Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-06-08
THE SAVANNAH MORNING NEWS SUNDAY, JUNE 8, 1884.

she was delightful, Of course" said
Yogelstein.
He is very catering; I didn't open my
mouthP' Pandora cried. Here comes
Mrs. steuben t. take me 10 some other
place. l believe it's = literary party.
near the Capitol. Everything seems so
separate in Washington. Mrs. Steuben
Is going to read a poem. wish she would
read 1t here, wouldn't it do as wellf'
The lady, arriving. signifed to Pan
dora the necessity Of their moving on.
But Miss Days companions had various
things to say 70 her before giving her up.
she had an answer for each of them. and
II was brought home to NOgelstein, as he
listened, that. as she said. she had adj
yanced a great deal. Daughter of small
burgheFs, as she was, she was really bril-
liant. NOgelstein turned away little,
and, while Mrs Eteuben waited, asked
her question. He had made her, half
an hour before, the subject Of that inquiry
to which Mrs. Bonuyeastle returned so
ambiguous an answer; but this was not
because he had not some direct acquaint-
ance with Mrs. SteUhen. as well as a
general idea of the esteem in which she
was held. He had met her in various
places, and he b q been at her house. She
was the widow q a Commodore, a hand
some, mild, soft, swaying woman whom
every one liked. with glossy bands of
black hair and little ringlet depending
behind each ear. Some one had said that
she looked like the Queen in Hamlet"
She had written verses which were adj
mired in the South, wore a full-length
portrait Of the Commodore. on her bosom,
and spoke with the accent Of Savannah.
she had about her a positive OdOr of
Washington. 1t had certainly been very
reckless in YOgelstein to question Mrs.
Bonnycastle about her social position.
DO kindly tell me-" ne said, lowering
MS voice, what is the type 70 which that
young lady belOngs? Mrs. Bonnycastle
tells me it's new one;
Mrs. Steuben for a moment fixed her
liquid eyes TpOn the secretary Of legation.
She always seemed to be translating the
prose Of your speech into the finer
familiar. '.BO you think anything is
really new?' she asked. 81 ana very fond
Of the old, you know that is a weakness
OF we SOutherners.n The poor lady, 1t
viii be observed, had another weakne SIS
as well. ''W hat Te often take to be the
new, is simply the old under some novel
form. Were there not remarkable ma
lures in the past: II you doubt it, you
should visit the South, where the past still
lingeEs.v
Yogelstein had been struck before this
with Mrs. Steuben's pronunciation of the
word by which her native ATTITUDES were
designated; transcribing it from her lips,
you would have written it as the nearest
apprOach}, the SOoth. But. at present. he
scarcely observed this popularity; he was
wondering, rather, how woman could be
at once so cOpiOus and so unsatisfactory.
What did he care about the past, or even
about the SoOths He was afraid OF start
ing her again. De looked at her, dis
cOuraged and helpless, as bewildered al
most as Mrs. BOnnyeastle had found him
half an hour before. Looked also at the
Commodore, who, on her bosom, seemed
to breathe again with his widows respi-
ratiOns. ''Call it an old type. then, if you
like" he said in moment. "All want to
know is what type it is! 1t seems impos-
sible to find out"
You can find out in the newspapers.
They have had articles about it. They
write about everything now. But it isn't
true about Miss Day. 1t is one of the
first families. Her great grandfather was
in the Revolution" Pandora by this time
had given her attention again to Mrs,
Steuben. She seemed to signify that she
was ready to move on. Wasn't your
great grandfather in the Revolution -
Mrs. Steuben asked. Il amtelling Count
Nogelstein about him.,
''Why are you asking about my ance5-
tOrs:" the girl demanded, smiling, Of the
Young German. lis that the thing that
you said just now that you can't find out?
Well, if Mrs. Steuben Will only be quiet
you never Will"
Mrs. Steuben shook her head rather
dreamily. "Well, it's no trouble for
Southerner to be quiet. There's a kind OF
languOr in our blood. Besides, we have
to be, to-day. But I've got to show some
energy tonight. I've got to get you 10 the
end Of Pennsylvania avenue"
Pandora gave her hand to Count Vogel-
stein and asked him if he thought they
should meet again. He answered that in
Washington people we're always meeting,
and that at any rate he should not fail to
come and see her. Hereupon, just as the
two ladies were detaching themselves,
Mrs. Steuben remarked that il Count NO-
gelstein and Miss Day wished to meet
again the picnic would be a good chance,
the picnic that she was getting up for the
following Thursday. 1t was TO consist of
about twenty bright people, and they
would 20 down the Potomac to Mount
Vernon. Nogelstein answered that, if
Mrs. Steuben thought him bright enough,
he should be delighted to join the par
ty: and he was told the hour for which the
tryst was taken.
He remained at Mrs. BOnnycastle's az
ter every one had gone, and then he IN
formed this lady of his reason for wait
ing. Would she have mercy on him and
let him know, in a single word, before he
went to rest-fOr without it rest would be
imp Ossible-what was this famous type to
which Pandora Day belonged?
"GracioUs, you dOn't.mean to say you
have not found out that type yet!'' Mrs.
BOnnycastle exclaimed. with a return
of her hilarity. ''What have you been do
ing all the evening? You Germans may
be thorough, but you certainly are not
quickp'
1t was Alfred Bonnvcastle who at last
took pity on him. "My dear Vogelstein,
she is the latest, freshest fruit of our great
American evolution. She is the self-made
grip
VOgelstein gazed a moment. "The fruit
of the great American Revolution? Yes,
Mrs. Steuben told me her great grand
father" but the rest of his sentence was
lost in the explosion Of Mrs. BOnnycastle's
mirth. He braYely continued his interro-
cation, however, and, desiring his hosts
definition to be defined, inquired what the
girl might be.
ssSit down. and We'll tell you all about
it" Mrs. BOnnycastle said. Il like talking
this way, after a party's over. You can
smoke, if you like, and Alfred will open
window. Well, to begin with, the self
Ildub girl Is Il new lCdtulEs mat uON-
ever. YOU know. In the second place, she
isn't seIf-made at all. We all help to
make her; we take such an interest IN
her"
ssThat's only after she is made!" Alfred
BonnycastIe broke in. but it's NOgel-
stein that takes an interest. What on
earth has started you up so on the subject
of Miss Day."
Vogelstein explained, as well as he
could, that it was merely the accident Of
his having crossed the ocean in the steam
er with her; but he felt the inadequacy of
this account of the matter; felt it more
than his hosts, who could know neither
how little actual contact he had had with
her on the ship, how much he had been al
fected by Mrs. Dangerfeld's warnings,
nor how much observation at the same
time he had lavished on her. He sat there
half an hour, and the warm, dead still
ness of the Washington night-nOwhere
are the nights so silent-came in at the
open window, mingled with a soft, sweet,
earthly smell, the smell of
growing things. Before he went
away he had heard all about the
self-made girl, and there was something
in the picture that almost inspired him.
She was possible, doubtless, only in Amer
ica-American life had smOOthed the way
for her. She was not fast, nor emanci-
pated. nor crude, nor loud, and there was
not in her. of necessity, at least, grain
Of the stuff of which the adventures is
made. She was simply very successful,
and her success was entirely personal.
She had not been born with the silver
S,,oo,, NJ soofoI onnortuuitv. she had