The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1891-05-29

that it showed had only married Penny
for his money! he did not believe it, and
what was my triumph as / swept into the
assembly that yearl how different my feel
ingsi With my cheeks rosy and dimpling,
my eyes flashing, the soft and glistening
coils of my hair making my neck show all
the whittier and more slender, the dazzle
and brilliancy of my shoulders and arms
shaming the high dresses of most of the
women, never had looked SO well before.
Instead of a simple white tulle wore
cream yellow satin thick as q board, cut
more simple than any tulle could be, and
with my dozen of bouquets slung in a
string over my free arm, by the time that
| had made half turn of the room / had
half the men in it at my side. Low neck
was questionable that winter. and even
Mrs. Jimmy Naples could only scoff at
me for outraging the mode; but if the ap-
probation of the men counts for anything
fashion was wrong, terribly wrongl Even
Penny himself would hardly leave my
side. / exulted-I triumphed. Wherever
went, like comet carried my train
with me.
Nor did loiter through the galleries or
hide myself for hours behind the shrub
berry flirting with one man; my progress
through the galleries was triumphal
Look felt like crying to the other wom-
en-, can not wear diamonds as we'll as it
they had been handed down to me from
my ancestors9 Can not carry my head as
high as do they whose backbones have
been stiffened by hundreds of family ira
ditions? Such were the pardonable feel
ings that agitated me; but smiled at the
dowagers as sweetly as ever used to do in
my demure days. went down to supper
still triumphant with dozen men disput-
ing over me, and somewhat to the disgust
of Penny, who wanted to fetter me in
corner of the stairs by ourselves, estab-
lished myself at one of the little tables
with all my queue around me.
Just as l sat down Bran Boullter passed
| by l had not seen much of him during
the winter, but now he turned and asked
for place in my court, and laughed as
loudly as any of my courtiers while we.
emptied the bottles of champagne that
they bore off from the supper table. had
not placed myself where was from any
ostentatious feelings, and it was only care
less gayety that led me to approve of the
| frolicsome humor of my cavaliers. | sup
pose we made great deal of noise, and we
certainly sat out everybody else. Several
cigars had been lighted about the dining
room before / left it, and not even stray
ribbon on the stairs kept my sex company.
Never had there been such a success. /
might almost have thought that was the
assembly. l dare say my female readers
will think that my head was easily turned.
''If," they will say, 'seyery girl who had
not much attention during her first win
ter were to fancy that because she had
better time in her second she was the
belle of the season, no one would be wall
flower" Very true, young ladies, bat /
assure you l knew how to measure my
own success. What was the meaning of
the constant throng of men about me-not
five men, not six men, but a dozen, fifteen,
twenty? You, when you go to the assem-
bly,, gather around you the men of your
own set when Emily's latest swain talks
to you ten minutes longer than he does to
Emily your blue eyes gleam with pleasure;
when, for three turns of the room, four
men are by your side, you look sideways
at the girls who can boast of only one
man, and he man of their chance, not of
their choice.
You look at them, say, in scorn, and
you are right. If you have not enough
spirit to enjoy your conquests you should
never be a warrior. But do you know
what is meant by the height of popularity?
Can you imagine what the feelings would
be of a popular song, a popular novel
your name in every ones mouth, your form
in every ones eye, your qualities in every
ones thoughts? My dear girls, l have
reached these heights. The men who
spoke to me, who rushed after me, who
were whirled in the eddies about me, were
not the men whom | saw at every party to
which | went, with whom l cracked the
same little jokes; they were of every set
of every sort--callow youths with budding
mustaches, half afraid, half valiant, stately
peres de famille, superior young men who
until now had held themselves aloof, fa-
miliar friends, laughing acquaintances,
smirking foreigners, eager strays from
Boston, Baltimore, New York, all bowling,
pushing, smiling, catching up my words,
begging for waltzes, flowers, promenades!
This was O cosmopolitan triumph; this
was the gayety of the capital of the world
led the stately movement round the
room. / was the most noticeable figure in
all that beautiful array. Frightened de-
butantes slipped to their seats awed and
wondering, grisly dowagers frowned in
disapproval, and found myself lifted up
beyond the possibility of caring whether it
was all happening or not.
After all, / suppose this is an exagger-
ated view to take of it, but it seems true
enough as remember it. Certainly after
supper | moved through the german a
queen, and reigned over that part of the
evening Flower after flower dropped
from my bouquets, but still l showed
without a ribbon misplaced, without an
inch of my balayeuse torn-the most un-
tagging dancer, the most daring and
breathless in my whirl.
At last it ended. We left the floor,
strewn with flowers, broken fans, feathers,
lace and rags, for another year, and sought
our carriages and homes, A moral phil
osopher would comment, / dare say, OF the
fact that as we went to bed many people
rose to begin their daily labors. But what
does that proveS If these people were situ-
ated as we are they would keep the same
hours that we do. AS stepped into our
hallway began humming a waltz. Penny
laughed, and, bundled up as was, began
to twirl round again, slipping off my wrap
, and waving my arms.
Don't, my dear; don't beg of you," said
he, catching me. ''If any of the men hear
you they'll storm the house and insist on
finishing the ball herei''
And indeed it was reported the next day
that 1 had been sereladed by a few of the
younger men, who, | dare say, had had
more champagne than usual; but if such
, an attention was paid to me was unaware
, Dfit
, 1t must not be supposed that achieved