiefly intended. Mrs
Salway had made up her mind that h
was commercial traveller, and wa
, not chary of stating her belief; so tina
: the young fellow without a black Goa
/; came quite unconsciously to be col