New-York tribune., 1883-06-03
A LADY HELP.

Uer fa.ber. Commander Dundonaid Poppinger.
had the gunboat Iris when his wife presented MIN
with q little black brOwed, dark-eycd daughter.
So against the dictates OF her own tasue which
would have led her to give some more appropriate
name 10 the olIve-sknned, dark-eyed stranger. Mrs.
Poppn ger ,cceded TO her husbands request and had
the baby baptized q Iris Time went according
to its established custom, and little Iris was
succeeded bv MANY other little Poppngers whose
names are not of the slightest consequence to this
story She grew from babyho0d to childhood ana
on to young giTlhoOd in a semi-rcspectabo street IN
n seaport town that was not even semi respectapie,
when It's sins of cruel immortality, dirt drunkenness
and depraVity are remembered against IL. Never
theess in this town Iris grew up in Dowcrllke pur-
ty and prsttness though tine was ol the order
OF tropical bloom rather than that OF the delicate
relipions-tinted gray-bue iris whose name she bore
Grew up to bo n very refined, agreeable ana accom-
plished addition to Badsmouth society "heh ner
father who had retired OF. the muniicent sum
allowed by n paternal Government to the sons VINO
can neither work nor fight for II, vas living III
shabby gentility. lie was an oincer ana gentle
man and all his life he had associated with oinceis
and gentlemen; and. poor old man, IT was q iact
that he took much pride In his position. and TOOK
what he and his wife thought certain stand upon
Poor olive skinned. dark-eS ed Iris Her
mothers relations spoke of her as deplorably
dark for they were all Of the whltey-brown ORDER
themselves. and despised poor Iris for her pro.
nounced tints. What was To he done with her
This was the hard problem that Arose Tor them 10
solve as all the little Popplagers. her brothers ana
s;sters grew up She was ahead OF all the others In
wears 40 it was supposed that she was ahead OF
them all in understanding Also therefore all tne
fgmily adyisers-aud they were many-uccreed tnat
IRIS should 90 ont and do something to maintain
herself They made their suggestions freely, Dut
their suggestnos were indehnite. In loWnr sra, ~
fname' the yOcatIOns they think their Impecunlous
relations should follow Cook. houseinald, sculcty. .
maid or general they suggest But IN the case T ol
Captain DnndOnad Popplngers pet no one ilked
40 he the first to hint that IRIS had need TO he thank
full if she could get the place of nursery soverness
So they only said arily that u would oe wen ior
Ins,
for herself before her fathers death ian event
which they alphabetically suggested might come
of at any timel obliged her to put her shoulder 20
the wheel ,
The wheel never revolved within her reach
and " nile she was making strenuous Efforts To get
near it her father died, aud her mother was Iot 10
glory In his memory and-a pension OF seventy
pounds a year. Things that were very appalling 10
the girl were said 10 and OF her then by rich rria
tves who assumed the right to criticiss and direct
her Life but who never gave her shilling 10 help
TO make that life a respectable on" thurI the
gulse OF afectiOnAte counsel the most bitter thnEs
said by those who ciaimen tDo iIsh' ,o u.'e. .
them on the plea Of 'blood-relatlonshlp. She was
scolded aud sneered at for not having cultivated
some special and expensive branch oi edncatlon'
which would have enabled her To teach " a. spe-
cialIst extensively TO others She was called 10 ac
count sharply for not having been suibcirDty at
tractive to have won some well on man 10 marry
her She WAS made TO feel that she cunbefnd tue
face of the earth and that IL was entirely her own
fault that she did ~. And drspa'ring cry went
ont from her young soul 10 Gcd that lie Woulh taAe
".
longer 1t only the unresSon ng cry OF al uu-
reasoning Young creature. who iad not learnt VET
that 10 be refined sensitive, helpless anu poor ~ hn
unparlontbls combination Ia the eyes Oi well-to-do
reiatives Some of these latter would really have
generously duled out suitable food ana ralueht tp
Iris TOR the rest of her fe II only she had begRed
humbly and abased herself IN sNcnph'n way.
Rut a. she did not think of doing these things, the
veI-to-do relatives found II easier anl chraprt I"
say all manner of unkind and uncnari,sp's Iu'nss
about her. aud then to wa-h their hands "t ner "a
cleansing process which is both cnrap and con-
venlent. .,.
Poor Iris, Bright. clever. and amusng. there was
nothing she cOulu do sufficiently well when u came
10 the point 10 entitlr her to teach 10 10 pthcrs
Moreover she had not the gift OF impartlng knoWl-
edge. evel II she had received non oihors W I.o
first place; nor had she the gift OF acting isse
mart and pretending 10 be capable of dong that
of which she was incapable.
Things soon went from bad 10 worse In tho Pop.
n,nger household which bad now To he managed
on seventy pounds year. Mrs Popp nger broke
down IN health and spirits. ~ ~ IN the pre-nlhp
tuous habit OF delicAtev nurtnred women 10 Drcak
down when they grow Old and are overwrghted ana
underfed. She becamr 80 seriously III mat rich
cousin-a City magnafe fearing that she might dlo
and her children be sent To the Union, anu so di'
grace him offered to have the httlr ones chraply
and practically educated, and TO give IRIS home oil
certain conditions The conditions were hart; ana
TrIs would have rcvOltsd on y-sno couldn't. Ihoy
were that Mrs DnndOnald POppIngei siorlh take
the situation Of matron IN the cheap ami practical
school to which her younger chi iren were to 10
sent and that Iris sh0uld take mp her apouc WIN
their benef2ctor AS lady-h"lp ~
The conditions were accepted. Of conrse they
verel Don't the couvicts accept their skilly, and
doesn't the mare accept his fate at the paws OF grey
hounds tleeter and stronger than himself Mrs.
Poppmger went as mairOn 10 tie school, where an
libeTa education was gwen illnefsly 10 ief llttlo
ones: and IRIS went ~ unpaid drudge IN her moth
,r's r:ch Cousins vile. Every one who knew lIttlo
abont her and heard her speak of nerSef said this
lad, was a most estimabe woman. qnte model
British mai trOn, with a well-pTouunnced abhorrrnco
of other peoples shortcomings, ana coiuiortaDle
conviction that she herself did hrr whole duty IN "a
I.ft. la. HON. al nIsaH lS
contcntmeut is "A virtue, Mrs. WithernRiOns pro-
found selfcOntentment pa cl her on her pedestal
IN the estimation OF herself aud many OF the ad"rlng
friends whom she rewarded munhcently ior paying
her homage
This IN an experiment merely. remember about
Iris Poppnger. she explained TO her circle when IL
was settled that Iris shouId come TO stay at tie
WTneringtOns house in tODnauPht Place, as lady
help TO the wealthy City merchants vile. Ihis Is
an experiment merely. don't feel myself bound 10 10
keep Miss poppInger II she proves USELESS to me; II
she has "A weIrguated mind, slio VIII be 50 thank
full for the blessing Of n much more comfortable
no me than she has ever known, that sue VIII strive
To be humble and nsefnl.
larly but W th feeling nevertheless; IRIS isn't com
ing here 10 be "A drudge. yuu know my dear; You
nust reu,enber the girl has been we'll brought up,
and you-wrll, yon must he considerate and make
allowances for her. ,.
Tartar in her household Therefore her husband
thought il veil to pour little on npon the troubled
w aters on which poor Iris wonld shortly sail
Il snail do nv duty by yO1r cousins daughter,
Mr.. Wtheiington have no ear Of that she said.
with an air os injured aud oyertaxed patience. Il
do not bring any one from my SD" oi i- mouse INTO
our Eden; do not wish the introduction of ser
pent into our Paradise.
Why bless my soul Iris is but q girl. with no
more of the serpent about her than-than you have,
my dear, Mr. WithcringtOD said warmly Aud Mrs.
Witherngton smiled coOlv, and said. We sba see.
Iris was received very kindly III her new home.
That ia the Witherngtons were gong out to DIN
ner when she arrived cold and hungry, at seven
o'clock IN the evening, a. her new home; but Mrs.
Witheringtous own maid lwho looked upon lris as
n rival gave hei Some tea and toast. Hei bedroom
was large healthy and airlly furnished:
III could get by q fire. tue poor girl said plead
ingly to Bond the maid.
your going donw stars YETI the maid said circu
soectiy: but Mrs. WitheriBgton wouldn't hear Of
n fire m your room, that know. When YOU ve
taken of your things You might come into Mrs.
Witb.rlupt dressing room aud have your tea by