Weekly commercial herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1884-18??, 1886-06-18
BOOK SIX.
LADY BEAUTYS JOY.
CHAPTER /.

The TtMEPlECE OF ONE GAY LIFE BEGINS
10 sTRIK H MIDNIGHT QUARTERS.
Sophia found her mother seated on the
edge of the bed pale and exhausted, but with
nothing about her to account for her maids
sudden excitement. The old woman passed
her hand feebly across her forehead, trying,
it seemed, to collect her thoughts, and then
began to speak
"Have l been asleepl l must have been
asleep! Where is Jonesl Did | not see her
herel o., Sophy, l have had such an odd
dream! l thought there was a ball herein
this room, and yet my bed was here too and
Lying on it, and between the dances a girl in
a blue dress, whose face l could not see, came
and sat on the bedside, and she had a lover
with her, and they were toying and kissing,
and then l called out something and after
ward awoke, | suppose | awoke. had not
known | was asleep"
The maid subsequently told Sophia that,
SO far as she knew, her mistress had not been
asleep at all; that all Of a sudden she began
to call out very loud, as if she were scolding;
and that in the midst of a torrent of words
she became deadly pale and seemed to faint
away. Seeing this, the maid had rushed off
for Sophia, and upon their return the old
woman was come to herself, and sitting
down as Sophia had found her. The doctor
being sent for, made the usual inquiries and
examinations, and ordered his patient to bed
for a day or two, saying that she had over
taxed her strength; but when alone with
| Sophia he told her that there had evidently
been an attack in the brain which might be
the f%orerunner of something very grave, or
might be only a symptom of weakness and
old age.
"The latter l think" he said as he was
leaving; "your mother is a very aged person,
l should fancy, and her last decay has prob
ably begun. How long she may live no one
can say; but she will not be the same woman
again, and the rest of her life will be going
down hill, how fast or how slow depends on
her constitution and our care"
II told you, Sophy, that l felt a little
shaken" the old woman said, when her
daughter came back to her bedside. "Don't
you remember what I said about the peach
treesl A little rest, Sophy, will set me up-a
little rest. l nave had a hard life of it, enjoy
ing myself; l don't feel tired of that in the
least, but every one wants rest sometimes"
There followed the contractionof life which
is the sure token of advancing age. Old Mrs.
Temple got up late; she seldom drove out,
and then only at the sunniest hours, and she
had all through the day her little delicacies-
turtle soup ii tablespoons, champagne in tiny
glasses, and all the usual dainty forms of
nourishment for wasting lives. Sophia re-
marked, however, that her mother was more
than ever SOLICITORS about expense.
II declare it is a sin to be eating this SOUP"
she would say. How much is this a quartz
a guinea, l daresay. And as to sending to
Gunter's, Sophy, it is waste, sinful waste.
You would get it quite as good at the confec-
toner's here. Fancy if l went on with cham
payne and turtle at this rate for a year or
two, why, money would come to an end,
Sophy-money would CONT to al end"
Everything pointed in one directions: Mrs.
Temple was living on capital; and she
dreaded the approaching exhaustion of her
means. Sophia tried to get some knowledge
of her affairs.
"Could not l do that for you, mammal" she
asked one day, as the old woman was flgur-
ing over her bank book.
"You, Sophyp she answered, with a CLEAN
of her former vivacity. "You, dear child!
you would not know which side is which
which is the mother and which the banker"
"Let Archibald help you, then9' Sophia re-
joined
archibald, indeedl" the old woman ex-
claimed. "That great man STOPPING to my
little bit of business would be like a camel
trying to get through a needles eye. No,
thank you"
Elsewhere, too, some CLEANS Of her old
spirit broke through the clouds of weakness
and illness, but Sophia, watching her mar
rowly, thought the v~ivacity only assumed
Even now she fancied she could discern a
look Of deeper care on the old woman's face
as she returned to her calculations. Next
day they drove to the bank, and feeble as
Mrs. Temple was she insisted on going in
alonei and she had a long interview with the
manager. When she came out she showed
Sophia a roll of notes
1.-TWO hundred and fifty pounds, Sophy,"
she said II shah put it in my drawer, and
if | an not able to get out again this winter
there will be money enough to go on with.
don't wish anyone to go to the bank about
my business a~gain-dnind that; and you need
not pay any bills just at present What
ready money Is wanted we can take cut Of
this"
All this was alarming to Sophia. She was
not the girl to give way to covetousDess at a
time hike this but who, without uneasiness,
could face the prospect Of supplies perhaps
suddenly cut on at the most trying juncture'
As to herself, Sophia did not feel much
anxiety. Had PerciFal continued true to
her, how gladly she would have put any for.
tune she might have inherited into his hands
to repair his loss, but now she was not in