Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1882-05-25
DIRECT FROM JAPAN.


"I never was so disappointed in my
Efe," said old Miss Beckley, letting her
eyeglasses drop hopelessly at her side.
stAre you quite sure, Belinda?"
I've been everywhere" said Miss
Belinda Beckley, the younger of the two
ancient maiden ladies. ''Everywhere!
And there's nothing that corresponds
with it in the least degree"
The two Misses Beckley looked at
each other despairingly. And if one
had been gifted with a fertile magma
zion, it would have been easy to fancy
them a pair of elderly enchantresses in
the midst of a magic palace. For the
quaint, low-ceiled drawing-rooms were
Sled with jointed bamboo screens,
carved masses of ivory, hideous painted
ware, and tiny cups and saucers as
transparent as so many egg-shells.
And, by way of finishing up the har-
monious whole, they had hung their
walls with draperies and banners in
wrinkled Grape encircled with gold
thread, lustrous satin, brocaded tapes
try, even strips of gilded paper, where
Oriental plants blossomed, and phe-
nomenal birds set all ones precon-
eeiVed ideas of perspective at defiance.
And faint perfume of teak and sandal
wood hung on the air, and dingy rugs
blotted out the harvest roses and tulips
of the carpet, which had been good
enough for the half-pay Captain who
had once been uncle to the two Misses
Beckley, and it only required coffee
eolored native with wooden shoes and a
braided queue to make one believe ones
self in the Flowery Land.
Japanese, you see," the two old
ladies would say, looking complacently
Mt the astounded guest who had STUN
bled from an atmosphere of newly
fallen snow and New York sunshine in
20 this half lighted, strangely scented
mosaic of the East" entirely Japan
esq.,
But life is not without its shadows,
and upon this especial evening, as the
nephew and heir-apparent of the old
ladies, one Frank FRANKLIN, sauntered
in, Just as the daffodil gold of the Feb
Yuary twilight was turning to hazy pur-
pie, he found both his aunts plunged in
the deepest abysses of gloom.
Mr.. Franklyn looked from one to the
other of the weird and agitated faces.
He knew that Aunt Miranda's cap was
never tipped at that particular angle
over her false front except when matters
were very bad indeed; and Aunt Be-
linda leaned against the mantel in an
attitude of limp despair.
what is the matter?" he asked,
setting his hat on lacquered tripod in
one corner, and BALANCING his cane in
the angle of the wall b. hind stuffed
ibis, whose speculative eyes seemed to
glare at him from the partial shadow
after a most uncomfortable fashion.
t "Look there, Frank!" solemnly ut
tered Miss Beckley, pointing with her
crooked gold-headed cane to the oppo-
site wall.
Beautiful" said Frank Franklyn, at
. venture. For he saw only long and
narrow parallelogram of black satin
mounted in a border of glimmering
gold brocade, with a background on
which pensive stork wondered through
waves of lead-colored silk embroidery,
and beneath the silver green shadow of
sacred palms.
..isnt it?" said Miss Belinda, her
venerable face lighting up with momen-
tary satisfaction, only to darken again
into gloom. 'sBut, oh! Frank, we
haven't got a match for it,
.3 "Not got match for itp''
"There's nothing-nothing," cried
Miss Beckley, tragically lifting her
hands, ssin all this room that is fit to
lang ON the other side of my dear grand
fathers portrait"
"Why,,' said this reckless iconoclast,
al should think that almost any thing
would do"
The two old ladies uttered simultan-
eous cry of dismay and horror.
Frank" reasoned mild Miss Beck
1ey, s'you don't understand high art.
You're dear, good-hearted fellow"
added Miss Belinda, with that degree of
charity wherewith a missionary may be
supposed to regard well-intentioned
eannibal, Sand in a knotty point of law
don't suppose you have your equal.
But, you see, you are not aesthetic"
"N-no,'' confessed Mr.. FRANKLIN,
rubbing his nose; "perhaps l am not.
But why don't you and Aunt Miranda
90 down to the stores and match the
fhingP"
awe have tried" said Miss Beck
!" 1t can't be done," added Miss Be-
linda, with sigh.
"Give it to me-" said Frank, who
was great at an emergency. "I'll take it
down with me tomorrow. There's
new place opened near the docks where
they pretend to import novelties. Tado
Anoko, believe, is the name painted
ND over thu door. Probably the con-