The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1886-11-20
COMMON MRS, BROWN.
BY MRS. HARRIET A. CHEEvER.

Perhaps it was some excuse that when
1 first net Mrs. Brown was young and
inexperienced and so fell into the common
error of basing my too hasty opinions on
mere outward appearance. But most OF
the members of DR.. Plume's society were
high-bred, intelligent persons, such as
one becomes accustomed to meeting in
our New England church circles, and it
was especially agreeable finding the
same congenial people in a new and dis
tant home.
Mrs. Christopher Summerton particu-
larly attracted me with her well selected
language, careful pronunciation and ele-
CANT appearances; even the fit of her
gloves carried suggestion OF the fine in
stincts and fastidious habits Of one who
feels at home only in the best of attire;
and her manners we're in keeping with all
the rest, sufficiently vivacious in company
and beautifully devotional at church.
And knowing her to be quite select in her
choice Of associates, it was always with a
little thrill of satisfaction that at various
entertainments where we CHANGED to
meet, would hear her low, insinuating
remark:
81 am 80 glad to meet you again; see
but few of my acquaintance present this
evening"
Then, Mrs. Harrington Prince was so
nice. She was tall, stately and possessed
OF very winning manners, and she had
hand which might have served for a
sculptor's model Once, while sewing at
a church circle, some one alluded to her
graceful fingers, and she replied with what
/ thought charming indifference, Eyes,
we all have the Richly hand" Then Mrs.
Summerton, who sat next to me, said that
Mrs. Prince belonged to one of the Oldest
families of the place. Her great grand
mother had been Richly, and away
back for generations they had all had
those delicate, dainty hands. To py I'M
sophisticated mind it seemed to carry
with it certain weight of prestige, pos
sessing hands whose fineness and shape
were so faultless that they could have
known no contact with anything like
toll for no knowing how many generations
back.
But Mrs. Hanson Brown,-such an
ordinary name compared with those other
two,-was a widow in very good circum'
stances financially, who always presented
herself at church social, fair or reception,
dressed to KILL" as my John once in
elegantly but expressively remarked.
Mrs. Browns voice was too loud for a
person considered cultured, and she had
a nervous way OF lingering her watch
chain when talking, or else slipping one
of her jeweled rings over her large
fingers; motions not at all in keeping
with the quiet ease of your finished lady.
So when Mrs Sammerton once alluded
to "that common Mrs. Brown" [ thought
she had named her just right, although
/ hoped she had not OWNED another
thought which might have betrayed itself
in my eyes, for she added in her softly
modulated voice, But forgot myself in
allowing criticism to escape me in COM
pany."
Yet with all her commences, whenever
/ engaged in conversation with Mrs
Brown, was vaguely conscious of a
something about her not altogether I'M
pleasing. just what this was it would
not have been easy to have explained,
but perhaps it might be described most
nearly by say ing it seemed like a sugges-
ton of an underlying and entirely differ
ent kind Of character, or nature, than
that which she carried on the surface.
And was one evening suddenly surprised
to notice how perfectly shapely were her
large white hands; those nervous, rest
less hands, forever at their ceaseless toy
ing with watch-ehain or ring, making one
wish she had with her some kind Of work
with which to employ them.
Mrs. Brown was a member OF DIR.
Plume's church. and was rarely ever
absent from any of its services. Sundays,
morning and evening, at Tuesday and