Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1884-11-28
PAUL AND VIRGINIA


1t is a ID .cember evening in the year 1884,
Away from the busy haunts Of men, the
thermometer registers several degrees below
zero but in Boston the air is balmy and
warm as May. II is also light as day every
where, though the sun has long since SET and
there is no moon. Windows are open in ev.
cry house and children lightly clad are play.
ing about the streets. Science has made
rapid advance in the past hundred years. In
1884, men had only begun to dream of what
electricity might do for the world. Then,
though there were rudimentary affairs called
telephones, there was no direct communica
ton with the old world, except a crude de-
vice by which they sent what were called ca
Diagrams They had electric lights, too, but
very imperfect contrivances with feeble lllu.
minating power. Not until fifty years later
WAS the first successful attempt made at
changing the temperature of whole cities
from cold TO warm in winter and from hot to
cool in summer Now, not only has the time
come when there is no more night, but, in
all thickly populated centres, no more ex-
treme cold or heat In few years more We
may expect TO see the climate raised or low
cred in every country under the sun, and reg
ulated by electricity is yet only in
its infancy, or rather the methods of apply
ing it. For this wonderful electro. motive
force which has so increased the pleasure and
comfort of existence, at the same time reduc-
ing the cost Of living, is generally scknowl-
edged to be the great spiritual generator
which is fast hurrylng on the millennium.
And we no longer hear tales of abJect power
ty among the poorer classes, since work is
easier, wages better, and the world a hundred
times brighter and warmer than it used to
be.
But we are dealing with generalites,
whereas we started to look into personalities
one Of th, III a most charming personality,
too.
Miss Virginia Vaughn lives in her own
house on Commonwealth avenue. Time was,
when to be the owner of a handsome resi-
dence on this street, was to be a king-or a
queen either, as the case may be-in society.
But alas how fortunes vary. For while
this broad avenue is still highly respectable,
none of the elite, except an isolated case like
Miss Yaughn's, may be found there and the
newer portions Of the city toward the south
and west are peopled by ths aristocracy of
Boston. In our heroine's case, however, the
house on the avenue being left to her by her
grandfather, on condition that it should not
be sold, and having been the Vaughn estate
for several generations, Miss Vaughn is re-
ceived in society on precisely the same foot
ing as il she had been born on Blaine boule-
ward, Butler square, st. John circle or Cleve-
land terrace.
Wealth, beauty and honorable ancestry
combined can surmount any barrier to soce-
ty, and all these Virginia Vaughn possesses.
One would not think, looking at her pure
Grecian profile, the masses OF golden hair
that crown her shspely head, the we'll. mould.
ed figure or the delicate rose leaf complex
ion, that Miss Vaughn was born with a snub
nose, black hair, muddy skin and a mouth
which was by no means small. Such WAS
however, the case. Moreover the fact re-
mains, that all this has been changed, and
Miss Vaughn is an acknowledged queen
among blonde beauties. Just how this has
been brought about it is no part of our busi-
ness to tell. 1t is an open secret, though,
that our most beautiful women to-day are
made, not born" Chemistry and electricity
together can change the human form divine
as easily as hot-bouse can produce luxuri-
ant vegetation.
Virginia Vaughn represses a yawn, rises
and going to her window looks out on the
scene below. a silvery bell sounds from the
opposite WALL causing her to turn with a
graceful motion, and move across the room.
Virginia, dear" floats in on the silence
of the room. II want to introduce you to
to my nephew in Sioux City. Can you ar
range to see him in the course Of five min
utes or so 2"
Certainly, Mrs. Anthony" says Miss
Vaughn. 'In just five minutes you may cal
me-"
She steps to a closet opening out of the
room, and produces a small arrangement oi
mirrors, which she attaches by hne wire tC
the telephone, and waits for the summons.
Soon the bell sounds again.
Are you ready, Virginia ?" says Mrs. An
thony Of Chicago
"Yes, but first let me take look at you,
answers the younger lady. Il haven't seeI
you for week"
"But Paul is waiting" says Mrs. Anthony
"Please connect for Sioux Falls at once"
Virginia complies and beholds reflected il
the mirror a most presentable young MAI
standing in the midst of elegantly furnished
bachelor apartments. At the same time Mr.
Paul DeLAmoore8ux is gazing at the mirror
ed reflection Of Miss Vaughn, and feels
to be said that love laughs at locksmiths
Now we say that it mocks all distances and
few hundred or Thousand miles more or less
of electric wire cannot prove q hindTance h
love at first sight.
Mrs. Anthony introduces the young coupl
and disoreetly retires into the background.
my aunt has often spoken of you, Mis-
Vaughn" says Paul, land have long locke
forward TO this meeting"
81 only returned yesterday from protracl
ed visit in Kamschatka, returns Virginia ''
took little trip to the North Pole last week
1t is perfectly lovely up there, now they hav
the electro heater in full operation,
81 should think So" replies Paul. g
went up there ten years ago, when the eleC
trio railway was first put in there, Whew
wasn't it cold, though ?"
81 SILVER to think of it," is Miss Vaughn
answer "What a long time they were
getting that road into successful operation
II was despaired of several times wasn't it