Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1886-05-28
BOOK ONE.
LADY BEA UTY S MOTHER.
CHAPTER |.
DARKNESS IN BEAUTY's ABSENCE.

DARKNESS IN BEAUTY's ABSENCE.
For the room had grown darker to GER
tainty. No doubt glass and silver shone as
clearly as before, the damask was as white,
the bloom of the flowers as rich, and the min
eled lights-sunlight straight from off the
green lawn outside, and lamplight just COM
ing into radiance on the dinner table-had
not lost brightness by one ray. And yet the
room was darker. Everybody felt that l
spoke it aloud, and we all looked round tho
table and the walls, and confessed that the
room was several shades darker.
at always rs darker" whispered an old
gentleman at my side, "when Lady Beauty
leaves the room-alwaysm
There were six other men at the table, but
as we spoke two of these fell into discussion
upon the old theme of Tory and Wing. Two
-parsons-struck off into some CONVEX
sation about "high" and "low' How the
third pair employed themselves l forget, but
they did not join our conversation. Plainly
the elderly gentleman and myself were to
start dialogue of our own; and as plainly
we should neither be interrupted nor over
heard. did not know my companions name;
but his fine figure and his cheerful face had
already made me feel an interest in him, and
resolved to keep up the talk which he had
so pleasantly begun.
"Who may Lady Beauty ber asked.
"You are a stranger here" replied the old
man, with smile which pleased me more
than ever
l confessed it.
"Or you would know who Lady Beauty is
Her praise is on everybody's lips"
"But," said, generally pay every lady
in room the tribute of at least one look
and-and-I did not notice a young woman
here this evening"
81 said nothing about a young woman
my friend continued, with vivacity which
CLEANED in his eyes and carved scores of hui
morous little wrinkles round the corners Of
his mouth. Lady Beauty is not young-by
the almanac, that is"
"Then who can she bel" reflected "Not
surely that spare aggressive-looking woman
that sat between you and me and talked of
female suffrage and the higher education Of
womanN
My old friend laughed with great relish
"That is her eldest sister"
ing old maids she an old maid by the
waya-who had such a fine outline and such
a suspicious bloom upon her cheeks'"
"No not her; that is the second sister," the
old gentleman answered, with another laugh
"a widow, too, my young friend"
81 have i'll" cried |, slapping the table lit
tie in my excitement, so that the Wing and
Tory glanced up, but seeing it was nothing,
resumed their argument 1T was that lady
in black, with the silver hair, neither stout
nor SLIM who spoke so clear and low, and
seemed to keep everybody in good humor
about her. Pity l sat so far away, | was
envying the people near her all dinner time
Am | right"
"You are" he answered. THAT was Lady
Beauty; and when she left the table she did
take some light away with her. You thought
you were making gallant sort Of joke ap-
piled to the sex generally; but you spoke
more truth than you fancied. The room ,Uus
darker when she left Darker to ME it al
ways is" and my old friend breathed a sigh,
which interested me more than ever.
81 did not know it was she who carried the
light away" said, 81 had scarcely noticed
her"
There is her praise" the old gentleman
answered, warmly She does not force her
self upon you. And | dare say many days
you don't look at the sun; but when sunset
comes you miss him none the less"
By such pleasant paths we entered into a
conversation. My friend told me many
things about Lady Beauty" to which I
listened with an attention which pleased him
greatly; much that when we were about
to leave the table, he took me gently by the
sleeve and said that, if had nothing better
to do that night, and liked chat and a
cigar, and would accept seat in his car
riage, he would tell me all the story of Lady
Beauty | was too much interested in him
self and his narrative to say no; and the
story, commenced, and continued on
several subsequent evenings, have here re-
corded without any attempt at art, just in
the simple way | heard it, | offer it here for
the acceptance, amusement and instruction
of that portion of creation who, as they are
the fountain of life and its best prize, may,
by the use of the gifts God has so choicely
bestowed upon them, be not alone the orna-
ment, but the joy of the men they love. In
which high art | respectfully ask them to
learn a lesson from Lady Beauty