New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-02-19
A TUMBLER OF MILK.
BY THE AUTHOR OF "LoRDs AND LADIES
lConclrded.l

rived from town! 1t had been taken TO her dress
ing-room, she was informed, where IL was "i'e"o'
being opened she waited 10 hear no more
The lid was OFF, in spite of her haste ere siie
was at the door and the first sight that met her
enraptured vision was that of glossy folds OF white
satin f,stoOned over with sivery Veillhgs ana
wleaths AID trails of shining blossoms being
drawn forth from rustng depths-a dcean VI
beauty never to be forgotten
Sybii stood still and ciaSped her hands. Never
had she beheld anything more pure and eAquslH-
and il was 10 lc Tor her sigh oil ecstasy es-
capped, soft murmur burst from her parted lips
And then 10 be sure the fairy robe itself not
all There besides tiny, sparkling beaded
white satin slip. ers such slippers as Cinderella b
prince might himself have fallen in love WIN ,
and there were pair OF the longest softest most
dccately periumed gloves, gloves that would GER
tainly reach TO SPILLS elbows, ii not beyond ana
best, because least expected OF aii-ior Lazy
Georginas orders had been lavish, but had lof
this occasion been intrusted to one person only
something still longer than the gloves, still soItef,
still more dainty; something that unfoed ana
unrolltd, and grew more ana more OewltcnlnS WlIh
every turn, until finally resolved into the most
beautifully embroidered silken stockings that
heart OF maiden could desire, WITH OIL Joy OF
joys, no hidden horrors, no disseminating secrets
thereto attached. Her cup ran over. 1t seemed
as if all at once every thorn had been eAuacIed
from her roses. If the first view was ravlsblng,
the next step was still more enchantingly novel
and important. The whole contents oil the box
must be tried on without delay; TWO attendants
lent their aid, Lady Georgina, eyeglass in hand'
looked on, and only the young laiy's now-ac-
know ed Led young lady hood prevented the worthy
ColOnei's Icing present also. As it was, ne hung
about in readiness TO center on any debatable
point or TO pronounce upon the whole
Are you sure they ht' Do they quite ftp
earnestly demanded the mother, the small feet
in their wond rous castings were displayed be
fore her. "Sybil my precious, do not scrupe to
tell me exactly how they feel. Are they easy
Are they comlortablep Not too tight anywhere
Not too high in the heel too low in the instep,
nor too narrow across the toesp Do they pinch
you in the slightest? Do they hurt anywhere
Say if they do at once, my love; they can be sent
back and fresh ones ordered II"
They are very nice indeed, thank you,
mamma" SYPHILIS young face aglow all over
THY look very nice certainly, but still If they
are not comfortable"
Indeed mamma, they could not be COM
Portable"
And the patience the bit thing has wi a. her
mammals idgets and fancies and her no bern
satisfied with naethin, is SIGHT TO see. cried The
old nurse Scotch 10 the backbone. in her heart at
this. "Puir bit cratur! she Gamma be let be e en-
aboot best COON for the birthday, but it maun be
Sybil. my bonnie, it's hound TO pinch We some gait
Awce her mamma means nae ill, but the folks is
few and far atween that could thole III" Sybil
being arrayed in the satin folds
"Charming!n cried Lady GeOrgina. for once
caught in a wOmanly "Charming!" and
for full a minute she said nothing more. But al
too soon anxiety was at work again, and over ana
over again had il TO be repeated that every detail
was it should he. that the waist was not too
long nor the collar too high. nor the sleeves too
tight Was the skirt at least not rather narrow
COud SN il move. and breathe, and recline at ease
Would she run risk Of tripping over her lace IN
front. Of Icing cntangled in the train behind !?
Would those high heeled slippers But here Lady
Geo,gina actually brought herself TO standstll,
and dang ed the eyeg'ass nervously from her hand
Now the truth was that heels" were not only
hers bnt Colonel I4atimcrs inveterate and openly
proclaimed aversion. and long and loudly had
they wa%cd war with them on SYPHILIS behalf
"Manace>. distortions, defomiteS," had been
lf9t. H. 10 IN In
knowledge that any living creature had dared TO
attach 10 the feet Of his precious child. or rather
h. Secs heir obnoxious component parts.speech
would not have suffced for his wrath. and no
power On earth would have prevented his sending
Iacl; The retty shining sparkling little apples of
discOrd without the delay Of an instant. But
iGdy Gcorgi was not man. nor soldier. She
looked at her daughter and. as we have said. sug.
restiOn and inquiry alike melted away. She could
not do il. OF SPILLS own innocent delight. Of
her pride Of displaying her small self SO trans
formed and umined to the sympathetic house
hold, of the secret hopes to which the present
hour gave rise within her modest bosom, futtering
and thrilling like that of a frightened bird be-
pause to speak Suffice it to that all went
well, and that the day of the dinner party drew on.
OF this in itself the young girl had no dread
BY nature Svbi fond of society, easily pleased,
readily amused, and disposed TO believe that the
most OF those she met were as kind. and good
humOrcd and benevolent as they appeared to be.
People were always <in'l 10 her: and from having
hccn so much in the company OF her elders.
the current topics of the day neither found
q he devoid of interest nor above her compre
hensiOn: nor would she have shrunk from being
questioned and appealed TO- had she been allowed
o. reply without the reply being dscanted upon
and dissccted piece by piece Might She but have
talked as Others taIkcd-but wins bark beck to
the Old grievance? There was one person al
least with whom Sybil Latimcr was never mis-
cradle never upon the tentcr-hOoks. and with
hm--a sigh of satisfaction escaped whenever she
b.pTht of it--with him she was to pass the
gr1if"r part of the cventful evening. Accord
ingly there only remained subject for CON
lecture and anxiety now TO feed upon, only ono
slumbcr from her eyelids That haunting spectre
was-a tumbcr OF milk
Every evening at eight o'clock, when Sybil
sat down 10 make her usual light and easily d.
gcsted supper during her parents more solid and
prOtracted meal tumbler Of milk would be placed
AT her right hand and il was one Of the laws OF
the Mcdcs and Persans in the old Colonies house
hold that for no reason and under no circum-
stances WIS that tumbler OF milk ever 10 be
omitted. I'm his eyes the nutritious drought was
the chief support. the very backbone as 1T were,
of SybiIs fragile existence, and for this reason
It had long been one OF her worst enemies. In
vain had Lady Diana urged that milk, NJ con .qc
Junction with other food, was by no means te
harmless and hesthfu' diet he supposed. HIS
hand had been raised on the instant; and ms tone
had been heightened also. and as he had dcclaImed
and expounded with invariably the same result
-incredulty and a shrug Of the shoulders on her
part, renewed and inHamed obstincy on his
In other respects the meal had been, after IN
finite delibefatOn and debate, advanced with
advancing years; SO that from the earlier plate
of rusks and butter it had now been turned into
minute helping Of fish, with perhaps potato in
gravy TO follow neither soup meat was sup
posed TO suit. but whatever there was or was
not the one thing needful in the eyes Of those
who had not themselves TO drink II, was the
tumbler Of milk and the reason for its being so,
with all the usual additional explanations and
discussions, was given con amore TO anybody
present who inadvertently laid himself or her
self open to receive them. The point now was
would that ghostly tumber appear to confront
and overwhelm poor happy Sybil this one
glorious evening Of her hitherto sunless life
She dared not Inquire, had not the courage u
awaken memories that might be dormant on the
subject The risk was too great
Supposing, Just supposins. that silence might
mean & tacit concent to the absence Just for once
of the degrading relic of the nursery, would she
r. IN tS..