New-York tribune., 1886-11-07

not alone necessary, but the employment or capa-
BILE assistance az well set up my Office like any
ordinary man of business and immersed myself
| in documents like the busiest of lawyers: The
responsibility OF, rear1anging affairs which had
become wretchcdly confused was by no means
| a light one. Mrs. Dorian's perfect trust in my
capacity for the work. however, acted with stm-
Sng effect it put me ps%a on my ysg%f mt Na ans tba
habit Of precise thought proved an invaluable
help What it was requisite to, learn | acquired
with speed and surety, although months elapsed
before l had attained anything like complete mas
| terry over the details connected with this large
| and actually imperilled estate.
But the absorption ncedful for my new occupa.
| ton Of solid mental value. 1t kept my mind
from broodng over love which | now reflected
in my heart inalienable from life itself. would
| have given worlds for the old freedom, but
knew that it lay forever beyond reach My
| what held as the best circles. / saw many
refined beautiful and attractive women: but L
had also seen many while in Paris and elsewhere:
| None like her: her gesture. her glance, her
voice. her serenity. her delicate wit-no not even
her peculiar alluring coldncss. just as she had
| been when last bchcld her. she regned now as
my realized and inca nate ideal l felt only
melancholy pleasure in talking with other women,
since those who reminded me OF her dld SO at
their own cost, and those who greatly differed
| from her wasted upon their brightest smiles.
Still, society here amused me My old un-
conscious art of pleasing rcople made them aeck
me on all sides. and shower invitations upon me
with lavish hands. l sometimes mar clled TO
myself that / should he SO popular, 1t seemed
the right thing at the proper moment. of wearing
a gay smile or giving a tender look, should
achieve such easy conquest | took no pride in
my success. and won it without an effort. All
this has so boastful ring that hate TO record
it, And yet what is there to plume ones self upon
in the possession of a talent resultant from no
virtue or excellence? l was young. strildngly
han Some highly educated, and credited with the
heslip TO great wealth. But everything was
not said in that. My ability TO attract and charm
was spontaneous, unsought. and much born in
me as the curve of an eyebrow or the tint of a
complexion And its careless exercise often hid
a drearv heartache
"New York society aCreeably disappoints me-
I said 10 Mrs. Dorian one day. These fashion
able pers ms among whom you have introduced me
are very much like those | met abroad. 1t is true
that they are initiative and unor1sinal, and that
their assum tions have no place IN country IKE IKE
much less than the conditions of their existing
at all would have prepared one to expect What
becomes inwaTantable snobbery and yet 1t ~ all
manifested with surprising tact and cleverncss
There il good deal for the philosopher to lament
thinking participant to enjoy
"You echo my own opinions exclaimed Mrs
Dorian. who had chosen new mood, new re-
ceptvity of impressions and who had long aco,
of course ceased to surprlS,e, me by TIE slightest
novelty of enthusiasm Ny dear OHIO ! am
beyond my most sanguine fancy. OF course she
has become initiative; but when last knew her
Her beau monle was doleful stupidity in every
sense A few Of her Dutch families were banded
together in ridiculous little self-adml lng clique:
Her entertainments were the soul OF dune' and
inspdity without the least air, grace. style
Now | find her quite changed Her assemblies at
With their cotillon their be1ics of fresh young
damsels their floral adornments their tables Of
banquet And such a multitude of new faces
What ama2inr place II is. when people can abb |
somtely make s)id, distinguished position here |
vesant TIinityseepe lauehingIy confded to me- |
the other day. that certain Mrs. Johnston Smith
was in great doubt concerning myself She |
wanted to know whether l had ever really been /
any body in New York; she had met me some
where, and liked me, and wished to s,nd me a /
card for her reception. but she was not sure
whether it Just safe or no MIS- Trinity |
steeple. who is very free Of speech. declares that
she made bold to reply My dear MIS- Johnston
similar questions asked concerning yourself
Yet much longer time ago than that, Mis-. Dorian
was not only my intimate friend but receive IN
the most exclusive set SO you need not feel at all
anxious on the subject of her right to drink tea
with you What crushing reply, was it notP
And how the dear dead Bazac would have & ex-
ged in desGbnf & nR such s oe ce esSt as the %
change excessively. Formerly there were - few
pushers and st1lggleIs; 1t was all one prlIn
mon tony scarcely single person was trying.
as now, to buy his or her way past the select
limits. Now there is color, viyacity, rivalry OF
extravaganza, a contest Of castes Presently we
shall have New York novelist; he will discover
something TO write about, and cons quenty he
will exist They tell me that NewlOr in the
summer has become very delightful; the a'nrans'
with their ambitions ana Their dOlalS are Dulld-
ng beautiful villas there and making it a second
theatre for their efforts TO be received among the
old cottagels 1t is charming little city by , the
sea | was there years ago. remember anl liked
It's delicious air Shall so there next summerp
Casmir would delight in it, fancy. He could
be az abhorrcnt of the fashionablcs as he is now,
and yet fit up a studio looking straight out upon
the broad ocean.
Il think l should prefer .quieter place,
glitter is well enough here in town but 1t often
fatgues me =. . ami then little time for
rest and reading and sensible rcpoSe would not
be amiss in the warmer months Sull, let
CaSimir and you decide.
Nota vestigc of news concerning the Gramerceys
had yet reached me, and it was now nearly the
beginning of March l had met many TO whom
Ada GIamerccy in her merry -mal1ngs OF the prev
ious year had been admirnEy known But none
her present whereabouts. She was s,ill abroad
with her father; learned this, and learned no
friends with whom she would have been likely to
cores Ond entered within my own radius OF
acqia nanc eship. This one was in moulninS that
one had gone to Washington for the winter or
still another had herself cross d to Europe. But
was certain of single disturbing am bitter
associate his absence with that of the Gramerceys
had OF course become inevitable
MIS- Dorian had meanwhile paid visit uTOn
her bTOtherin- law with she described 10 me with
Icpcllng realism.
II am sure my dear Otho, that must have
audibly shudderrd when siw him He still lives
in the old Washington Square house where his
wife died. | was conducted upsaiis 10 large
front room. quite bare and grim in lts appoint
ncns. There he lay, on lounge in one corner
lie was wrapped in faded dressing gown His
body had apparently shrllnk to nothing his face
Wa, bOOdlcss and withercd and the hand which
he extended to me was like the yellow claw Of
4 bird The balls of his eyes appeared 10 float
about in their murlSy spaces they were like the
yes OF a blind man. they were so filmed and
,lasy. and yet You somehow knew that they saw. s
c asked me TO sit near him ami with voice that
Vas precisely in his old nasal key
"'Gucss you think | look pretty bad, he said
o mc. Most Icople do They don't tell me SO,
,ut 1 can il III their faces. See ii III yours,
-ouiSc.'
"'You certainly do not look well, Steven
answered.
"'No more do you look young. Srose you 1
hinlS you amt aged, but you have. Never you {
mini me- Good for twenty dead men yet No
mistake. Lucky you came when YOU did. Super
IN, LlIsirl MnI n