The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-11-01
All Rights Reserved
MRS. SMITH OF L0NGMAINS.
Al A Rose Is SHE" ETC.
PART I.-SCENE /.

It was a bitter January morning, morning
that obviously was not going to mend into a toll
cradle day. but had every intention of increasing
into an intolerable one. The state of the wealth
or was perhaps enough to account for that of my
appearance, as to the unfavorable condition of
which the chorus of comments from three over
truthful daughters. could not and did not leave
me in doubt for moment after my entering the
breakfast-room9
How wretched you look!n said Alice, the
eldest.
''You are in for one of your bad colds" said
Ruth, the second.
''You have been writing stairs in room
without fire, as we forbid you to do" said
Susan, the youngest, and most tyrannous.
l made no sort of answer to these compliments,
but walking up to the fire stood holding my
hands to the blaze.
"Do not play US the same trick that you did
last year." said Alice, setting chair close to the
fender for me, and fall i'll on the eve of the
bachelors ball."
NO." added Ruth laughing, 'we bore it once
In way, but we draw the line at second
time"
''You would not palm us off again upon Lady
Brown, would your asked Susan, coaxingly,
kneeling down on the rug beside me, and begin
ming to rub one of my cold hands between her
two warm ones. "You would not intrust your
little ones to an old monster who eats supper
until she cannot see and then snatches them
away just as the real fun is beginning"
SIT is very odd, said l. with somewhat sar
castle crossness, chow socitnus you girls
hoal Of
year might be morbund all through Lent
without any of you perceiving it."
II think we very kind to you all the year
round returned Sue, giving my hand, which
she still chafed in her own, a rather rebuking
pat ut is very carping of you to notice it if we
are little more attentive one month than an
other"
swell, don't be nervous" said I, trying to
laugh. when the day comes you will not find
me absent from my bench of torment" But at
that they all burst upon me in full cry, Your
bench of torment! Well, / do call that hypo-
j crisy, nanny! We always say that nobody en-
joys ball so much as you; it is invariably we
that have to drag you away, not you US"
had not spirits to disclaim
eff were you," said Alice authoritatively, 81
EnOuld just go SJralRnC W oeu anu nave soiue
salvolatile and water"
''Or some white wne-whey" suggested Ruth.
Eyes do" said Susan, land I will come and
read you to sleep. You always say that my
reading puts you to sleep faster than anyones"
'"That is a left-handed compliment, Sue," said
Alice, laughing
II know it is" replied Sue. composedly, ''but
she does say so; don't you mammyp
twill you not come now-at once2" asked
Alice, taking my other hand at would be far
the wisest plan if you could get into good per-
spiration-"
But at that found voice TO interrupt her, ris-
ing suddenly from my chair, and hinging away
the caresses of my too oficious children.
II do not know what you would be at" said I,
Indignantly. "Quele mouche vous piqueq What
possesses you all with the idea that am ill2
Have I made any complaints Though, indeed,
to have six gimlet eyes fastened upon your face,
and three croaking voices in your ears, is enough
to make you i'll if anything is For heavens
sake disabuse your minds of this extraordinary
fancy, and let us come to breakfast"
There was such unmistakable evaporation in
my tone that my children saw I was not to be
trifed with, SO. acquiescing in my proposition,
they and l sat down to breakfast But caught
them several times casting surreptitious gances
= at me to see whether l ate as usual, and whether
or not shivered aguishly in the chill with
which they were so determined to credit me.
To baulk them lodged behind the tea kettle.
and tried to eat more heartily than my wont, in
which, however, was not very successful. Con-
versation was slack, which, to do US justice it
was not apt to be at our breakfast-table. It's
present tagging condition was attributable,
imagine, partly to my supposed il-health (my
appearance must have been very much more de-
plorable than had had any idea of, partly and
chiefly to the absence of the master, always,
when at home, the originator or fosterer of every
joke. and who last night set off for Ireland in
which country he, for the punishment of his
Sins, possessed some landed estates.
poor daddy" said Alice. looking towards his
vacant place He must have had cold cross
ing last night I woke at this morning, when
he must have been just half way over, and
thought Poor daddy! rather you than II"
II dreamed of him." said Ruth-"such an alb
surd dream. / dreamed we were giving a large
party on the sly in his absence, and that he
came back unexpectedly in the middle of it. like
Sir Thomas Bertram in Mansfield Park" and
that we were all in such fright. / woke just
as was trying to hide one of my partners be-
tween the legs of the billiard-room table-such
likely place to escape detection!"
They all laughed
"And l." said Sue, Slept so soundly that I
never once thought or dreamt of him at all
rather brutal of mel"
1iIt is fortunate that opa 10 not arexronoh,. e..
ones dream self, said Ruth, recurring to the
thought of her own dream; lone is sometimes
such rogue and sometimes such BOBBY in
ones dreams"
''And you. mammyf" said Sue, amiably trying
to draw me into the conversation, from which
since the beginning of breakfast i had almost