Stephens City star. (Stephens City, Va.) 1881-1883, 1882-10-21
bells. A line Of an. old song ran
through my head:

through my head:
+" Beautiful bells, oh, beautiful bells
Loud o'er the vale, and soft o'er the sea,
Oh. could I.but hear you once morep'
Through the west window different
and busy scene presented itself. The
little city of Edgewood, with its hustle.
was not far of.
Clorinda came in with bunch of
white, yellow and pink chrysan-
themums.
"Wsnt 'em for your bair, Miss
Helena? They would look fine, I
think"
The faithful creature looked dis
appointed when I bade her arrange
them in china saucer. and place them
near by.
"Oh, Miss Helena, you'se so plain !
Now Rhods's young lady does keer for
looking nice. Rhoda is proud to wait
upon her,"
just then Miss Lossing's stylish
phaeton and handsome pony stopped
before Mis- Bumpus' front gate. It was
with some uneasiness l looked at my
dress-a plain, dark wrapper. Olorinda
summoned me downstairs, where Miss
Lossing waited in grand toilette. if Clos
statement was to be credited.
"Come, Aunt Helena, your visitor
awaits"
And my nephew entered my room,
and offered ma his arm with q great
flourish of polite attention.
Miss Kathleen has the aesthetic and
literary craze in the most violent form.
You will be quite overpowered."
I was not overpowerea, but found in
Miss Kathleen very elegantly. dressed
lady of any age between thirty and
forty. Her blonde hair was banged and
irjzzed to an alarming degree It
reminded me of ye olden time, when
fair ladies sat up O. nights to protect
their elaborate coiffures. Gold eye.
glasses were perched upon the Roman
nose, the richest of velvets and satins
draped the stately form, diamonds
flashed from the throat, ears and hands,
and the wearer knew well how to display
their beauty.
My visitor proved to be very hard to
entertain, in spite of her outward
elegance. Indeed, it was difficult to
find congenial topic; the weather and
surroundings were soon exhausted.
Miss Kathleen was -inconselable in
this dull place. The fashionable OPEN
ings were necessary tc her well.being
it was happiness to feast her vision upon
lovely silks, dainty French bonnets and
dresses.
"Did I know which was the newest
and most popular style of jewelry, and
was Roman or Etruscan gold en- regle
now? Did I not care for them
Ahi"
And the countenance wore super
cilious sneer upon hearing that I could
exist and be passably happy without
modistes' displays.
A bright idea came to her.
"Then, perhaps, Miss Warburton,
you are literary? You must let me
send you over my books. How I do
enjoy some Of the thrilling parts of
Jean Ingelow's new book, Fools Err.
rand Some of his characters are
pleasing ones, yet cannot agree with
everything Mr.. Ingelow Gays and then
Mr.. Eliot's Undiscovered Country is
jast delightful"
At this confouuding of authors
Walter gave hysterical cough and
giggle; but fortunately my caller spied
some sunfowers in Mis- Polly's gar.
den.
ooh, the dear, lovely flowers I" and
she softly clapped the dainty hands.
We went into the garden to get a
nearer view of the beauties. and sur
prised Mis- Bumpus calling around her,
by her peculiar cluck, her feathered
pets to their dinner Of corn-m dough-
Miss Kathleen cooed out her admira-
tion Of the staring, coarse blossoms,
while Mis- Polly looked on amazed.
"Yes'm," said the practical possesser
of the objects of the aesthetic maiden's
admiration, II planted last spring a
good handful OF seeds you see this
corner always has been wet and good
for nothing. I learned such places was
good for raising sunfowers it keers of
the ague. Ever have chills, ma'am
Then the seeds are good for asthma,
besides being elegant food for the
fowls. I'm main glad I planted them
here, but l never could abide tn cir
smell, and see no beauty in 'em."
This was too much for Walters grav-
ity. He came near devouring his hand
kerchief, then suddenly left us.
sPoor, dear Young man." said Mis-