Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1882-04-25
Galts ano Sketfbes.
Al the LAST HOUR.
By EDGAR FAwcETr.

VOIlIOu III NCN 1Ofh Is bilstt WHICH VIC
call the lower end of Filth Avenue? Here
still linger the stately yet simple sugges.
tons of how our vanished gentry once
lived. with their dignified economies,
their dawning esteem for European cul.
ture. and their sold Knickerbocker names.
At favoring seasons the big shade-trees al
Washington Square CLEAN not far away,
with drowsy idlers seated amid their tran
quill domain. The one hotel in New York
whose reputation has n kind of patrician
positiveness here lifts a large, prim.
many-wi:,dowed front, wholly guiltless oI
modern embellishments. The clamor oI
the omnibus never visits this happy Sc
clusiOn; carts seldom CHATTER along It's
pavement: but the mellow rumble Of car
riages is Il familiar sound. To those who
enter these quiet limits the hustle oil
Broadway has become but vague mem.
DRY, and the frenzies of the Stock Ex-
change, PARKWAY dream.
In one Of the finest residences Of this
quarter dwelt an aged lady named Mrs.
Lydia De Peyster. She had been Il wild
ow for many years: she was childIess and
immensely wealthy. Her relations alb
horred her. but they by no means gave
her up for this reason she was too ire
sislioly rich. Mrs. DE Peyster used to APP
pear. however, as ii she wanted vers
much to give them mp. She had fatty
denied herself to al Of them, except on Il
single day every fortnight, when sh..
would ..entertainn item in her enormous
bald par.or with its heavy mahogany
doors ami its antique holdings. Here
they would congregate. dowagers in
gowns Of the latest fashion, and young
girls as gay and fresh as flowers. They
always terminated these perIun ctorr visits
with high sense Of relief, and would say
many sarcastic things afIerward of the
gray. slow paced butler who handed them
cake and wine on u ponderous silver sal
yer Of the great. 'drrary mansion. and of
their icy-manpered aunt in particular.
There is no doubt that Mrs. De Peysier.
on her side. was very glad 10 get rid OF
them. She probably knew how cherries
her welcome was. and made no effort Ia
improve it. She had never been good
looking. even in her girlish days; and
now, with her sallow wrinkles. her aus
tere. arched nose. and her sparse. wbiish
tresses, she was grimly rcpeling. She
would sometimes look nj herself in the
mirror when her relations had gone away.
and think. with cold smile: '-lIow il
must bore them TO lind what fine consti-
tutit n havcr'
Now and then Mrs. De Peyster's carriage
would receive her dark draped little figure
among its roomy cushions. and the solemn
horses, with therplain trappings and their
withered old driver in green livery. would
move forth amid noisier scenes. At such
times they occasionally stopped before II
luxurious house is one Of the uptown side
streets. where dwell an old lady of i very
different type from Mrs. De Pewter. This
was Mrs. Grosvenor. who had in her
day been belle and beauty, and who
still preserved marvellous vivacily. Mrs
Grosvcnor went ont to balls. though she
was past 60. At these entertainments she
matronized her grand daughter. young
girl who was her only near living rela-
ton. and whom she devotcdly loved. Mrs.
Grosvenor looked every dav of her adj
vanced age; she was very lean, with ashen
coloring. and skin as dry rs parchment
but her laugh rang with merrier music
than some ,hildren's and her step would
often carry an elastic brskness. She was
prodigious!y worldly. and adored gossip
nor was she ut all above the enjoyment OF
certain jocose stories which are not crcu-
lated bv polite lips. She had Il number
of fossiized devolees. ancient gallani>
who had been iops when she was in her
bloom. and who. with one foot in their
graves. were frps still. She was her Ia
vOrite among her own sex; for age had
touched her with no venom. and she had
absurdly oul!ived all her envies Where
ever her thin. alert figure swept. in its
silks and velvets. gavcty was apt To follow.
Everybody agreed that she was n wonder.
fully vigorous old woman: and no one
marveled at her more than Mrs De Peys-
ter.
They had been friends in their youth.
and passed for friends still. Mrs. Gros-
venor used TO say. in her high, ocular
voice. that Mrs. De Peyster was her sole
encouragement tor being so long lived.
The two ladies were almost exactly equal
In their ages. "When you pass away.
LYDIA" she once openly declared. Il shall
feel as il had 40 further excuse for ex-
isting."
Mrs. De Peyster's visits were moder-
ately rare. but they seemed to be quite
devoid of reason. She would sometimes
sit for a quarter of an h:ur in her hostess
company without doing more than utter II
few grave monosyllables. "She gives me
the horrors. grandmamma. said Young
Pauline Grosvenor. one day. ''She cant
grow old gracefully, like you. Iwish she
would not come"
For herself. Mrs. De Peys.cr may have
oflen wished that She could remain away.
But she continued to come because hid
den goad drove her there. It was the goad
Of n long. uncomfortable hate. II think
/ have outlived all but that" she often
told herself. The sombre little old wo-
man, iriendless. frieit and unlovely.
looked upon her own life aud found il like
bligh,ed hill. where only one scrap of
verdurc fingered, and that poisonous
weed. But the poisonous weed throve
with baleful hardness. She had re-
lentless. unparioning hate of Mrs. Grosve-
nor. Time had anuihilated all her loves.
and this noisome loathng seemed TO flour.
ish upon their decay
She was above the taking of petty
vengeance. but for years she hal longed
to take some large, sure and satisfying
one upon the woman who had long ag,
wronged her. And there is no doubt that
Anne Chichester. before the marriage
which had made her Anne Grosvenor. had
wrought this wrong. Jealous of the man
who had preferred Ll dia's plainness e
hor own hoautv Anna hal lar, IL e,, tho m,