Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1883-09-20
The Stury Teller.
MEG'S ADVICE.

MEG'S ADVICE.
It was the day after the party, and can
any day be more utterly wretched? mean,
of course, to the people who have given the
ENTHUSIASTICALLY when, like my uncle and
aunt, they are of quiet-going habits and
moderate means, and must let their guests
dance in the dining-room and have supper
in the biggest bedroom.
It was the day after the party, and every
individual in the house was miserable. The
days before the party had not been remark
able for comfort, but they at least had been
tinged with the radiance Of hope and bright
anticipation, while now nothing remained
but 'dregs and bitterness" and to clear
away and to get the house in order again.
This would have seemed rather dreary
task in any circumstances, 1 dare say but
it was greatly aggravated by the fact that
we were all in very low spirits, or to put 1t
honestly, in dreadfully bad tempers, having
each and all a special grievance of our own.
Ny uncle's household consisted OF himself
and my aunt, Mr.. and Mrs. Gilbee, their
two sons, Christopher and Peter, their two
daughters, Lottie and Sophy, and myself,
Meg Merton, the orphan daughter of my
aunt's only sister. My mother had died
when 1 was eight years old, and my father,
whose habits were by no means of domes-
tic kind, sent me to school, and allowed me
to spend all my holidays at my aunt's, and
when he died and my Schooldays were over,
my temporary home became permanent
one. This came to pass quite naturally, ana
was taken as matter of course by my KIND
hearted cousins and Aunt Charlotte, who
had ALWAYS regarded me as one of her own
children, never seemed to suppose that she
was conferring any particular favor upon
me by giving me happy home among
them all. But appreciated it, and endeav-
ored to prove my gratitude in every way
possible. | was older than Lottle and So
phy and left school before they did, and l
became very useful in the house. Aunt
Charlotte was Of nervous, timld nature,
and as happened to be self-possessed and
cooFand decided she soon came to rely en-
tirely on my Judgment and energy, and in a
wear or two I was shouse-keeper-in-chief, and
my advice was asked and pretty generally
taken on matters both small and great; in
deed, 'NIeg's advice" became proverbial in
the household. Naturally [ grew a little
dictatorial, for often wondered what they
could have done without me. Chris WaSthe
only one 1 could not manage. =.
''Bully the others as much as you like"
he would say, "but you shall never bully
me :" and somehow or other l never felt
inclined to try.
cliffs" occurred among us now and then !;
but, on the whole, we were a happy family
until the day after the party, when, as
have said, we were each and all mlsera6le.
NV uncle was confined to his room with a
bilious attack. My aunt looked very hag-
gard when she first came down in the morn
ing, and said her head ached badly; and
her appearance did not brighten as she and
/ investigated the state of the crockery.
"I shall never give party again." she
said, quietly, but it was the quietness OF
despair. "Nine glasses broken and three Of
the best china plates, and great stain on
the drawing-room carpet! We might have
been entertaining a set of barbarians ~
Christopher and Peter, usually the most
affectionate of brothers, were now not on
speaking terms with each other, as my aunt
and l discovered at breakfast-time and,
instead of going to business together, Peter
fingered until Chris had gone, and then
started about five minutes afterward. This
unfriendliness arose, as well knew, because
of stylish disagreeable city belle, whom
some friends of ours had brought with them
to the party, and who had flirted desperate
ly, but with maddening impartiality, with
both my deluded cousins. Hence their
coldness toward each other this morning.
AS for Lottie and Sophy, wished, before
the day was out, that they were not ON
speaking terms, for they were nagging each
other all the time and finished just before
dinner with downright spiteful quarrel ;
and Aunt Charlotte cried. Their grievance
was about two brothers, Tom and Harry
Nowiil; for Lottie liked Harry best and So
ply liked Tom and with the usual contra
riness of mankind, Harry was desperately
in love with Sophy and Tom with Lottie
50 it was usual, after every merrymaking
we might have, for Lottie and Sophy to fall
out about them. l felt veXed with every
body but think | was quite justified in
being so, for they would all persist in be-
lieving-or saying that they believed-that
l was in love with ridiculous John HoWarth
Just because he happened to be in love with
me, and took care that every one should
know he was, too. l did think some OF
them at least might have had more sense:
And now this fine city belle had appeared
on the scene-Oh, / felt tempted to break
another best china plate and all the remain
ing glasses as L thought about it. And, il
aunt had only known the state OF mind
was in, she would never have trusted me tC
wash them up and put them away. Even
our Newfoundland dog seemed to share the
general dissatisfaction, and kept coming
from his kennel as far as his chain would
permit, and uttering long and dismal hoWls
The COOK SctlQ tnat IL was Tie SlSl VI q
death but the housemaid persisted that il
foretold wedding. l did not feel as If
cared much which it was or what happen
ed-only think felt more inclined for &
funeral than wedding, especially If the
wedding entailed 4 breakfast and-anothel
party.
nv aunt and / had been up as early az
usual this morning-we had too much to dc
to be able to he in bed. Chris and Peter o.
course wanted their breakfast at the usua
hour, and their luncheons-which they al
ways took with them and ate in little back
room at the ottice-put up and then, Wher
they had started for business, we commenced
our dismal investig ations through the house
We always dined at 6 o'clock, and it was
nearly that hour before we had succeeded
in reducing the house to anything like or
der. Then Lottie and Sophy had theil
quarrel, in the midst Of which Chris and Pc
ter arrived, and we went to dinner.
Chris folded his arms and put on dogget
and determined look as he took his place a
the table.
II breakflsted off cold fowl" he sale
gloomily-'I lunched off cold fowl refuse
to dine off it."
NV aunt grew fearful again.
Wfhis is not cold fowl" she answered