The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1889-01-18
miscellaneous.
MY FIRST VISIT.


young lady, at the house of friend. The
other members OF whose family were total
strangers to me.
Alas ! still feel inclined to blush when
remember bow poorly | sustained my new
role, aud although a girl OF fifteen may be
pardoEcd tor making the mistakes which
then made, perhaps some o her girls of fifteen
will thank me if rehcarse my own short
cOmings as a warning to them, ard as an cX-
ample to be stunned.
Do not Imagine, young reader, that we
were O!Thafians twenty years ago. We knew
how to use our knives and forks, and Wee
not in the habit OF blowing out the gns when
we went to bed. But we were as hopeful
th'n, as young people are nowadays, and
Away expected to he able to dress for break
fast in fifteen minutes, although sad cXper-
fence Ind taught us that the thing WAS clearly
impossible. The natural result of my too
confident reliance upon my ability to do
things quickly was, that never came down
to breakfast when the bell rang. Indeed, |
cannot clearly remember being punctual at
even one meal during this unlucky visit
Now it is bad enough to keep ones own
family waiting, but it Is simply unpardonablc
to annoy other people in this way, and one
of the first duties Of guest is to be punctual
at all meals.
Ofcourse, l had no deliberate intention of
being late, but had most unfortunate habit
of procrAsination, and, shall say it? a
stupid habit of carrying ink stands away from
their proper places. To this am indebted
for The ruin of many hvorte dress, and
more than one indelible stain has been left on
pnrlur carpet, as a result of my persistence
in this habit.
1t seems such an easy and simple thing, to
carry an inksland into ones own bedroom,
place il on the bureau or table, and write
ones letter in peace and scCiusion. But
would rot advise any person under seventy
years Of ngc, to attempt this feat. There is
something peculiarly untrustwOrthy, one
might indeed say treacherous in the
nature of ink and ink bottles, and il il sur
prising how they will upset, or suddenly
spring their contents over the front of your
dress and the air carpet, when you are 60
ing down stairs so very carefully!
Not to make the story too long, the inksland
stand stupidity upset itself, TN sure didn't do
it, al over the bright red carpet in the spare
room at my friends house, 50 that when the
dinncr.bul rang on Sunday, it was impos
sible tor me To 90 downstairs, for | was
otherwise engaged with large sponge and
several chamber towels, CndeavOring, like
Bluebeard's wife, to clean up what never
would come clean !
1t seemed pity to disturb what was left
my hDstcss's Sunday dnU,:-l arrived upon
thesceue, at the same moment as the dessert
by unfolding the dark and inky TALE, which
lurkrd in my conscience and on the wet
floor, So | put off my confession until the
next day. Floors, however, are neither
water nor ink proof, and the quantity of water
which il took to mop UP that lax, was more
than the thCkcst carpet could absorb.
/ A.. lut in ia Ct lV hot n
large, purpish drop fell upon the Christian
Register which lay open before him, then an
other and another.
/ Then one drop, bolder than the rest, lit
/ upon his speCtacIcs He started from his
seat, looked up, and bchrld a dark, purple
stain on his newly frescned lavender ceiling,
from which the dark lie-blOOd of the iuk-
bottle was slowly hut surely dropping down,
/ A search in the room above revealed the
guilty traces Of my mad sponge and towel
cXr rCiSc of course the towels had 10 be the
newest and best in the house. an in those
old war times linen and cotton goods cost Il
small fortune!
1t would have served poor lirt'y inky, mis-
cradle me quite right, if my kind hosts bud
spnt me straight home, but they we've too
polite to do that, SO | stayed to the end of my
visit, and further distinguished myself by
arguing constantly with the girls who were
my c1mpanious, and by differing in opinion
with them on every poi"t which came up for
discussion.
Now the right to express lis or her own
opinion is the birthriGht Of every American
citizen, but il is not necessary for Us to pa
radc our hirthright on every occasion, nor IL
make ourselves tiresOme or even disagree
able to our fellows, by Selling every oppor-
tunity to set forth our views, and to argue in
theI favor in Il pugnaciOus manner.
All this il il much to be feared that | did
not with deliberate intention, but because
was naturally of Il rather cOnbative dlsposi
ness youth, excusing myself to my own
conscience on the ground that was defend
ing the truth
Thus when the daughter Of the house
showed us some pretty, dainty French slip
psrs, cut low ut the toe, and with high heels
seized the opportunity to give her long
lecture on the folly of heels, and OF the tight
and pihching qualities of French slippers
branching off on the kindred, though NOR,
dangerous, folly of wearing tight dresses, ant
the comparatively venial sin of wearing
gloves n size too small for ones hand.
We had been studying physiology a.
school that year, and | was so full of zeal fol
my newly acquired principles, that forgo
namely, to make interchangeable to her hosts
and, therefore, to avoid subjects of conlen
ton, and 10 e3chew heated controversies.
Ii would have been so easy to admire thu
slippers, tor they were very pretty, and ther
to have said very quietly, Don't You think
these slippers are bad for the feet? Wehavt
been studying about these things in oul
physiology, it is extremely interesting"
Instead Of rousing my young hostess t.
argument and antagonism, should thus hav,
given my own opinion in an inoffensve man
ner, and perhaps in the end, she would hav,
been converted to my views, or have askeC
what we had learned about these matters a
our school.
1t is a glorious thing TO argue, in the RICH
time and place for the sake OF the truth, bu