Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-07-23
IS SABE IA:
From Shop to Mansion.

Harvey Falconer looked at her with pleased smile; had she gushed or over- whelmed hlm with profuse gratitude he would have been annoyed; as it was she met his idea of a wellbred woman per- fcctly.
 "We will go in the morning." she said, quietly; "one's ideas are so much clearer than in the heat of the day"
 Meantime far less peaceful scene was being enacted in Mrs. Stanford's dining room; the postman had come just as they were gathered there for dinner, and Mrs. Stanford read the letter from her brother.
 Mercy on us!' she gasped, "you can never guess the news"
 "What can it be, mamma, why, you actu- ally look faint" Mrs. Stanford had not yet put on her evening complexion.
 "Your Uncle Harvey is married; but that isn't all of it," was the answer.
 "Marriedr" echoed Lilly, Sit must be mat rimony is catching disorder, but to whom! l didn't suppose he had looked at q woman since Aunt Mattie died" Pardon the ex- travagance, but society young lady must have some latitude of exp, 'ession.
 "Well, he has looked at one to some pur- pose, 1t seems,'' replied Mir. Stanford, dis mally; "you remember that homely girl that waited on you the other day at Mime. Arnot's?"
 ''Tnat shop-Oirln' cried Lilly:
 "That shop-0irl?'' groaned Mrs. Stanford; s'he has married her on one days acquaint- ance. knew that Harvey Falconer was living monument of oddity, but this beats every thing" and she read the letter aloud.
 MT. Stanford laughed heartily. "Harvey is original, at any rate," he said, helping him self to the toast, which in the excite ment was being neglected.
 "What shall we do!" sighed Mrs. Stan ford; 'the miserable story will get out in spite of us.''
 ''Cut Harvey off with a shilling," sug- gested Mir. Stanford, facetiously; his record was truly American, having risen to his present position from being barefoot boy in the streets of New York, consequent ly his sympathies were with the working people, and he saw no particular disgrace in the fact that Harvey had married one of them.
 'Do be sensible, Mir Stanford,'' said his wife, rather snappishly.
 ''Then say, in all seriousness, that you had better follow your brothers advice, and make the best of it," he resumed, quiet ly. "Harvey's head is pretty generally level, and I'll dare venture he has not been taken in by any frothy-headed giglet, and if you take her up, and make the most of her, she may prove perfect lion ill society; as likely to be as any other way, for you know Dame Grundy dearly loves a TO- mance.''
 "She seemed very ladylil1e and quiet that day." said Lilly, coming over to her fathers d-point, as she invariably did.
 "But she may come of some coarse, hor- rid family, that will be a continual draw back to her." Mrs. Stanford was de- termined to sec all the dark shades in the picture.
 "Not necessarily" replied MT. Stanford 'I have known wretchedly poor people to hold over their richer neighbors in intelli- gence and retinement.''
 "Well, I hope it may be so," sighed Mrs. Stanford. "Of course her life at Mme. Arnot's has brought her in contact with people of wealth and culture, so that she will have some ideas of style."
 "I noticed that he used choice language, and expressed herself remarkably well," said Lilly. 'Much better than Mme. Arnot, who in her anxiety to be genteel docs slash the Kings English cruelty at times; for in- stance, when she talks about patru,. hats for pattern hats, and other mistakes equal ly ridiculous. You will visit them while I am at the mountairs?" she spoke. inquir- 'ngly;
 ford, hesitatingly.
 " A little help from you at the first may be of great benefit to her," suggested MT. Stanford, kindly. "It's done, and it re- mains for Us to make the best of it, and if you can coach her up in some of the points that women are so particular about, no doubt she'll come out all right" Perhaps you are right" Mrs. Stanford replied. more cordially than she had yet spoken she loved to be looked up to as au- 1 thority in society matters. "If she is teach able and intelligent it may not be so bad lfter all, but what a freak!'' If people would only follow the Stanfords proposed example, and make the best of things in this vexing whirl of life, what a world of trouble would be saved, but the l most of us fret and worry, beating our | wings against the inevitable to the prema- | ,ure development of crows' feet and gray aairs. Perhaps this is distinctly Amer can trait, and traceable in some degree to | iyspeptic pie and other indigestible stuffs |; l however that may be, we could proftably | exchange some of our excessive ability for worrying for little of the German stolid- 1 ty, or the French elasticity, and be hap pier and more agreeable Nation. sThis is your choice, then, Mrs. Fal- :oner" They were standing before two slegantly-framed pictures in a popular srtist's studio; one, @ wonderful piece of soloring in the Yellowstone Park; the other ! sunset in the Alps, a rare gem, the pur- pie tips of the mountains, the tops of the tall trees, and even the shrubs which tringed the brook in the valley tipped with hay pink tint from the setting sun, which gave bewitching effect.
 Isabel had never had the privilege of ex. srcising her taste in the selection of expen- sive pictures before. and she enjoyed the l novel experience hugely
 "Yes," she replied, with enthusiasm, s'it rests my eyes to look at it, and am sure Miss Stanford will like it."
 MT. Falconer said few words to the art 'st, and the picture was taken from the easel and paid for.
 MT. Falconer watched his wife at Mime Morand's with great satisfaction; she gave her orders in quiet, concise manner, and with the air of one who understood herself perfectly, and knew exactly what she wanted; in decided contrast to fussy creature of the vulgar rich class, who kept one counter in a ferment with her conflict ing orders.
 Isabel had often wished that she might have the opportunity of choosing one cos tune for herself, without the necessity o. counting the dollars spent in it's construc ton. and now with the prospect of half {
 dozen before her and no limits as to ex
 pense, she made out her programme a
 nome, carefully studying her own needs ani