The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1883-11-02
SELECT STORY.
MEG's ADVICE.

1t was the day after the party, and
can any day ever be more utterly
wretchedi 7 ] mean, of course, to the
people who have given the party-es-
pecially 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.
1t was the day after the party, and
every individual in the house was
miserable. The days before the party
had not been remarkable for comfort,
but they at least had been tinged with
the radiance of hope and bright antic-
ipation, while now nothing remained
but the "dregs and bitterness" and to
clear away and get the house into
order again. This would have seemed
rather dreary task under any circum
stances, / dare say, but it was greatly
aggravated by the fact that we were
all in very low spirits, or, to put it
honestly, in dreadfully bad tcmpers,
having each and all special grievance
of our own.
My uncles 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 was years old, and my father,
whose habits were by no means of a
domestic kind, sent me to school, and
allowed me to spend all my holidays at
my aunts and when he died, and my
school days were over, my temporary
home became permanent one. This
came to pass quite naturally, and was
taken as matter of course by my
kind hearted cousins; and Aunt Char
lotte, who had always regarded me as
one of her own children, never seemed
to suppose that she was comforting any
particular favor upon me by giving me
happy home among them ALL But l
appreciated it, and endeavored to
prove my gratitude in every way posi-
BILE.
was older than Lottie and Sophy,
and left school before they did, and l
became very useful in the house. Aunt
Charlotte was of a nervous, timid ma
ture, and, as l happened to be self
possessed and cool and decided, she
soon came to rely entirely on my judg-
ment and energy, and in year or two
was Eousekeeper-in-c chief, and my
advice was asked and pretty generally
taken on matters both small and great
Indeed "Meg's advice" became pro.
verbal in the household. Naturally
grew little dictatorial, for l often
wondered what they could have done
withot me. Chris was the only one ]
could not manage.
"Bully the others as much as you
like" he would say, "but you shall
never bully me-" and somehow OF
other never felt inclined to try.
cliffs" occurred among us now and
then; but, on the whole, we were a
very happy family until the day after
the party, when, as l have said, we
were each and all miserable. My
uncle was confined to his room by 9
bilious attack, where he lay groaning
and matchmaking shat campagne.
My aunt looked very haggard when
she first came down in the morning
and said her head ached badly; and
her appearance did not brighten as she
and | investigated the state Of crock
cry, etc.
81 shall never give a party again,
she said quietly, but it was the quiet
ness of despair. "Nine champagne
glasses broken, two sherries, and three
of the best china plates, and great
stair on the drawing-room carpet
We might have been entertaining a sci
of barbarians
| Christopher and Peter usually the
most affectionate of the brothers, were
now not on speaking terms with eacl
other, as my aunt and l discovered a
breakfast time; and instead of going
to business together, Peter fingered
until Chris had gone, and then started
about five minutes afterward. Thi
untriendliness arose, as | well knew
because of stylish disagreeable belle
whom some friends of ours had brough
with them to the party, and who ha(
| tiirted desperately, but with madden
ing impartiality with both my deludeC
cousins. Hence their coldness toward
each other this morning AS fo
Lottie and Sophy, l wished before tn
day was out, that they were not o.
speaking terms, for they were naggin,
at each other all the time, and finishe,
just before dinner with downright
spiteful quarrel, and Aunt Charlott
cried. Their grievance was about tw
brothers, Tom and Harry Nowill fo
Lottie liked Harry best, and Soph
liked Tom; and, with the usual cor
trariness of mankind, Harry was des
perately in love with Sophy, and Tor
with Lottie; so it was usual after ever
merry. making we might have, for Lo
tie and Sophy to fall out about then
l felt vexed with everybody, but
think l was quite justified in being 81
for they would all persist in believin
Or saying they believed-that / VIZ
in love with ridiculous John Howartl
just because he happened to be in lol
| Niph ihS1 anu tooh SfSi VI
should know he was, too. ] did thin
some of them at least, might have ha
: more sense; and now this fine Londc
belle had appeared on the scene-o
| felt tempted to break another be
china plate and all the remaining she
ry glasses as thought about it Al
if aunt had only known the state
mind | was in, she would never ha'
trusted me to wash them up and p
them away, Even our Newfoundlal
dog seemed to share the general d
satisfaction, and kept coming from i
kennel as far as the chain would perm
and uttering long and dismal how
The cook said that it was the sign
death, but the house persist
that it foretold wedding, / did n
feel as if / cared much which it was
what happened-only l think fl
more inclined for funeral than a we
ding, especially if the wedding entail
a breakfast-and another party.
My aunt and had been up as usI
this morning-we had too much to
to be able TO lie in bed. Chris a