Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1883-11-23
AN IDEAL 4 j.
By HARRIET PRESCOTT spoEroRD.


ing at Mrs. Fernalde.. "I have had my
three score and ten," she used to say. 81
have had all that nature has to give, and
now am living on grace" It was sun.
ny spirit that informed her, a lightsome-
ness that never, let the substance of
tear penetrate beneath the surface that
could endure nothing but happiness.
Her unEailing good nature was like a fairy
wand that smoothed every trouble out
of her way and out of the way of
every one about her. IF her hair was
white, no great sorrow had made it so;
and it's contrast with the soft brilliancy
of black eye and the velvet flush of a,
cheek unwritten by many lines, made
her perhaps as lovely as one standing
in all the full radiance of youth. AS for
Mr.. Fernalde-tall, dark, spare-he was
by no means unattractive, and bis court
iy manners, had a unique elegance. He
loved his ease; and annoyances, when
they Glanced to break through the mag
ic circle his wife drew about him, vexed
him, as they usually do a nervous per-
son. For the rest, he WAS one of those
men who, having led singularly FORTH
nate life, maintain to themselves fancy
that they have just missed the last stroke
to make the crystal complete, who have
q vanishing ideal always just beyond
sight and reach.
The Fernaldes were neighbors of ours.
Wealth required no exertion of them,
and advancing age secluded them i'll
some measure from general society; their
home was always cheerful; they were
always in it; and if there had been no
such person as Grabbed old Mrs. Tallia.
Zero, who had spent the last six months
with them, it would have been hard to
provement on it. However, she was 60
ing at once, and then where would be
the crumple in the rose-leaf?
They loved young people, ''The new
generation lends US part of its fresh
ness" they used to say. They always
welcomed any Of us, and indeed made
me so particularly conscious Of. their
flattering favor that spent good por.
sweet little lady's needles. read and
wrote more or less for Mr. Fernalde and
was gradually taken into their conf
dence in way did not desire, since I
am about to violate it.
''Could I imagine happier old age
than this, my child, with my wife, MY
health, my flowers, our birds and pets
and friends?" he said once, repeating
nay question. 'Why, yes, my dear, it
was much happier before my wife
brought Mrs. Talliafero to stay with US.
Some old schoo!nlate or girl friend Of
hers, I don't quite know whom, for the
fact is she nettled me 80 the first day she
came that / wouldn't ask Rosalla
word about her for fear I
should show my displeasure at
her having brought her home when she
turned up. It is astonishing how an in
visibIy small thorn will destroy your
eQuanimity. And this woman has a
quality that would turn honey into vim
egar, I do believe. She. has changed
our quiet, peaceful. sunshiny life, that
seemed Ike one day in June, into a
sharp, lsaw day in November. There is
something very rasping about her. I
don't see what NY wife invited her to
spend the season with US for. I Won
dec that if she thought that at the end
Of the time should press for continu-
alton? My dear, I have counted the
days--it sounds sadly against ali hospi-
table rites-I have counted the days till
l should see her consult railroad time
table, rs She did yesterday, about going
home to-day. believe she is not in af-
GLAD to meet the expense of boarding
her at Buckingham Palace if that would
keep her away! am speaking strongly.
Yes, Rosalie," looking at his laughing
wife, Il know you say too strongly.
But it is argument, assertion, contradict
ton, differing, pickering, finding fault
will, the servants who have suited us
half lifetime, questioning the exp nd
tture, disordering the ARRANGEMENTS
from one day to the next, Think of it,
when she comes into my study and de.
clares that my wife has the patience Of
the pay to endure such e den Of disor
derin her house. She; wonders that I
do not wear scratch. She warns me of
indigestions, she threatens me with
nightmares, she reminds ME Of my age,
she interfeTes with my pipe! And
then she wants so much fresh air!
Thank heaven! her time is up to-day,
and my wife will not invite another
guest for q half year without giving ME
time to arrange residence elsewhere!
And such voice, too! When one hears
it, one longs for the proper irfrmitles
Of age that dull the hearing, sharp as q
file, piercing as locust's whlrr! What
are you laughing at, Rosalie?"
"Ah, you are not quite just, my love-"
said the sweet little old lady. 'Mrs.
TalliAfero has hue n1ind. She is real
~ waking us up. She prevents our sink
ang down into a jelly-like existence, as
so many ofour age Go. She keeps us
bubbling"
"There, there, there, my dear! Don't
say anoth Or word about your Mrs. Talia~
Zero: Go and spend season with her ct
Saratoga, if you ever want te see her any
more. Ill go to Richtield. Bubble!
She'd make sulphuric acid bubble out of
the sands Of tue desert! I've no doubt
she worried Talliafero, poor man, into
che gravel But there, I've said too
much" he added directly. II beg
your pardon, my sweet. if 1 hurt your
feelings about an old friend, but really
Now, Rosalie, my love, if you don't care
to go over these accounts, our young
friend will" And then Mrs. Fernalde
tripped off wit as light foot as a girl
OF seventeen, and drew up the great
folding screen around our chairs, stirred
the fare little, and took pencil and pa
per to add up the figures Mr.. Fernando
was to read out to me. 49,.
But Mr. Fernaide VS. IN a brown
study for little, and I let him
stay. ...t =
a. 'It was strange you should have asked
me that question, child" he said at
length. ''I used, at your time of life, to
imagine a very different old age from
this, il may SO call that imagination
for, in fact, old age never entered into
my calculations. ] imagined nothing
about the passage Of time, only Of the
continuance Of a condition. And that
condition was the perpetual paradise Of
Alicia's SMILES"
5 6 Roaalie, you mean" said I. 4. A. . TX.
II beg your. PARDON said Mr.. Fer
nalde shortly. 81 mean Alicia"
'tAlicia?" =%.< .5 5s@s.5$ B. 4 i. ;
'sAlicia. who, when i was twenty, was
thn. Il IL Of ny k.uas nnf ti,a loads star sof.