New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-02-12
A TTMBLER OF MILK.
BY THE AUTHOR OF LORDS AND LADIES"
.rr,os, make the sum Of human things"

THE AUTHOR OF LORDS AND LADIES"
"rrines make the Of human thugs"
svbil was to dine Late She had never dined
late In her life before. That Ii TO say tnat hlss
Svbil IIatiner had never been present during
mart or even the whole Of that solemn function
ushered in nightly by the roll Of the gong at
o'clock Sybil was only child and had her
privileges, the chief Of which was to be the COM
panion Of her parents at all times and seasons
when not actually engaged IN the pursuit OF
knowledge but with that stern upholder OF ell
ouette her mother all such liberty must be ao-
knowledged rs liberty all relnxations and indnig-
ences recognized as relaxations and indulgences,
and even sitting up to dinner must never be calico
dining late Thus up to the present time.
But Sybil was trembling on the verge OF
womanhood: her eighteenth birthday that greae
birthday In q girls life, WAS at hand, ana even
LADY Georeina allowed that IL was time TO &C
knowledge as rights what had hitherto been
winked at irregularities The world must DC
appraised that the heiress about TO step across
the Rubicon.
On a like occasion Lady Georgna's nieces the
blooming Mary and Isabella who won SYPHILIS envy
and admiration, had each been granted a ball OF
her own a ball to which half the county had been
invited, and at which the fair debutante had
reigned as queen but ball for Sybil was not TO
be contemplated for a moment.
For delicate creature like her 1t would DC
madness" quoth Colonel Latimer, who took to the
full as much charge Of his daughter though
she had no other parent. My dear'-to his
wife" you would not You surely would not think
Of it," continued he, stammering with anxiety and
CONSERVATION. For the idea had been mooted in
his presence, and had made the few remaining
hairs on his head stand on end with fright. Her
ladyshp, however, was quite of his own mind on
the subject
ball was the last thing she would think of;
Sybi would be sure to be overheated, over
strained. overdone in every way. ball meant
vast amount Of fatigue and risk and ball dress
on a December evening every kind OF III to which
the flesh is heir. 7 hen for ball, the great rooms
and all the long. echOing, draugbty corridors with
which Latlmer Hall brstled, would have to he
thrown open, and Syuil world have 10 thread
them with the rest. Terrible thought. Last, but
not least, who in the neighhorhood was there
worthy of leading the heiress TO the floor?
Sir Robert DovcrcOurt certainly, but unluckly
Sir Robert was not a dancing man. and was more
over seldom to be ad when wanted. If wanted
for hall, or picnic, or any sort OF festal gath
erng, the young baronet might almost be reckoncd
upon to have another engagement" and Lady
Georgina not the person to like heng met
by "another engagement Failing DovercOurt
Godfrey Hamburg was the next in succession, and
1t was long step from the one TO the other.
SYPHILIS mother. who thought hardly anybody could
ever be good enough to touch the hem Of her
daughters garment, drew up her own beautiful
neck at the bare idea Of Godfrey, and she and her
husband finallg agreed together In parental con-
cave that dinner party-a formal frgid, stately
Olnner party, at which all the old silver ana china
should be in use, and for which the invitations
should be issued weeks beforehand was the only
suitable sensible and rational mode of celebrating
their darng's entrance into the world
"Sybil" quoth the old soldier, shaking his
rrzzed head-he had not married early, and
now in ms sixty-Gfth year" Sybil is fragile
flower; no adverse wind must ever blow upon her.
Balls and theatres for girls of another kind.
Great, strong, robust young women" proceeded
he with ineffable contempt =" may be able to en-
JOY such amusements, and derive no Injury from
them. i am not speaking for Others. / am not
debating to other parents: but daughter is
cast In a mould of her own. delicate, shrinking,
sensitive creature" waving his hand gently to and
fro: a mere puff Of thstledOwn-that is our
Sybil. She is a charge, great charge, II is our
duty to guard, protect, ward of every roughness
every sharpness from her tender frame And now,
now that she has reached the age when dangers of
another kind are likely to assail her, we must
rcdouole our exertions Sybil will be sought
after, run after raced after. There will be a
regular siege laid to Miss Sybil Latimer whenever
she appears In public, and her lovely face"
"Yet would you believe it, said Lady Georg-
ma. who had heartily agreed to ALL " would you
believe that my sister Diana spoke to me only
yesterday about SYPHILIS want of color, and asked
whether did not think she would be better for
running about more in the open ARP Imagine
Sybil running about in the open air In mid-wnter
AS II should ever be mad to risk my poor
darling's health by such rashness Only yesterday,
you remember both fanced she had . cough
after driving with me, yet am sure had the
carriage windows closed the whole time. The
open air indeedl The raw, damp, cold. December
open air But that was Diana all over"
Diana all over echoed he. Your sister
thinks that all the family should be tough and
rough as her branch Of it. Because she and her
daughters are able for anything"
:" And they will certainly grow coarse, as !
limited yesterday. / was determined Diana should
not have IT all her own way. And as l could see
plainly what was in her mind-indeed she almost
said that we overdid it in care of Sybil-I had
my answer I said My dear, your girls look
almost too well. There is such a thing as looking
too we'll What a skin gains In color it often
loses In delicacy. skin cannot be too smooth.
Does it not strike you that Isabels skin is perhaps
hardly quite as smooth as 1t wasp That was
how answered Diana"
And very well you answered too Yes, ]
think Isabel has too much bloom. At present
while she Is quite young, this may he overlooked
for she is pretty girl as girls though of
not equal TO Sybil: but In a few years time I
would not answer for IL that either Of your
nieces will not have developed too fully, that
they will not have grown coarse, as you say, with
all that walking and riding, and skating, and
tenns-playing. Your sister thinks II healthy.
am no great admirer Of such healthiness myself
owned the Colonel frankly.
At any rate IL would never suit our child"
assented Lady GeOrgina. am thankful that
nobody can interfere with US about her Diana
may do as she peases with her own daughters,
but " Is rather too hard that she should wish to
manage ours. And imagine Sybil brought up
like Mary and Isabel If anything were TO happen
to Sybil-' The door opened and Sybil entered
A fragile-looling creature, her father had
said pale. slight. and bending. with soft dark
eyes that looked wistfully out upon the world,
and thoughtful brow almost too pensive for
one so young. Sybl was seldom heard to laugh;
would have been too much to expect that q
child so nurtured could laugh with any Of the
Abandonment Of youth. but the chisellcd lips
OF her small sensitive mouth would occasionally
part In smile. q smile 90 rarely sweet so timid
yet SO arch, so tremulous yet 90 keen and appre-
hcDsve, that people whose sole acauaintanship |
with the heiress had hitherto been through the